Finding your new home
Migrants should make housing arrangements before moving to the UK, even if the only option available is to stay with relatives. However, with advance planning and financial resources, immigrants can move immediately into an apartment or even a single-family home. Condos can also be rented or bought.
It's important for the migrant to research the housing market to know the standard prices of living quarters. This information can be found online, and is listed in newspapers and real estate booklets. If a migrant has family, research should also be done to determine what schools are in the area. Are pets allowed, and if so, what fees are charged extra for them? Is it important to have a church of one's faith nearby? What size living quarters will be best? Are there restrictions that apply to the apartment, condo, or home and will those restrictions be livable?
Before signing any leases or other documents for your living quarters, be sure that you understand what you are signing. This is particularly important if your English is not the best. Even someone with good English skills can fail to understand the legalese involved in documents of this sort. Ask if you may take a copy of the lease to show an advisor. Reputable leasing agencies will happily allow this.
Be sure you understand exactly what your payment will be and what fees might be added. Understand your security deposit and the circumstances under which you may reclaim it at the end of your lease. What utilities will be included in a rent payment and which ones you will be responsible for on your own? Find out how to begin utility services and know what those fees will be.
Most migrants will rent when they first come to the UK. Consider buying a home as soon as possible if you are intent on putting down roots in your new area. If your finances allow you to purchase a home, you will need to know many of the same things as with signing a lease, but the process will take far longer and involve more intricate proofs of income, savings, and ability to pay. If your financial record from your country of origin is in good shape, you should have little trouble finding a home to buy in the UK. As with rental, seek an advisor who understands the real estate language. A good command of ordinary English is not sufficient for the legal and technical terms on a mortgage.