Find the Perfect London House this Summer

Every summer, agents in central London, see a huge surge in demand for Central London properties.

There are multiple reasons for this, the desire for outside space, the student influx, the fact that with the longer, warm evenings you can view flats into the night and still find time to relax at the end of a hard day - and this year the “Brental Effect” will further exacerbate the competition.

As an applicant, the search often begins as an enjoyable task but can quickly turn into a chore as you struggle to find what you want and often miss out to other parties.

So what should you do to make this search as pain-free as possible?

·         Decide where you want to live and what amenities you need - not just in the property but locally. Once you and your flatmates (if applicable) have a clear idea of what you need and want, register with the local agents in the area giving them a clear brief and outline your situation. Make sure that prior to booking a viewing you check over the property details, there is nothing more frustrating than viewing a property that is of no interest to you when you could have been enjoying a summer's evening.

• Even if you require a furnished apartment look at unfurnished properties as well, there are a number of hire companies who will rent you furniture and do all the heavy lifting for you.
• If you are currently renting, however daunting it is, give notice to your current landlord - you have made the commitment to move and you will find something. Remember, the summer market moves fast so a landlord of a vacant flat is quite likely not to be willing to wait a month for new tenants when they know they might well be able to get someone to move in next week.
• Try and view as many properties in as short a time as possible, ideally all in a day or evening. This way you will have a good idea of the available stock in your budget and are able to be decisive and less likely to lose out to another applicant.
• Accept that the perfect flat may not be out there and that you may need some level of compromise, if the flat ticks 9 out of the ten boxes it may be as good as you are going to get.
• Make sure you have all the references prepared, most agents and landlords will require at least proof of address, photographic ID, a landlord reference, an employment reference and bank statements. Getting all this prepared ahead of time will demonstrate to the agent and landlord that you are keen to move and have everything ready.
• Finally try to enjoy the process. Moving home in most cases should be an enjoyable experience, sample the local eateries, shops and restaurants after viewings to help you get a better idea of the local amenities.