Yep, is the first tough test you have to pass abroad. Find a place where to sleep is not easy but not impossible. You need to be flexible and forget comforts and standards of your country. The rooms market in London is something really quick, take it or leave it! So don't be picky. First of all you need to work out what you can afford and be realistic. Flat sharing, studios, rent an entire house or squatting these are the opportunities, OK the last one is a joke. Live in Notting Hill or some other cool area would be great, but definitely wasn't my instance. The research was focus on the south side just below the mystic river Thames that currently is still a quite affordable zone close to the city centre. Well let's go practical. I was lucky a friend of mine just moved a couple of weeks before me so I had a place for the first days, if not just find out an hostel.
http://www.ukhostels.com/
http://www.booking.com/
http://www.generatorhostels.com/
Set up your mind thinking that nothing is definitive and you can improve from time to time and make a decision shortly. How to do research? London is a Digital City, on line is one of the best way. Let me past some useful links so if you need you can start playing with filters and search criteria.
http://www.gumtree.com/
http://www.spareroom.co.uk/
http://uk.easyroommate.com/
http://www.flatshare.com/
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/
It is boring isn't it?
Yes OK a funny story is coming about my research...
The main problem was understand what people were saying over the phone so my trick was just try to catch the information I needed (day, time of the view and the POST CODE).
After my first appointment I was ready to face every situation. I booked the appointment with a guy who spoke a kind of Italian but at the meeting a dodgy English one who seemed coming out from the video game "GTA" met me in front of Oval tube station. I didn't get the name and other hundred words he said.
The only sentence I understood was "Jump on my car" were other three guys were seat in the back. I put my seat belt, he didn't but he started driving like Colin Mcrae, swearing to everyone on our way. He show me two rooms, the first one was just with a mattress on the floor and a kind of wardrobe, in the meantime he was flirting with one of the tenant. The second was in a massive building but he didn't have the key so he show me another room inside the flat saying "well looks like this one but a bit smaller". Great I have good imagination but as a letting negotiator that guy wasn't any good. After that experience and the quality of the rooms worthy of the movie "Trainspotting" find my first London's room was absolutely a joke...
Below another of the flat I saw but I didn't like the actual flatmates...
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