# Melbourne to London - where to live/schools when working near Holborn Station



## ozroses01 (May 20, 2008)

Hi all,
My husband is looking at an offer that would have him working near Holborn Station in central London by January. I have a million questions but wanted to start with:

Where to look at living: We will have a 6 year old daughter and a new born and currently live in Bayside Melbourne. Hubby doesn't want a hell commute and we are happy living quite central to begin with. What rents would we need to consider if we wanted a 3-4 bedroom house/apartment in a safe, child friendly, leafy area.

Schools: Does anyone have any advice re Gifted education in the UK. Schools to recommend etc. Are the educational outcomes from state based schools vastly different from the private schools - costs at private looked to be around AUD25-30K per year - is this worth it? Our daughter is currently at an IB private school in Melbourne.

Thanks so much for your time and assistance.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

ozroses01 said:


> Hi all,
> My husband is looking at an offer that would have him working near Holborn Station in central London by January. I have a million questions but wanted to start with:
> 
> Where to look at living: We will have a 6 year old daughter and a new born and currently live in Bayside Melbourne. Hubby doesn't want a hell commute and we are happy living quite central to begin with. What rents would we need to consider if we wanted a 3-4 bedroom house/apartment in a safe, child friendly, leafy area.
> ...


You will need a serious amount of money (or excellent relocation package!) to be able to afford the sort of housing close to Central London. If you want a shortish underground ride to Holborn, you are thinking of North London suburbs of Islington, Highgate, Hampstead, St Johns Wood, or a bit further out, Finchley and Hendon. For the former, budget at least £500 a week, and for the latter £300. This is for a basic accommodation from a private landlord, and for something better, such as 24-hour security, parking space/garage etc, sky's the limit but up to double or more.
As for education, top state primaries provide excellent education, but good schools will all have a long waiting list and you are unlikely to get a place. If you ask the local authority (in your case a London Borough) to look for a school place, they will find you one, but it can be miles from home and not so good/or in a less desirable area. So taking these things into account, you may have no choice but to consider private education. I'd say the average fees are around £4500 a term or £13500 a year, so around A$7500 or A$22500, but they do vary a lot. Before you commit yourself, make sure you visit the school in person and meet the head and ask a lot of questions, and that your daughter will fit in and be happy. Each school is different and has its own strengths and ethos.


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## ozroses01 (May 20, 2008)

*thanks*



Joppa said:


> You will need a serious amount of money (or excellent relocation package!) to be able to afford the sort of housing close to Central London. If you want a shortish underground ride to Holborn, you are thinking of North London suburbs of Islington, Highgate, Hampstead, St Johns Wood, or a bit further out, Finchley and Hendon. For the former, budget at least £500 a week, and for the latter £300. This is for a basic accommodation from a private landlord, and for something better, such as 24-hour security, parking space/garage etc, sky's the limit but up to double or more.
> As for education, top state primaries provide excellent education, but good schools will all have a long waiting list and you are unlikely to get a place. If you ask the local authority (in your case a London Borough) to look for a school place, they will find you one, but it can be miles from home and not so good/or in a less desirable area. So taking these things into account, you may have no choice but to consider private education. I'd say the average fees are around £4500 a term or £13500 a year, so around A$7500 or A$22500, but they do vary a lot. Before you commit yourself, make sure you visit the school in person and meet the head and ask a lot of questions, and that your daughter will fit in and be happy. Each school is different and has its own strengths and ethos.


Thanks Joppa - we won't move unless the package is "right" so your guidelines are a huge help. Fingers crossed the negotiations are fruitful and we can begin our UK adventure.


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