Parting Thoughts

Thinking through my “to-do” list, here are some of the less obvious things to consider…

Finances
* Notify bank and credit cards of upcoming foreign transactions to prevent fraud holds
* Understand foreign transaction charges for credit cards (Capital One 0%) , debit cards (Visa 1%, even for ATM), and bank transfers
* Set up an Electronic Fund Transfer process to move money to a UK based account. Fx.com appears to provide a good service, although I’ve yet to make a transaction.

Lodging
* If arriving in July/August and need temporary lodging, book a room at a local university. I’ve booked a single private room for two weeks through hostels.com at University of Westminster Halls – Marylebone for £15/night.
* Search LBS’ Portal accommodation listings two weeks prior to arriving to setup student flat/flat share viewings. Keep in mind that joining an existing student flat will eliminate the hassle of setting up utilities and exempting your flat from council tax (~£100/mo; exemption requires that all tenants be students).
* A reasonable weekly rent/utilities budget seems to be £175 for a flat share or £300 for a studio. Remember that there are ~4.3 weeks in a month if making a time period conversion (365.25 /7 /12 = 4.34821428571 to be precise).

Random
* Network early with co-workers and friends. An old manager put me in touch with his new company’s US recruiting coordinator who forwarded my resume to their London office.
* London Gatwick has lower passenger landing fees than Heathrow so flights may be $50 cheaper from US. However, you will likely pay more for transportation to get into the city (ie, Gatwick Express vs Tube).
* Leaving friends and loved ones behind is very difficult. Planning numerous communication channels (eg, blog, Skype, Hello UK phone card) and dates for visits can ease some of the strain.

I'm leaving for London in 6 hours...