Moving to London can be a daunting experience for anyone. The cost of renting in the country’s capital is particularly eye-watering, especially if you’re looking for a home that doesn’t come with a three-hour commute to work each day.

If that sounds like you, looking for a shared house or apartment can be the ideal solution. Not only do you get to split the cost of rent and bills, but that saving can also open the door to living in a coveted Zone 1 location..

Why is house sharing ideal for professionals

One of the main reasons that flatshares in London are so appealing is the cost. There’s no two ways around it – sharing a two- or three-bed apartment with your friends can be much better value for money by far than looking for a room to rent by yourself.

It’s not just that you’ll be splitting the rent. You and your housemates will also be splitting the bills between you, as well as the cost of cleaning – whether that’s the cost in time or of hiring a cleaner. Depending on your arrangements, you might also be able to share the cost of some groceries and essentials.

By splitting those costs, you can open the door to living in a much larger space than you’d normally get renting solo. If you’ve looked at solo rooms in London, you’ve probably seen plenty of horror stories – studio apartments that are barely more than cupboards but somehow still demand most of your monthly salary.

With flat sharing, you can avoid all of that hassle and compromise. A kitchen that actually feels separate from your living room? A place to work or watch Netflix that isn’t also your bed? When you’re not the only person responsible for paying the rent, anything’s possible.

An easy way to meet new people

The benefits of house sharing in London aren’t only financial. Moving in with others is also a great way to meet people, especially if you don’t know your new roommates beforehand.

That can sound daunting – we’ve all heard of nightmare housemates before, and it can be a bit of a gamble. But if you’re moving to the London area for the first time and don’t know anyone there, don’t underestimate the value of having someone you can get to know and hang out with outside of work.

Whether you’re always making plans together or just want to game and watch TV when you both have an evening free, a good housemate can go a long way to helping you feel settled in your new city.

Depending on where you choose to call home, this might not just include your roommates either. At Bloom Nine Elms, for example, we put a huge focus on helping build a sense of community among all of our tenants – whether they share the same front door or not.

What does that look like in practice? Well for one, we put together a year-round calendar of events from cheese and wine tasting and food markets to live music and pottery painting workshops. And then there are our amenity spaces, including a pool, roof terraces, a sky lounge bar and a games room, so you’ve always got somewhere to hang out with the friends you make, whether they’re from the room next door or the flat down the hall.

What to consider about flat sharing in London

Flat sharing in London Zone 1 can be an excellent way to experience the central London lifestyle – including its vibrant community and closeness to everything you need. But how to find flatshares in London is still a tricky business, and there’s still plenty to consider before jumping in.

Here are some of the things you need to think about when you’re weighing up roommates and London Zone 1 flat shares.

Your flatmates

If you’re thinking about how to find flatmates, obviously your first consideration is who those people are. You need to know that the person you’re going to live with for the next year or more isn't always stealing your milk, or making noise late at night when you’re trying to rest for the next day.

Start by thinking about what your dream housemate would look like. Are they about your age? Do you want to live with fellow young professionals? Do you want someone who’s always up for hanging out and cooking together, or someone who likes their own space as much as you do?

The more certain you are about these kinds of things early on, the better you can vet potential housemates and avoid problems later.

Location

A huge part of living in this part of London is its location – with great tube and other transport links to the rest of the city and the best of central London lifestyle on your doorstep, it’s the ultimate way to live in London without falling victim to the dreaded commuter life.

As such, where you choose to live in Zone 1 is hugely important. Zone 1 covers a lot of ground, so familiarise yourself with the areas it includes, which Underground lines and stations you need access to, and what kinds of shops, restaurants and attractions you want on your doorstep for your days off.

The cost of rent – and what it includes

Budget is obviously important no matter where you’re looking to live, but in London’s Zone 1 there’s something particular to keep in mind, and that’s what you’re getting for your money.

There’s no getting around the fact that the cost of rooms for rent in London Zone 1 can be pretty sobering at first glance. But remember that when you’re living with central London just outside your front door, you’re not just paying for a room to sleep in.

You’re also paying to escape a three-hour daily commute in and out of the suburbs. You’re paying to have the best of London life – whether that’s the food and shopping, the nightlife or the green spaces – right in the palm of your hand any day of the week.

Obviously you need to still have enough for essentials after the rent is due. But don’t be too swayed by rent savings that you ignore central London entirely – because what you save in rent at the end of each month, you might end up spending each day in time spent travelling in and out of the city centre.

Zone 1 flat sharing with Bloom Nine Elms

While looking for a shared apartment in London’s Zone 1 can seem daunting at first, there is a way to make the process a whole lot easier.

At Bloom Nine Elms, we offer a range of spacious two- and three-bedroom apartments, all with two bathrooms, open-plan living and plenty of storage for everyone. Alongside our apartments we also have high-end amenity spaces like our sky lounge bar, roof terrace and co-working spaces, which you can treat as an extension to your apartment if you need somewhere to get some work done, take a call or chill out with a book.

Plus, if you want to invite family and friends over for a special celebration, you can also book the private dining lounge on our 17th floor and forget about worrying if you’ve got enough space for everyone.

And the best bit? Bloom Nine Elms is in a prime South West London location, with the Northern Line at Nine Elms or Battersea Power Station just a few minutes away. It couldn’t be easier to say goodbye to the dreaded commute.

If you’re looking for the best places to flat share in London Zone 1, take a look at what Bloom Nine Elms has to offer.