Hi,I am starting with Deloitte Consulting in late Sep 2008 and was wondering if someone could help me decide how to go about planning the impending scary relocation to London. When should I quit my current job and start looking for accommodation in London. How long does it take to arrange stuff like movers etc. Which areas in London to shortlist? Should I aim to live close to EC4? Does Deloitte help with this sort of thing?

Please tell me you are moving from abroad rather than the midlands. If it is simply moving from Birmingham to London then please sit down, slap yourself twice round the head, reslise that you need to be able to work some things out yourself (which i am sure you will work out once you are at Deloitte) and get on without fretting

Maybe it's the guy from Glasvegas who posted the same question a while back?

No! I am not the guy from Glasvegas(sic) but a person who hasn't been in the U.K for very long and certainly don't know much about London.Which is the most consultant-dense area in the City anyway?Would be nice to be around peers.

I suggest you look for a place in the Consultants Quarter. On your map that is between EC1 and EC2 (it's EC1.53 to be exact).

In which case, I would recommend at least 6 months to find a flat in London. It is hard to do and to get movers to come in particular. You could try firms called estate agents to find somewhere or websites nearer the time, but these are unusual and not well understood. Most people from Deloitte live within a 10 minute walk of the office so I would narrow your search to that area. HR will be very helpful and if you phone and tell them you want them to find a flat for you then I am sure they will sort it all out. If you want somewhere nice though I would aim to spend c.70% of your salary on rent and the huge bonuses at Deloitte will make up for any shortfall in living expenses. Hope that helps

"If you want somewhere nice though I would aim to spend c.70% of your salary on rent and the huge bonuses at Deloitte will make up for any shortfall in living expenses." - YOU ARE FUNNY!!!! Time for a career change?

I am hurt Toilette and you have me running very scared indeed.But seriously, would I be looking at £1500+ pm in rent?This nice academic job I have lets me save almost that much.....

Live somewhere away from the drug addicts/prostitutes and starve (be wan and interesting) or live in cackville and afford a semblance of a life (be a bar fly and interesting). If you dont have family go for cackville you wont be home much anyway, and for the short term all you need is a place to sleep occasionally - so much nightlife in London you wont need a palace, just something better than a rat infested cardboard box.I suggest nothing flamable in Camden though.

My brother's selling his 2 bed flat in Putney (where the boat race starts - very popular) and I can put you in touch with him for a 10% finders fee. Sound like a plan?

You shouldn't generalise so much with the poor boy Mars. What Mars meant was: the consulant's quarter is between EC1.41 and EC1.65 inclusive.

Anywhere in either EC1.62 or EC6.64 is very reasonably priced and ideal for consulting.

aNon you are quite right, so just time to tell him that it does depend on what type of consulting he will be doing; SCM for example is predominantly EC1.46.5 - EC1.51 for example. Also, given the high concentration of consultants in the consultants quarter it is comprised mainly of very high towers which are subject to some alarming swaying in strong winds/low flying aircraft/suicidal birds etc. Window cleaning - for the houseproud consultant - is also likely to be an issue which some of the NPD marketers over in W11.65 are addressing (basically a sort of very long, telescopic pole device is in development at Mr Sheen).

London amazes me. As I was wondering around town during a fag break I was having, I found a street that was made up entirely of penthouse suites. Truly breathtaking.

I like the consultants barbers at EC1.62. They do a truly excellent consultant haircut. Reasonably priced too at £65.There is also a great shirt shop at EC1.544. You can get 3 shirts for £450 (normal price £525).

Do you need to lose weight dot-dot-dot? If so move to the Consultants Quarter; you have to wait for your food while someone puts a powerpoint together about what it is, how to cook it etc. Takes ages.And be sure to visit the Consultants Emporium, where they the right shirts to wear, the right shoes, the right cufflinks, the right mobiles, where you can get blackberrys etc. Everything a budding consultant needs in fact and all Deloitte Approved (TM).

Guess you guys were running low on your daily "mickey-taking"....Have some consideration for people who aren't from the U.K and consequently as well versed in London Geography as you are (and should be).Hell I didn't even know the postcodes were further divided into such extended decimal values.....Can you pin point the best Consultant-back-garden perhaps? EC4.21^234 Anyone?

4.21^234 ?? That's a crazy number. There's not even that many houses in the UK.

EC2.64.5 has (officially) the best back garden, within which is - at EC2.64.5.44 - the best lawn, within which at EC2.64.5.44.1224 is the absolute best blade of grass for consultants to sit on.

Stinky patter

I think you should all feel really guilty about how you have hijacked a perfectly resonable request to know where to live from a new Deloitte convert. My personal advice would be to find a flat nowhere near Deloitte as you will either be in a role where you spend most of your time going to and from the airport or to Hull, or you will realise that everybody else pays a bit better and be commuting somewhere else within 18 months anyway