Short Visit to London? 5 Reasons Why You Should Rent an Apartment

As much as we love to stay in hotels, a lot of our friends told us that renting out an apartment in London is actually a great idea.

Luckily, FG properties arranged a lovely apartment in Southwest London for us to stay. We even made a live video of the apartment and from there you can see how neat, sleek and ‘techie’ the unit was. Practically, everything that you need was there. You have your TV, internet, an android tablet, a kitchen and even a washer. Plus, there was a sweet welcome surprise for us – chocolates! Can it get better than that?

When in London, why not rent an apartment?

London, obviously isn’t the cheapest city out there. But that doesn’t mean a budget backpacker should cross it out from their bucket list. If you know the tricks and hacks on how you can enjoy London for a fraction of a cost, then you should be able to maximize your stay here.

Speaking of hacks, getting an apartment is more advisable if you are working on a tight budget. There are valid reasons why you should choose this option and we would like to share these with you.

1. It is cheaper

It is less costly to get an apartment because you do not get the same services which you can have from hotels. However, if you are a traveler who goes out almost the entire day and if you are fine not to have the usual services from hotels, then this is more practical.

2. It allows you to cook your own meals

Based from our experience, food can be expensive in other countries. London is no exemption. So if you want to save some costs, then you should cook your own meals. Apparently, this is not allowed in hotels so you need to eat out or order from the hotel’s restaurant. Again, this could eat up a lot from your travel budget. Instead, we suggest that you go to the local market and try to whip up something great for dinner.Do you crave for local delicacies? That’s pretty easy. If you have been active online, chances are you already made friends from all over the globe. If this is the case, you can invite locals over to your London apartment and request if they can make authentic dishes. After all, home – made meals will always be the best.

3. It has bigger space than hostels or hotels in London!

While hotels will always be a good place to stay at, most of the time the rooms are small – unless you get the bigger suites (which, of course are more expensive). In apartments, you can get a 2 – bedroom unit for a price of a small room in a hotel. At least you can move freely and you even have better storage for your clothes, gadgets and all other stuff. You don’t have to cramp all your things in a corner like what we usually do in hotels. And also, it is homier than being in a hostel in London.

4. It usually comes with washer/ dryer (saving you money!)

If you are in a hotel and you have limited clothes with you, you might end up getting laundry services. This doesn’t come in cheap packages, I tell you. However, if you rent an apartment in London, you can do your own laundry. Most of the apartments provide washers/ dryers, but you have to check this with your provider first. It will only take a couple of hours to finish your laundry so this shouldn’t ruin your London itinerary, right?

5. It gives you more privacy

When you rent an apartment, it’s as if you are living in your own house. It would be rare that you will hear someone knocking on your door or hitting your doorbell. It is more private and you can get that same relaxing sleep which you experience from expensive hotels.

Watch our Facebook Live Video below while touring the property:

Tips when Booking Short-Term Apartments Online

But don’t get too excited booking apartments online. You have to consider few tips so you can get the best one according to your preference and according to your budget. Here are the things you need to do before finalizing your online booking.

1. Background check

This is very important because there are a lot of hoax service providers. If you transact with them, you are putting yourself and your bank account in danger. They might steal the money from you, or you might be staying in an apartment far from what was described online.

FG properties is a good choice if you are looking for an apartment in London. They have been in the industry for 3 years and was able to get recommendations from its clients. Also, they have a 24/ 7 customer care thru City Relay if ever you have questions at the middle of the night.

2. Be logical

There might be offers which are ‘too good to be true’. Chances are, they are exactly that! Beware of these offers. It comes in cheap packages which you can tell are fishy even at first glance. Hence, it is important that you do your research first. Do some benchmarking about the prices in the area and be logical.

3. Check for additional charges

Always read the fine print. You might be able to see a nice rate but might get shocked on the additional charges. The best thing you can do is to reconfirm the rate you have seen online and clarify its inclusions. At least you and the service provider will be at the same page.

4. Send money only through secured channels

If you already have that gut feel about the payment options and the channels being used, you might as well stop the transaction and get another provider. It is not worth it – even if the prices are tempting.

In our opinion, one of the best companies to book a London apartment is through FG Properties. They have a wide array of properties depending on your request, and you will surely get the value for money. Plus, you can use their services in Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Barcelona and Milan. They are easy to transact with, fast and they deliver.

Note: This blog post was made possible by FG Properties. All tips, opinions and feedback are our own. You can also read this personal experience of our friend who stayed at one of the FG Properties in London.

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