Moving to London

[silk186]

I grew up in Vancouver, Canada and have spent the past 5 years working and studying in China. The country is actually really great for electronics if you know what you are doing. Cheap internet and cheap phone service. My gf and I are moving to London to study for the next 3-4 years and will likely visit China about once a year.

Some questions I have:
Online shopping, Canada has NCIX and America has NEWEGG. What do people in England use? Are there any stores in London like Micro Center that I should be aware of?

Phones, My gf and I are both currently using the Samsung S2. Prices in China for the S3 is 22P and the S4 is 350P shipped and of course unlocked. At least a few years ago I remember that bring your own phone gave a lot of trouble. Most companies don't use sim cards and the only advantage was for pay as you go. Monthly plans were not really cheaper. So should I bring my own phone or get one in England on contract. What carries and websites should I refer to.

Second hand goods I will need to buy a too many things when I arrive so I want to know where to get second hand things. I will need furnature and electronics: bed, desk, table, sofa, tv, stereo equipment.

Also, does anyone know of a good site for finding a place to rent? 1 room + kitchen?

 

[Quartz-1]

For online shopping we have Amazon of course, and there are plenty of e-tailers. I use ebuyer, Novatech, and Scan, but there are others.

You will be spoilt for choice for mobiles. As your credit may be not very good, you may need to use PAYG. You will need a British SIM, but the Samsung Galaxy series is very popular over here.

For property rental, I suggest you consult your university.

 

[silk186]

Thanks this information helps a lot in deciding what to buy here and there. Prices are not bad. Hopefully I can use my Canadian credit card to sign a contract to get a lower monthly rate