It can take anywhere from six months to two years to feel like a local after moving to a new place. When I moved to London, it was around a year before I stopped checking the map when switching Tube platforms, discovered the best time of day to avoid the rush hour queue at my local coffee shop, and found the best lunch deal so I didn’t feel guilty when I “forgot” my meal prep in the fridge.

London is now home, and I fall more in love with the city each day. But there are a lot of things I wish I knew about living here before I actually made the move. This isn’t a comprehensive guide, nor will you find it particularly useful when it comes to finding out what council tax bracket your flat falls under, but here are a few things no one tells you about living in London…

‘I don’t know what borough is right for me’ will be an ongoing thought

London can be summed up nicely by certain stereotypes: the North London creative, the South London “been here all mi life” local, the West London Fiat 500 driver, or the East London Whippet owner. You’ll find all your favourite meme pages come to life in the pub – but which borough suits you best?

The thing is, you don’t have to stay put. Explore Richmond for a year, move to Brixton for six months, sublet in Hackney to try it for size, and settle in Islington when it feels just right. London is your oyster, be the tiny pearl and let it shape you.

You’ll enter a rental bidding war just to get a box room

It’s a renters’ market (read: jungle) out there. If you find yourself on the move, be prepared to offer over the rental asking price to secure your dream place. Even then, you may end up with a room the size of your parents’ utility cupboard. But you’ll love it because it’s yours.

The best thing you can do is jump at the chance to live with a friend-of-a-friend as they put up an Instagram story notifying everyone they’re trying to “fill a room in our four-bed”. That loose connection gives you some bargaining power and a personalised letter of recommendation.

Money grows on trees

You’re never going to have any money. And I mean this in the best and most positive way. The majority will go on rent, bills, and council tax, but the rest will go on getting pizza to eat in the park on a sunny day, pints to drink as you come third from last in the weekly pub quiz, or nights that are as blurry as the lights from your seat on the night bus home. You’ll make more money, so always say yes to staying for “just one more”.

You will fall asleep on the night bus/Tube

When you say yes to “just one more”, you will likely fall asleep on the night transport home and end up at the depot or the end of the Northern Line in Morden. Get well-versed with either setting an alarm to wake you up before your stop or navigating a platform change at a station you’re not familiar with to go straight back where you came from. Just don’t fall asleep again and land in Edgware.

Travelling anywhere in London takes one hour

Firstly, the app CityMapper is best for directions when you’re getting the bus, train, or Tube. But Google Maps will always be better if you’re walking. I’ve learned this the hard way, watching my tiny dot walk away from the desired destination when it looked like the arrow was pointing the right way. As long as you have those, you’ll never be lost.

But do know ahead of any journey, it will generally take at least an hour. London is a big place, don’t think you’ll simply pop to see your mate in the next borough. TfL has another idea – why don’t you take two buses and the Overground when it’s only a 15-minute drive? Add time to your schedule accordingly.

Keep your dating app radius to 3km

Because travelling to anywhere more than 3km could take over one hour. From someone who once dated someone in Chiswick while living in Peckham. It wasn’t worth the four changes and three modes of transport for a night of M&S dine-in.

Sometimes, a bike is best

If I’d known that a Lime Bike would become such a popular mode of transport, I would’ve practised a bit more as a kid. Those bright green two-wheelers allow you to take the scenic route hidden by journeys in Tube tunnels, and sometimes it shaves a whole five mins off that one-hour journey (I joke, but five minutes is not to be sniffed at in London time, waiting more than that for transport exasperates many Londoners).

You’ll become accustomed to urban wildlife

You will walk home from a night out with a family of foxes in tow. Walking behind you in an arrow formation like you’re the leader of the coup. From my experience, they’re harmless, but perhaps a little too confident in how close they’ll get to you.

The average pint in London costs £1 more than the rest of the UK

In London, you’re looking at an average of £6.50 per pint – although I swear it’s more like £7.50. Whereas the rest of the UK delights in a £5.44 average cost. The key to true pub enjoyment and stretching your money is finding a happy hour, going directly to the breweries, or finding a pub that still has ye olde prices.

London does have these, they just take some of that local knowledge to seek out. Give it a year of living in here, and you’ll be gatekeeping your own spot that has £5 IPA.

The final motivational speech

Despite its flaws, like wrestling with tourists on busy streets or the fact that a mobile phone is stolen in the city every six minutes, the reason Londoners and adopted locals love this city so much is that it’s a city of opportunity, with multiple facets experienced through its many boroughs. Move here, you’ll love it, too.

Editor’s note: Spot any incorrect information? Or have an article idea for HeadBox.com? Get in touch at submissions@headbox.com