i don't know shit about london, or if this would apply to either you or the city, but in theory one could turn minimalist and look for closet-sized accommodations and live off a suitcase rather than a traditionally outfitted home with its usual overload of
stuff.
kinda like these extremists, but maybe not so much:
http://nypost.com/2009/12/06/cozy-cr...iniest-studio/
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ps- also, do they have airbnb in inglaterra? because you could get some good monthly deals and buy time to look around before locking into something.