Fifty days in London: accommodation?

[Lars Aruns]

I have received a proposal to work as a consultant in London as a programmer. It seems a good idea, and I'm tempted to accept, but I'll have to arrange my own accommodation. I'll have to stay about fifty days, and I'm actually supposed to start working on the 19th of November, until the end of December, so I have to move quickly.

The hotels I found are just too expensive for such a long stay. I saw some cheaper guest houses, but I also found lots of bad reviews for them on travelling sites.

There's also another thing. Staying just a month and a half makes it difficult, from what I hear, to rent a room in a shared accommodation, and to be honest I'd prefer to be there and do house hunting. On the other side a month and a half in a hotel or B&B looks very expensive, but at least I could book it from where I live. And I'd also need a reasonably fast Internet connection, really.

What is your advice?

[Cat Fight]

Try the sublets/temporary (http://london.craigslist.co.uk/sub/) section on Craigslist. I know plenty of Londoners who'd kill to have a responsible person stay in their place for a month or two, paying rent and keeping an eye on things, while they travel.

[NinjaChick]

Gumtree.com (Europe's very own Craigslist) has a short-term accommodation section - that might be a good place to try.

[Athena]

I've had good luck with www.vrbo.com. In my experience, most places will give you a deal on an extended stay, so don't be afraid to email any that look good even if the daily/weekly rate is high.

[psycat90]

Another vote for VRBO. I've only used them for places in San Francisco so far (about 5 or 6 now), but every experience has been wonderful.

I've looked at places in other cities and countries, and I'm pretty convinced that once my husband and I start traveling more extensively, this will be how we find our accommodations.
Well, either that or HomeExchange (http://www.homeexchange.com/).
And definitely do ask about discounts or better rates for an extended stay.

[Lars Aruns]

Very interesting links here, thanks! On Craigslist I found a person looking for a house sitter that would also take care of her cat. That would be very nice, I'd also have company! Unfortunately it wouldn't be for all the time I need, but it's nice to see that this is possible. Anyway, a few more things have come out that make me doubt it's a good idea to apply for this job, and I posted a thread about it here (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=443412). In short, I'm not happy about the contract type they're offering me, and I really need some advice.