Bromley offers the best quality of life in the capital

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In case you haven't noticed, London has been at the centre of the world's attention in the past fortnight, with the world's top athletes capturing front pages and television coverage from Albania to Zambia and back.

Such great publicity for the city means more and more people may want to come and live there. But which part of Britain's capital is the best all-round place to live?

A recent 'Quality of Life' study compiled by Experian Credit Expert has found that Bromley is the capital's best borough to call home.[1]

The findings examined more than 40 factors, such as air quality, crime rates and life expectancy to rank each district in the UK.

The study examined the four key life-stages - 'pre-children', 'young children', 'older children' and 'post-children' - looking at a different set of values for each stage, from job opportunities and house affordability to average OFSTED scores and average grades in local schools.

Bromley is among the best areas in the country for annual earnings (16th out of 324), quality of businesses and shops (27th and 37th respectively), as well as ranking strongly across the board for a range of health and educational factors.

Other boroughs which ranked among London's top 10 included Kensington & Chelsea, which was shown to be the best place in the UK to live before having children, by virtue of the area's high population density, tech-savviness of residents, and availability of shopping.

Despite having the country's lowest obesity rates, and the highest percentage of adults with a degree-level education, the borough fell down the overall rankings largely due to its lack of affordable housing (a factor for which it was placed bottom in the whole of the UK).

These are the top 10 London boroughs for quality of life, along with the average house price:

1. Bromley (£312,184 [2])

2. Bexley (£226,089)

3. Sutton (£264,568)

4. Harrow (£324,539)

5. Kingston upon Thames (£348,880)

6. Richmond upon Thames (£563,629)

7. Croydon (£253,283)

8. Kensington & Chelsea (£1,449,883)

9. Barnet (£424,987)

10. Merton (£376,805)

Peter Turner, Managing Director of Experian Consumer Services, UK&I said: "Quality of life can mean all sorts of different things for different people. With this study, we have tried to look at the whole range of variables that people take into consideration when buying a home. Of all the London boroughs, Bromley exemplifies many of the particular qualities we value in a neighbourhood, as well as having no major failings - making it, statistically speaking, the most desirable home in the capital."

If you're looking to move or take out a new mortgage, then getting to know your credit report could be vital to your chances of getting the best deal.

- Your credit report is the history of your credit accounts, such as cards and loans, plus your repayment record. Lenders look at it when they decide whether to make you an offer, so everything should be accurate and up to date.

- If you find an error, contact the relevant lender and get it amended. Your credit report will also give you a clearer idea of how much you can afford to borrow and what you can manage without. It's free to see your Experian credit report with a 30-day trial of CreditExpert [3].

- A good credit rating could help you but it is best not to apply for something you may not get, as it leaves 'footprints' on your credit report.

- It is best to have some existing credit history - as lenders take it into account to assess repayments.

- Make sure you are on to the electoral roll, as this will prove your ID and your address history.

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[1] Based on insights using Mosaic, Experian's consumer classification tool

[2] Based on figures from the Land Registry of England and Wales, Jan-Mar 2012

[3] New members only. Monthly fee applies after free trial. Free trial period starts on registration - further ID verification may be required to access full service, which may take up to five days.