Advice
Top House Hunting Tips
Getting a new house is exciting but it can also feel daunting with lots of aspects to consider. Here we’ll give you some house hunting tips to help you find the perfect student accommodation for you that can enhance your time living at university.
Don’t rush but don’t leave it too late!
Finding the perfect house isn’t something which should be rushed. You want to make sure it’s right for you and that you’re living in the right location and with the right people. So don’t feel like you need to get a house with the first people you meet or snap up the first house you see.
Similarly, you don’t want to leave it until uni rolls around again to find yourself a place. If you still haven’t found somewhere to live before you leave for university, you can spend the time looking over the summer once exams have finished. The FutureLets team are here to help you find the right property for you.
Budget
Before you begin the search, think about your budget and what you can realistically afford. Factor in bills, food and other outgoings you have alongside the monthly rental price and how much of a loan you get. Check out the calculator for some help on figuring out your outgoings v’s your income.
Consider who you want to live with
Even if you’re potential housemates are your close friends, living with someone can put your relationship to the test. The people you live with need to be people you are happy to spend time with but will also ones you can rely on. Will they be considerate and clean up after themselves and won’t have parties all hours of the night when you have to be up early the next day?
You need to live with people you can trust. Are they going to pay their fair share of the bills? In some tenancy contracts you may be on joint agreements so that means if your housemate doesn’t pay their rent or damages the house, then you’re likely to have to pick up this cost. Don’t move in with people you barely know either as you may be tied into a contract together and it may not be that easy to move out if you fall out.
Living somewhere you’re happy with can enhance your time at university and the people you live with can make or break it. Sharing a house with great people can help you have the best experience living away from home, making memories and potentially you could become life long friends.
View property
This one is a no brainer but there are things to consider when you view properties. Firstly, is the location ideal? What is your uni commute time and are you near a supermarket/bus route and other amenities. Consider the communal space too. Is there somewhere for you all to sit and watch TV or will someone have to be relegated to the floor? Do you have somewhere to eat your food comfortably and is this there enough space for you to cook together or will you have to resort to doing it in shifts?
Check out all the bedrooms and decide amongst yourselves which ones you prefer before you move in. This can help resolve lots of disagreements and at least you all know where you stand…or sleep for that matter.
Contract
It’s important to read the small print and make sure that you’re happy with everything in the contract. Some contracts may be joint with other tenants and if you they leave the accommodation and don’t pay or damage the property, this may mean that you’re liable to have to pay their share.
Deposit
Once you’ve found your dream place, you’ll need a deposit to secure it which will be returned after the contract has ended but not when you leave. To ensure you get your deposit back, you’ll have to leave the house as you found it without damages.
Deposits are there to cover non-payment of rent and any damage to the property. Landlords are now required by law to put your deposit into a deposit protection scheme a government registered scheme. This is to ensure that tenants will get their deposit back if they meet the terms of their tenancy agreement, pay the rent and bills and don’t damage the property.
It’s also worth noting to take pictures of the house when you move in for reference and fill out an inventory in case you are sent a bill for damage you didn’t do and make sure to advise the landlord if any repairs need doing throughout the year.