Choose Your Housemates Wisely
Before you can think about choosing your student accommodation, you’ll have
to carefully consider your housemate picks. This is a big decision to make
as they’ll become your family, for better or worse!
Obviously, you want to make sure that you get on with the people you’ll be
living with as you’ll spend so much time with them, so choose wisely. It’s
a good idea to have a chat about yours and their expectations before you
move in, such as whether you expect to share chores. This could save you a
lot of hassle in the long run, avoiding the inevitable arguments about
whose turn it is to buy milk.
Seriously Think About Your Budget
When it comes to student accommodation, you can usually get quite a lot for
your money, and when you’re on a tight budget anyway, this is great news!
It’s important that you think realistically about how much money you can
afford to part with for rent and bills, but don’t assume that going for the
cheapest place available is always a good idea.
Sure, you may end up with more money in your pocket, but it’s often true
that you get what you pay for. It’s also worth double-checking what is
included in your payments - do you need to pay for bills on top of your
rent, or is it included?
It’s important that you don’t sacrifice reliability and reputability in a
landlord or housing provider in order to get a cheaper deal. Do your
research and think about using a known provider such as Mighty Student Living who
are regulated by relevant governing bodies.
Prioritise Your Needs
When you start actively looking for your new home, you’ll need to think
about what it actually is that you need and what it is that you want. If
you’re moving with housemates, you’ll also need to think about their list
of essentials to make sure you pick a property that you’ll all love.
It could be helpful to get together with your housemates and each draw up a
list of essentials as well as features you would like. You may include
things on your list such as:
- Number of bedrooms
- Location
- Price
- Number of bathrooms/ensuites
- Wi-Fi or other bills included in price
- Style and decor
- Proximity to public transport routes
If you’re able to match up your essentials, it will be much easier to find
a property that will suit everyone.
Choosing your student accommodation may seem like an overwhelming decision,
but if you set out a few specifications that you stick to, you should be
able to find the perfect new home.