The Student Property Guide
I speak from
experience when I say that finding a house at University is never easy. During
my time of study I went through all the usual mishaps of sharing a house in a
University city. Mold, mushrooms growing through the bathroom floor, rats and
mice and mountains of washing up that went ignored for weeks on end until it
started to develop and become aware if own existence. Despite all of this, I
can categorically say that it was the best time in my entire life.
All of the above
situations are part of the learning curve when it comes to finding your own
place and being a student. Because being a student isn’t just about getting
your name called out on stage and picking up a degree after three or four
years’ worth of hard work. It’s about all the other things that you learn
outside of the lecture room. How to get along with your peers, how to look after
your own finances, how to live without your parents and of course, how to drink
your own body weight in intoxicating liquor.
A huge part of that
experience is finding your own place to live. You can’t stay in halls forever,
so at some point you’re going to get turfed off campus and out, onto the street
to search for your own place. If you’re not prepared, you could end up paying
way over the odds for a house which you don’t like, with housemates you don’t
really get on with, on the wrong side of town.
This guide is here
to make sure that doesn’t happen. I spoke to current and previous students to
get you all the information you’ll need to make your university housing story a
success.
1) Who are you going to live with?
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Ensure your housemates are regular, run of
the mill people who don’t get in any trouble whatsoever, just like I did…
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The first big issue
you’re going to have to get out of the way is who you want to live with in your
student house. If you’ve spent the first year in halls of residence then you’re
already going to have an idea of who it is you want to live with in the years
to come. Equally as important, you’re going to have a good idea of who you don’t
want to live with. If there’s someone in your group who, collectively you don’t
fancy living with, tell them early before you start looking for your house.
It’s harsh, but it’s worthwhile doing. The last thing you want to end up with
is someone who you don’t get on with spoiling it for everyone else in the house,
either by not pulling their weight or genuinely just being a nuisance. By telling that person as early on
in the process then you give them a chance to find another group to get a house
with, and also allows you to start the search for your student house.
Remember that
everyone else is going to be looking for a house as well, and the good ones
will get snapped up early in the year so the sooner you get organised the
better, but be wary.
Rob Edwards – English Literature and
Creative Writing
I would first of all advise that you don't
rush in to any decisions, like my housemates and I did for second year. We
decided to move into a 10 person house but I guess we were just in a rush to
get somewhere to live, as our original plans had fallen through due to a flaky
housemates. In the finish, one of the 10 dropped out without telling any of us,
I haven't even spoke to him since he was replaced by stranger
number one. Stranger number one did not last.
Make sure you trust
your housemates. Having them drop out and flake out of your signed agreement
with your landlord and can put a lot of pressure on you and you bank balance as
you’ll be the one to pick up the slack with the rent.
2) Where Do You Want To Live?
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Your student house will come
with white goods such as a fridge but filling it will be down to you and your
housemates.
This might not be
as easy as you first might think. Depending on the layout of your University
you could have lecture theaters spread out all over the place. It’s always a
good idea to stay within your own ball park though. There will be specifically
designed areas of the city for student houses where landlords own a number of
properties for students. This is usually on the way into town, near the
university, the kebab shop, the library and the pub – perfect!
It’s always a good
idea to check out whose living next door and around your local area, are they
all students or are some or do some of your neighbours have families?
Niall Davey – Psychology
It's always a good idea to check out what
the neighbours are like. No point in moving into a place where your neighbours
are elderly if you want to throw a massive house party!
Location is one of
the biggest things you’re going to have to worry about when you’re looking for
a student property, usually students are all lumped together in one corner
of the city to make it easier for you. Find out where your local studentville
is and try and get a property in the centre of things to give you the real
university experience. If you find yourself looking further afield then you
could find yourself a little isolated from University life.
3) Start The search |
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It’s always important to find out where your
local health food shop is.
You’ve got a
shortlist of potential properties that are well within your designated budget and
you’re about to go view some houses. Exciting times but don’t get overwhelmed.
Remember, these are student houses, don’t expect anything special. You can get
a decent place, but don’t expect all the comforts of home.
When you’re going
round the houses, try and make sure that as many of your group are present. If
one of your group can’t make it, make sure you take pictures and meet up later
in the day to have a chat about it. It’s important to get all the groups
opinion before you make a decision
After talking with
a number of students about the conditions they lived in during their time
at Uni, I wasn’t alone in having to put up with some rotten conditions:
Emma Morrisroe - English Literature
I'd recommend avoiding anywhere with funky
smells and slugs in the kitchens. In all seriousness though I would definitely
advise anyone looking to move into new student digs to go and visit the
property and meet the current flatmates. I would hope that a common student
comradeship within the current household would prompt them into being honest
about any ant/slug/random house issues (My street actually was an Attenborough
haven!)
There is however
plenty of success stories out there when it comes to looking for a student
house.
Andy Craige - Graphic Design
In my experience I was really lucky. I
snapped the first house I could find because I had to. After being denied halls
I had 4 days till I started Uni and nowhere to live. I stayed in that house for
three years though and it was ace.
4) Finding 'The One'
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