You may have only just settled in to your halls and that strange aroma from when you first moved in is now just a slight whiff but sooner or later you’re going to have to start looking for accommodation for next year (if you plan on moving) and while there’s no rush to sort it out, it’s better to start thinking about it sooner rather than later. So who better to give you some tips than the people who deal in nothing but student accommodation, Pads for Students.

A common misconception that surrounds looking for student accommodation is that all the clever people have it sorted by November (we’re not sure where this notion came from but there are conspiracies…). This is not the case, and in all honesty, you’d be pretty stupid-sorry-brave if you were one of these people. Our advice may seem to contradict itself (this will happen throughout) you’ll still be able to find great properties later on in the day, but there is more of a selection when you start looking earlier. But, don’t rush into anything as there are many things to consider before signing on the dotted line(s).

Who, what, where, How (much)?

The first question you’ll probably be asking yourself is “who am I going to live with?”. And sure, you’ve made some new best friends out of flatmates, coursemates and the bartenders at your local but you’ve only been acquaintances for a month or so. You may hate each other come Christmas and if you’ve already signed the lease for a house with them then it’s going to be a looooooong year and a half. Even moving in with friends you’ve known for years who are studying in the same city have generated tales of monumental fall outs. Our advice? Judge everyone under extreme scrutiny, if you can get past how they wash the pans before glasses or go to the bathroom with the door open then you’re good to go, at least in putting up with living with them long term…

You’ll need to discuss what type of property you want to live in. Are you going to move into a flat in private halls? All bills taken care of and if you’re living with your current flatmates, you know you can live in that kind of environment with them. Wanting more of a typical student lifecycle by having your own student house? Make sure you’re alright with varying room sizes and a potential downstairs bedroom, next door to the after-party venue of the lounge.

Is everyone at the same campus or are you all dotted about? Having the place right next to one campus while half of the household has to take a 40 minute walk or catch a bus everyday can be a little unfair if they’re not too bothered about being so close to a particular bar.

Everyone will be in a different financial situation and this has to be accounted for (we couldn’t resist the maths pun). You may have the money to fork out X amount on rent each week but your new roomie may only be able to afford Y. There will be times when you’ll all struggle on a budget (you are students!) but you should try and make it less of a certainty by refraining from automatically putting someone in debt before you’ve even moved in.

House Inspector: You

Once you’ve searched for, and found some potential properties you want to enquire about using Pads for Students’ massive database and organised a viewing with the landlord it’s time to get your magnifying glass out and thinking hat on (metaphorically of course, though we’re not going to stop you if you physically do so).

First and foremost, ask questions. It may seem like you’re being intrusive (ah, the great British reservedness) but the more you ask, the quicker you’ll know whether or not the place is right for you. How much are current tenants paying for utilities and if they’re happy with their providers-if they are, make a note of the companies. Ask the tenants what the landlord’s like (this may be done over texts or facebook if you can’t shrug the landlord off for a few seconds). But while the current tenants may smear the landlord, bear in mind that they might be a nightmare to deal with themselves… Do you drive? Does the place come with a space to park? What furniture, if any is included and going to be there when you move in? Same goes for appliances, will you have to buy a communal microwave or sacrifice your tv for the living room? Ask to take pictures if one of your party couldn’t attend the viewing (we do recommend that everyone intending on living there gets to have a look round before they sign a contract for it), they’ll also come in handy when figuring out what you can fit in your rooms.

Don’t automatically agree to take the first place you’re shown in the panic of thinking there won’t be anything else or the next place will be worse (this may be the case, but the one after that could be a palace). Remember, don’t rush. Take some time to discuss it as a group and make sure everyone is happy!

 

Before you sign on the . . . . . . Line

Once you find your perfect pad, it’s essential you properly read any agreements or contracts you’re asked to sign in the process. They aren’t just a printed version of a site’s t’s and c’s-it’s a lot more serious than “Accepting” to give your soul over to Adobe once a month. You may be studying law, but you may not be studying estate so this is where your parents come in handy, as well as your Students’ Union (despite what you think, there isn’t just a bar in that building). You may require your parents’ help for yet another thing, the deposit. Find out how much it is and what exactly it covers-you may find yourself stung with a hefty “administration fee” that you won’t be getting back. Another thing you must do is be aware of what deposit scheme it’ll be held under-and evidence of this from your landlord.

Searching for and securing your student accommodation is a lengthy process that shouldn’t be rushed into but you should be starting to at least think about it, even if it does seem like a long way off down the road-but uni is a never ending cycle of organising things for the coming year, if you haven’t realised it already. Pads for Students are here to help with you throughout the entire thing, and hopefully make the procedure as easy as possible. So get in touch with us via the site, facebook or twitter with any questions, queries or requests to do with finding student accommodation!