Is it time for you to leave the safety of
student halls? Here’s a few things to bare in mind…
1. Housing is expensive
Before you’ve even moved in, you’re going
to need to fork out for a deposit (normally one month’s rent in advance, if not
more) which you should get back depending on the state of the house when you
move out – but for most of you, that’ll be 12 months away. Remember lots of agencies
charge a fee on top of this deposit – and this is something you won’t get back.
At SUSU lettings, we’ll never charge you an agency fee, and as long as you keep
the house in the same condition as you received it, you should expect to get
your deposit back!
2. Arguments
Unfortunately, no matter how close you all
were in first year, the chances are that you’re going to have a few fall outs
now that you’re all bunched up in a house together and having to worry about
additional responsibilities like paying bills. Arguments can range from when to
put the heating on, to who’s left their washing up. Try and all have a rota
system in place for cleaning, and agree set times for the heating to come on.
If you’re not going to do your washing up straight away, why not keep it in
your room? Then it’s only you that has to put up with it (and you’ll probably
do it a lot sooner if you’re having to smell 3 day old pasta bake every night
before bed…).
3.
Bills
If you’re lucky enough to have a pay as you
go electricity and/or gas meter, you can keep a track on how often you are
topping up and you won’t get a surprise £2000 bill in 3 months. If you get
paper bills, just be careful in your first month and then plan the next few
months depending on the cost of the first bill. Remember to take your meter
readings as soon as you move in so you’re only charged for what you use! Water
is also something to consider, and it generally comes every quarter of a year,
so don’t forget about this.
4.
Cleaning is something most students like to avoid
Remember those lovely cleaners in first
year that woke you up at 7am every morning with the hoover? Luckily for you
(and probably your sore head) they are gone, but now there is actually no one to
run around after you and clean up your mess. Not only do you have to clean your
own room, you have to be responsible for the rest of the house if you want to
get your deposit back. Try making a rota you can all stick to, and be sure to
rotate the jobs everyone favours the least, like taking out the bins!
5.
Parties are a pain
Do you remember those lovely parties you
had in halls that the cleaners just tidied up after? Well now it’s different,
as you have the responsibility to clean up the aftermath and at the same time
hold on to that precious deposit of yours. Not only that, you have neighbours
to consider. Try placing cardboard on your carpets to prevent spills and
restrict access to bedrooms. Always always clean up mess as soon as it happens,
don’t leave something to soak into the carpet, you’ll regret it the next day!
Sometimes your landlord will require you to notify them if you’re intending on
having a lot of people round – make sure you check this in your contract! Also,
always notify neighbours of any big parties you’re having – there’s nothing
worse than upsetting the neighbours!
No comments:
Post a Comment