If you’re starting the hunt for your next student home but don’t know where to begin, our guide will help you find your perfect house-share.
There’s a lot to think about when searching for your next base, so before you start the hunt, make sure you think about exactly what you and your future housemates are looking for. A good place to start is online, there are some great sites that advertise student homes and they provide really useful information, making the search that little bit easier.
Here we will highlight some of the best house-share websites to help you find your next accommodation, whether it be with your mates or an independent adventure to meet new people.
What is a house-share?
A house share is basically a group of people who share a house or a flat together. Whilst you’re at uni, after your first year you’ll start looking for your next accommodation with friends you’ve either met in halls, on your course or through a society. You may even prefer to live with new people as a good way to make new friends. Some students prefer to stay in halls and others prefer to get their own pad.
Typically, in a house-share you’ll have your own bedroom but will be sharing a bathroom with your housemates (unless you’re super lucky and have an en-suite). You will also share communal areas like the living room and kitchen, which are perfect for chilling and cooking together. Unfortunately you’ll have to pay your share of the utility bills for your own space and the communal areas. When you’re looking for your next house share, you’ll find that most university towns & cities have an area where it’s predominately student houses, so you’ll have a few to choose from and you’ll be amongst the buzz with other students.
Below we have listed 2 of the best sites for finding your perfect pad.
Accommodation for students
This is a popular site used to find accommodation and you can also use it to find housemates too. Anything you’re looking for, whether it be accommodation, housemates or advice you can find it here.
All you need to do to find your next home is add in your preference for the below and it’ll bring up a whole load of places that are available to you.
- City
- Area
- Number of rooms
- Style of accommodation
Once you’ve found something that catches your eye, you can make an enquiry or give the landlord a call directly- a good opportunity to find out a little bit more. It’s really easy site to use and the guys over at Accommodation For Students are so helpful.
Spare Room Website
This site is a bit different as it’s designed for those who are looking for roommates. So, if you’re looking to meet new people, have left searching for accommodation until the last minute or have a spare room in your student house- this site is perfect.
You can create an ad to let people know that you’re looking for a room, or if you have a spare room in your pad.
It’s super easy to use, some of the features include;
- Add photos and videos to your ads
- Filter searched based on your ideals and budget
- Get in touch with potential housemates directly
It’s a safe site to use too and you’ll be able to find yourself a room or roommate fairly quickly, so if you’re panicking about where you live or who you will live with, don’t worry- spare room has you covered.
Our Top Tips
Start Early! Generally, students start looking for their next home from as early as November. So, if you want a home that ticks all the boxes, you’ll need to get searching early. Once you’ve found and confirmed where you’ll live for the following year, you can relax and enjoy the rest of your year.
Look at a few. It’s always a good idea to have a few to compare to and to know that what ever you end up choosing, you’re certain you made the right choice. It may be easier to go with the first place you see, but the last thing you’ll want, is to move into any old house and experience issues down the line.
Put your inspector hat on. When viewing the property, ask all the questions (prep in advance) and spend time looking around. What’s the condition of the property like? Do the current tenants have any issues? The more questions you’ll ask, the easier it will be to find a place you’re happy with.
Budget is key. It’s easy to get carried away when searching for your next accommodation, but before you do anything, make sure you have set your budget and you stick to it. You won’t want to be left struggling to get by because all of your money is going on your house-share.
Don’t forget the bills. Once you’ve found your pad, start thinking about the utilities. It’ll make life so much easier if you get the bills such as the gas, electricity, broadband, water and TV licence set up ready for when you move in. If you don’t fancy sorting the bills yourself or contacting loads of suppliers, we can do it for you. We provide all the utilities you need and bundle them into one even bill between housemates.