What students should do and avoid when house-hunting after university halls, 5 key points to consider

You made it through Freshers’ and are settling into student life, coming to terms with the fact there’s not really ‘official’ homework and you have pretty much mastered how to make a pasta bake. One of the best parts of being at university is constantly being surrounded by people your age, However, odds are you won’t get along with everyone and, right about now, many students have to consider who they will commit to living with for their second year.

Having to make a decision about who to live with can be extremely hard, especially so early on into student life. As word spreads around campus, some people start tentatively bringing up the topic, while others have already visited virtually every estate agents in the city. As soon as you find out someone you know has sorted out who they’re living with and is already looking around houses, it’s easy to panic rush into the house hunting fiasco.

So, to avoid this, here are five key points to consider:

1) When should I start looking or thinking about it?

Making friends at uni can be harder than initially thought. Going along to society or course socials is guaranteed to make you some new friends. In terms of knowing when to think about housing for second year, there’s no official date you should start looking. Don’t panic and rush into it, but don’t completely forget about it either. Once you have made some good mates, don’t be scared to bring it up in conversation. After all, what’s the worse that can happen?

If they have sorted it, then that gives you more time to find other people. Mid-November to the end of first term is the kind of time you should be deciding who to live with and looking around some places. Getting a place sorted before you go home for the Christmas holidays can be a big relief.

2) Who should I live with?

Second year accommodation comes in all shapes and sizes, from two person apartments to eight person houses. Some people choose to live with out-of-course friends so they don’t get completely bored of spending every minute of the day with them. If you’re the quiet type, living with super sociable people who go out partying all the time, probably isn’t the best idea - and vice versa. If you love company, don’t live with people who stay in their room the whole time. Group takeaways and film nights are some of the joys of having your own house, so making sure you are on the same wavelength as your housemates is key.

3) Where should I live?

This differs from city to city, and also depends on where there is a good student vibe. Being close to the university could mean you gain some precious extra minutes in bed after a night out. But, if this isn’t possible, close to a bus stop or train/metro link would be a good alternative.

Similar to first year, it’s better to be around other student houses than neighbours with a family where you could be forced to keep down noise after 8pm. Living close to a supermarket can save you loads of time and effort on weekly shopping. There’s also no harm in living near your other mates in case the people you’re living with get on your nerves from time to time. Local crime rate is worth considering for your own safety as well.

4) What should I look for in a house?

Compared to the constantly heated first year halls, second year is cold. Therefore, it’s worthwhile bearing this in mind when house-hunting. A house that conserves heat well means you won’t have a winter from hell. Nevertheless, it’s still advisable to bring lots of warm layers to wear during the colder months. Naturally lit rooms can help give you that valuable vitamin C to stay just above the boundary of a ‘healthy’ student. A kitchen with a table encourages fun housemate meals together and a tumble dryer can save you loads of time when you eventually choose to do your clothes washing. Many student houses don’t have these so keep an eye out for them.

5) How many houses should we look around before deciding?

No-one wants to live in a rubbish house, but don’t let this fear force you into buying the first house you look at. If four out of the five rooms are really nice but one isn’t quite so - and no-one wants to live in there - then it’s worth looking around a couple more.

A house where all the rooms are similar can reduce the risk of tantrums when you finally decide whose room is whose. Viewing around four or five places gives you enough scope to compare them all and come to a group decision on which one you prefer. Don’t rush but do bear in mind there are other students likely to be looking at the same houses.

Twitter: @joshpeachey