Time at university flies by for most students. Days blend in with the next as we stay up late reading for tomorrows class, getting that essay written, preparing for that exam next week or having a good time with friends.
Before you know it summer term is just around the corner, you're year is nearly over and so is your time in student halls. You've hardly had time to stop and think about who you might want to live with and where you would be happy ending up.
There's no need to despair though. I see so many people getting worried that they aren't going to be able to find somewhere if they leave it until after the Easter break. There seems to be this obsession with getting housing sorted as soon as January exams are out of the way.
But every year it gets earlier and earlier. People panic about it ridiculously early. Just breath, it's going to be okay. There are some things that you probably haven't considered:
- Leaving it a little bit later means you can all be positive that you want to live together. There's nothing worse than signing a contract in March then spending the rest of your time at university going crazy because of somebodies habits.
- Most estate agents and managers don't have that many properties available yet. Whether you want to move in at the end of your current agreement or leave it until September, most companies wont have approached current renters to see if they intend to re-new their agreement. And remember not all student letting companies will be as reasonable with rent, as they know that students have a pocket full of money (apparently).
- Depending on how many people you are intending to live with depends entirely on whether a 'student letting company' is right for you in the first place. If there's only two or three of you then a standard estate agents will probably have suitable property on the market.
There really is very little reason to worry about housing just yet, getting a rough idea of people and areas is a good start, but don't worry if you don't get a contract signed soon because while there is a housing shortage there are normally plenty out there.
In fact the most important thing is to properly check out the area you want to live in. Check for good streets, bad streets, the shops, the nightlife and the general atmosphere not just in the day but at night too. Going once is not enough. Go midweek, Friday and Saturday as they can all be very different, especially on a night.
Finally, if you decide there is a particular company you would like to go with check their credible and look at any reviews they have. Look to see what administration charges and deposits they normally want (most have this information on their website) and check that the costs are what you'd expect for the area (look at others in the area and compare) otherwise you could get a little tear in your eye when you all go to sign that contract.
Seriously, stop stressing. It's going to be okay. Just do your research and keep an eye out and something will come along.