To those of you moving into rented accommodation for the first time, the most important thing to remember is DON’T RUSH!
It’s essential that you give yourself time to find the right housemates and the right house and if you have concerns or questions about housing, they should be raised now rather than later.
RUSU has a team of Student Advisors who can help and give advice on any housing issues. Finding the right place to live is important and can seriously impact on your university experience.
Even at this early stage, discussions may have started amongst your friends and in your flats about who is going to live with whom. Please remember though that living with someone in halls can be very different to sharing a house. Currently you may not have to share communal spaces, you may have en-suites in halls and especially if you are catered, you may not have to deal with the whole piles of washing up /cleaning rota thing. You don’t have bills to consider or estate agents to deal with either. It really is worth considering who it is you are choosing to take up these new challenges with because once you sign that contract – that really is it.
This is not supposed to scare you at all but it is supposed to make you think.
Everyone is different and sometimes you can be the best of friends with someone but actually aren’t that compatible as housemates. Behind closed doors your best friend can be a lot messier than you realised, and despite best intentions, will always have a huge pile of washing up to do and be hoarding at least 4 of your mugs in their room. These things might seem irrelevant now, but can really begin to grate in such a confined environment.
Where?
It’s not just about who you live with, it’s where you live. Can you honestly say that having been here for a month, you know exactly where the best student area is? I can guarantee there is a huge split of opinion about which one is and the best thing to do, is take some time to go and find out for yourself! Use next term to look around as many houses as you can to get a feel for the options you have and for the areas you can choose from.
I know you may be thinking… but if I wait, won’t all the houses have gone?
No. Reading has more houses than students! Speaking from personal experience I have always waited until the Spring term to sign a contract. In my first year I signed in April, in second year it was February and in third year I signed a contract for my current house 2 days before moving into it in July! (I don’t recommend that last one –but you get the point!) I live and have always lived in a great student area and paid between £300 and £335 a month in rent. It takes me 7 minutes to get to campus.
In Week 7, RUSU is holding a series of Housing Talks. They will give you a ridiculous amount of useful information including all the things to be aware of when viewing a house (I always check the shower!), contracts, mould, bills, housemates, landlords, estate agents, inventories, etc., etc. We will also be running ‘Find a Housemate’ sessions beginning in Week 8.
All we ask is that you attend these sessions and that you chill!
Times and dates of talks will be advertised on posters around the Students’ Union, on our website and via Facebook and Twitter closer to the time.
DON’T RUSH - WAIT UNTIL YOU KNOW ALL THE FACTS!
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