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I'm looking at finally moving out of my grandparent's house. My mum mentioned that I've been living here for nearly three years which just shocked me. I'm certain that the rent I pay is less than what it costs them to have me here, too.

 

I have rented before while I was at uni but I did no work at all in getting anything sorted.

 

Anyway, I really haven't got a clue about quite a lot of things, such has how much to pay. I'm thinking about 44-45%ish, which should leave me enough to leave plenty of room for food, bills, gaming and a cat.

 

For one aspect I'm very lucky: I have a big family so if I chose an unfurnished one then I'll easily be able to scavenge virtually everything I need.

 

Are there any things I need to look out for? What are the best places to look and any other random tips?

 

Edit: I think the value I was looking for is about right. Any lower and it all turns into house share.

Edited by Cube

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You've done the wise thing by not falling into the house share trap. FUCK shared rooms in a house. Even if you're there with only friends, it's just an awful idea unless by serendipity you're all amazingly well adjusted and respect each other.. and have jobs..

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Even moving in with friends can be harmful, I've lived with friends and people I don't know, living with friends was easier, but unless you know them 100% and their living habits it can turn into a disaster.

 

- Watch out for agencies, sometimes it can cost a whole lot more working with them and can be difficult to get to the landlord about things

- Contracts, never give money until you've seen the contract and your happy with everything

- Ask them about the bills, sometimes they'll know it, I even asked the previous occupants when I saw my last place what they were paying and with whom.

- I'd say personally that maybe for a first timer, having some bills included might help, if you've not dealt with these companies before they can be such a pain.

 

 

Above all else, my advice, don't go for somewhere just because it's cheap, you've got to live there and for an extended period of time, I lived in a shithole at uni because it was dirt cheap and it was my own fault, in the end I'd rather pay that little bit extra to make sure I'm not dreading coming home.

 

p.s be wary of neighbours, if you get a flat, ask who the neighbours are, if the landlord knows their landlords etc, it always helps if there's trouble.

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I can't help with the rent question, as I don't have a clue about the area you're in. But here are some questions I always ask every time I'm house-hunting (sorry if they're no-brainers):

 

Phone:

 

- What's the condition of the place?

- Does the rent include bin charges, electricity bill, broadband bill, heating bill, or anything else?

- Is a deposit required?

- How long is the lease?

 

Viewing:

 

- First of all, don't look happy or desperate, even if you really like the place. That way, you can try to bring the rent down or have some bills included in it.

- What type of heating is in the house?

- If it's gas, has it been serviced/will it be serviced before I move in?

- What's the insulation like? Is it cold in the winter?

- Is there an alarm system?

- Is it noisy?

- Is the area safe/where's the nearest police station?

- If you have time, ask for contact details of the previous tenant so you can quiz them about what it's like to live there, and how much the bills cost (as nightwolf said).

- What bus stops(/other transport) are nearby?

- You could try asking for extra furniture if you need it, sometimes the landlord may have spare desks/etc. lying around.

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Thanks - some great tips there.

 

- What bus stops(/other transport) are nearby?

 

A location where I can easily get to work is the first thing I'm looking it. And for bills, I'm asking for (at worst) rough estimates.

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Will you be living on your own? I think Nightwolf and Eddie covered a lot actually.

 

I was going to live with a friend in London, but decided to stay at home and save because getting on the property ladder (in the far future) will be hard if all my money is spent on renting. That being said, I may go mad living at home for an extended period of time so renting may be my only option!

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http://www.zoopla.co.uk/

 

There's properties on there for sale. They also value houses, and give a rental evaluation. So if you see somewhere and are unsure of the price then check on there to see if it's reasonable.

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I wouldn't take it as gospel though, given now it's very easy to ask for rent to be lower, especially if you mention staying for a long period of time.

 

Also once you do get a place - which hopefully you will:

 

- Go for half furnished, like the big bulky stuff, I found that I was happier with a flat where I could put my own touches on it without having to buy big stuff like sofas

- If you get a flat, make sure the lift works, if it goes out, who do you contact? Nothing like climbing 3/4 floors with bags of shopping

- Try Wilkinsons, primark and supermarkets for stuff for the flat, Ikea is awesome, but you'd be surprised how good the stuff at the above is and for a good price.

- Write a list, or get the landlord to write a list of all the numbers you could need, the landlords, billing companies, etc etc, keep it somewhere handy, that way if something goes wrong in the middle of the night - like a leak, you know exactly who to call without rushing round like a headless chicken.

 

Oh and about the deposit, ask about having a secure thing looked at, my last landlord didn't deal with it himself, it was left with mydeposits.co.uk which meant I got it back the exact date I moved out without any fuss. That way you also know your money is secure so if your landlord does turn out to be dodgy he can't run off with your money.

 

:)

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Another great place for furniture is charity shops. There's a British Heart Foundation furniture shop is a few minutes down the road for me and I've got loads of stuff from there over the last few years which is really good quality and very cheap.

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Another great place for furniture is charity shops. There's a British Heart Foundation furniture shop is a few minutes down the road for me and I've got loads of stuff from there over the last few years which is really good quality and very cheap.

 

I forgot to mention that, which is silly really, I always went to the one in Cambridge as it had some really good stuff! :hehe:

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