Students accommodation, and specifically purpose-built student accommodation, is receiving more attention.
These buildings are designed for students. There are many local landlords and agents that can help you find a place to live in the area of your university.
There are many choices in your city or town, so how can you choose the best Loughborough University accommodation?
Students’ Needs and Wants
The first thing I recommend is to determine what you are looking for in an accommodation. It is important to have a set of criteria. These can be changed, but these are the most useful.
Beds
Localization
Price
All bills included
Additional features
Beds – Agents and landlords like houses that are occupied by a group of people because they know they will be able to get along.
The location – Is it based on price or commute time? You decide!
Price – This is a major factor.
Bills Included – Although you might pay a bit more, it doesn’t mean that you have to do it all yourself or get into a fight with your housemates.
Additional amenities – Students can enjoy free breakfasts, gyms, and cinemas in their student accommodation. Which of these amenities do you most want?
Looking for Student Accommodation
Start looking for properties, studios and houses that suit your needs. Then go to view them.
There is no such thing as too many viewings. It doesn’t matter how many times you see the same house, but it is not necessarily a bad idea to do so more than once.
Generally, you’ll spend about 15 minutes in a house and decide that it is a good fit. Then you book it and you won’t see it again until you move in.
You can begin to get a sense of what a student house looks like by going to multiple viewings. This will allow you to get a sense of how a landlord or agent acts and what they do well.
Although it will seem daunting at first, it becomes easier as you practice. This has one downside: it will take longer than if you just booked the first house. Other people will be able to book their dream houses while you are still searching.
Viewings – What You Can do!
You will need to visit the accommodation to find the perfect student accommodation. These are some things you should do to ensure you see the student accommodation you want to find the right one.
There is no stupid question. The viewing can answer any question you wish.
Take a look at all the bedrooms. You don’t know which one will be yours!
You can ask questions if you have not read the tenancy agreement.
You should inspect the quality and cleanliness of your house. Also, make sure you are able to see how well it has been maintained.
If you are able to, take pictures and videos of it. This will help you remember it if it is something you really care about.
As a student, how do you choose the right letting agent or landlord?
Sometimes, you might find similar properties that are being rented to different landlords or agents. How can you determine which one is right for you?
There are some points I believe are essential, and some that are optional.
Communication – They don’t have to be very fancy or do all the dancing and singing, as long as they are communicating. All communication methods are fine, including emails and portals.
Maintenance – Although there are many priorities, they all need to be completed and not left unattended for a whole year.
Quality properties, well designed and functional – They should be able to manage them and their properties and let them rent.
System and Processes – No nonsense, easy to understand and simple. You will get a better idea of how students are treated if you know the rules.
Experience – What kind of experience are they able to give students who book with them? It doesn’t have to be freebies every single week. However, they can give students valuable experience and show how hard they work.
Storage – A minimum of a chair, a desk, and a bedside drawer should suffice. A clothes rail or wardrobe can be used to store clothes. However, everyone has different preferences. There is no need to purchase any drawers for your bedroom.
Inspections – While students might find them irritating, it is a sign that the landlord or agent takes inspections seriously and is looking out for damage and repairs.
You should look at the communal areas of purpose-built student accommodation to see if they are large enough, fit for purpose, or just a room with an Xbox labelled ‘Games Room’.
Second, check the storage and size of the rooms. Some rooms may be small, and you might not have enough space to store all your belongings.
You might also like these extras:
Freebies – While not essential, freebies can be a deciding factor for many students. However, it is important to consider what they offer instead of what you receive for nothing. Cashback is also included.
What might make you want to move out of a house?
In addition to listing the positive points, I thought it was important to provide a list of other things that may encourage you to do more research about whether or not it is a good choice.
Things I am cautious about
High incentives – They don’t do it to be generous. They want students in rooms, and an excessively high price would make you dig a little deeper.
Consistent and Bad Press – No one can please everyone. However, you should continue your research if there is a lot of negative news about the housing quality.
Quality – I will only see houses that are clean, well maintained, and have no furniture or look tired.
You can also pick up on the personality of the landlord or agent. Most are friendly and accommodating. Be wary of agents who insist on booking you and are persistent about it. They don’t lie when they say they are quick.
