House Hunting Struggles Every Student Can Relate To

Ah, house hunting struggles. Every student has to do it. Your time in first year accommodation is running out and you really don’t want to be homeless for second and third year. What most students don’t realise is just how difficult the house hunt is, and what things to watch out for. From someone who has been through it all before, let the hunt commence!

1. Finding the Perfect House and Then Realising the Location Is Terrible

We’ve all been there – desperately agreed to see a house, fallen in love with it, and then realised it is far too long away from campus to make the rent worth your while. That’s the price you have to pay for compromise. The closer to university you get, it’s probably the case the house will get more expensive and less nice, because proximity pays. This is one of the worst house hunting struggles.

2. Not Being Able to Find Anything Nice in Your Price Range

You’ve worked it out with the people you’re living with and feel satisfied with your maximum budget. Only, when you actually look online, you realise your maximum spends will only get you a dingy, tiny house so far away from university your friends will have to take an Uber to visit you. Maybe time to call Mum and Dad?

3. Having Two Large Bedrooms and One Tiny One

So you’re living with two other people, and that has proved difficult already. The few houses you have viewed have had two lovely, bright bedrooms, and one bedroom that can only be described as an upstairs version of Harry Potter’s cupboard. And you’ll definitely be the one who ends up with the cupboard.

4. Having to Pay Extortionate Agency Fees

I’m 90% sure agencies exist to scam unwitting students who don’t understand legal terminology out of their money each month. Do not trust them – they are ruthless and will charge you for breathing in the same place as them. Don’t be afraid to ask for a breakdown of costs when they send you a bill!

5. Not Being Able to Find a House Where Bills Are Included

I think this is more of a Southern university thing, but my friends and I couldn’t find a single house where bills and WIFI were included, leading to extra budgeting most people don’t account for. This is still one of the saddest things about student houses.

6. Having to Deal with Unsightly Furniture and Dirty Walls

Let’s face it, landlords don’t care about how nice the place looks as long as it’s deemed clean enough by agency standards, so I’m afraid you’re stuck with that horrid brown sofa that brings the whole room down.

7. Crying Inside A Little When You Try to Think About How You Will Pay Rent at All

You’ve signed the contract, called your parents, taken photos of everything inside the house, and now it’s moving in day. What you didn’t quite think about is how you’re actually going to pay rent after all of the fees you’ve been charged. Shit.

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8. Not Being Able to Find A Good In-Between

You can either pay one hundred pounds less and walk half an hour to campus, or you can bite the bullet and cry a little over your lost money each month. Student life is truly wonderful.

9. Trying To Understand Contracts So You Don’t Get Scammed

You’re talking with the agency when suddenly they produce a loooong document that they ask you to sign. They offer you a pen and expect you to sign immediately. Do not do this! Say you will be taking the contract home, read it over thoroughly, ask a parent for help if they’re good at that sort of thing, and then sign if you’re happy. Don’t sign something that will bite you in the arse later on!

10. Not Being Allowed To View A Property Just Because You’re A Student

We’re not all messy party animals, okay? Also, it’s so unfair that student houses always hike up the price in comparison to nicer places that are definitely cheaper and better-presented. Nothing like a cheeky bit of student discrimination to help with the house hunt. We hate house hunting struggles like this.

Try not to let the house hunting struggles get you down! Tell us about yours in the comments!

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