How To Budget For Your First Apartment Right After College
Graduation is the right time to think about how to budget your first flat. Maybe you have found a graduation scheme, or are willing to go live and work abroad. In any case, finding the funds to sponsor your accommodation is key. There are many clever ways to do that. The key question is: can you afford to leg in your own? Or will you have to put aside your dream of renting a studio for a little while? It may be quite difficult to find the right balance right after college, but here are a few ideas.
1. Your family
You can always rely on family or your close ones to provide you with the necessary support. They can help you to get that flat by (at least) advancing the deposit for instance. Far more flexible than a bank, you can negotiate with them how and when you can give them back what you owe them. They are more sensitive to your situation and will give you the time to settle in.
2. Sharing
This might not be ideal, but it will pay off in the long run. You can start by getting an apartment with some of your uni friends. Everybody has their own hopes and dreams, but finding a compromise with them might not only teach you on how to communicate with different types of people but also give you that break when it comes to paying rent. If you are in a relationship, it might be good to start talking about maybe moving in together.
3. Bank
Practical and secure, asking for a loan is not a bad idea at all! No emotions are involved, you sign a contract for the amount that you find will satisfy you as secure your apartment. This is the right move is you want to have your own studio. Just check the interest rate and make sure the person in charge of your financial matters has your interests in mind too. Check out the deals! Many banks offer special bargains right after graduation specifically for youngsters at a minimum or no interest rate.
4. Savings
The term ‘savings’ encapsulates a lot. Let’s suppose you planned to have your own flat after college for a while because leaving the noisy dorms became urgent, so you worked a lot during those summer breaks to save a fair amount of money. Maybe you decided to switch towns and to volunteer for free accommodation: sacrifice a few months of your life, work and volunteer at the same time to save money, if you had not done it before and rent a studio. Or maybe you joined a flatshare, to save some money and look for an independent type of accommodation.
5. Alumni Benefits
Right after graduation, you can rely on your University to provide you with the necessary help. This comes as a benefit you need to use as an Alumni: you can get discounts on accommodation outside of campus, and more importantly, you can get the names of reliable renting agencies that will offer you a lot of options.
6. Prioritizing
To budget your first apartment, it is important for you to note down all of your expenses in a month- telephone/internet subscription, electricity/gas, water- and your income. You need to understand what amount you can put in your rent, your food, your other expenses… Set a monthly budget. Ask yourself: can you afford to live on your own?
