When should I start looking for student accommodation?

Jordan Darlington·17 January 2019·4 min read
When should I start looking for student accommodation?

The age-old question that plagues every student and the answer is... There is no answer. Starting the search for accommodation is a personal experience and therefore different for everyone. Some students will find what they are looking for with relative ease and others will feel like they are in a never-ending cycle (we’ve all been there). 

Here at www.accommodationfrostudents.com, we recommend that you start the search when you’re ready. So, I guess that all I need to explain is ‘how do you know when you’re ready?’.  

 

New to University? 

If you are about to embark on your first year at university, you will usually be offered accommodation as part of your application and this is then confirmed when your offer requirements are met. However, if you have applied late or perhaps through clearing, there may only be the less desirable options leftover. Keeping this in mind, we always recommend viewing the property before considering private halls or house-sharing (not all halls of residence deserve their bad reputation). If the university’s options aren’t to your liking, our advisors will be happy to talk to you about private halls and house-sharing on 0800 078 9659. 

 

Freshers and beyond 

First of all, you need to have a look at what your city of choice has to offer and find out if there is a large amount of accommodation for the student population. Cities like Sheffield and Plymouth have an abundance of options whereas Leicester and Nottingham have significantly less. This doesn’t mean that you will be left homeless if you don’t sign a contract before Christmas, just that you may have less options to choose from at the later stages of the academic year.  

 

Next, you need to decide who you want to live with. The most logical options are friends from your course or from your halls of residence. Friends from your course will understand the stresses of your degree and you will already know what it’s like to live with your friends from halls. 

 

Now that you’re ready, there is one final piece of advice. Don’t rush into anything. If you are feeling slightly nervous or unsure, don’t sign a contract in early October; wait until at least January or February. This will result in you having a great place to live as well as getting enough time to get to know your potential housemates before making a commitment.  

 

In a way, I hope that this answers the question of when you should start looking for student accommodation. For more information and advice on the accommodation process please consult the Ultimate Student Guide: https://www.accommodationforstudents.com/info/ultimate-student-guide/.