Whether you’re a fresher or a student accommodation veteran, searching for the perfect uni house can be both an exciting and daunting process. There are tonnes of factors students have to consider when on the hunt for their accommodation, which can often be overwhelming. But fear not, we at Hoots like to think we know a thing or two about student accommodation in Chester, so we’ve come up with five things you can do to make sure you’re happy with your uni house next year.
1) Choose your housemates carefully
One of the most important things you need to consider before you start hunting for your student accommodation is whether or not you and your future housemates have similar attitudes towards living. You are going to be sharing your home with these people for at minimum a year, and so it is really important that you are on the same page about cleanliness, partying and sharing food. Sure, Gary from the flat opposite may be really fun on a night out, but can you imagine him taking the bins out and buying his fair share of toilet paper?
2) Be on the same page as your housemates
Searching for student accommodation is really exciting, but it’s easy to get ahead of yourself and sign up for a property that doesn’t fit the needs of the group. Before you start your search, it’s really important that the entire group sits down and comes up with a list of non-negotiables, so that everyone is on the same page about what you are looking for in a house.
What is your budget? Does everyone want a double bed? Is there an unsung hero that is happy to take a box room, or will you need evenly sized rooms?
Coming up with a list of priorities will help you filter your search and will ultimately allow you to avoid any surprises and petty arguments before you move in!
3) Start hunting early
It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of freshers and push house hunting to the back of your mind. But freshers year will fly by and trust us, you do not want to be panicking about accommodation during your end of year exams. Once you have figured out who your future housemates are going to be, start looking for houses straight away. Remember, you and every other student in Chester will be searching for the perfect house, so try not to leave it too late or else you might have to compromise some of your priorities!
4) View before you sign
Between lectures, seminars and society meetings, finding a viewing time that works for everyone can be tricky. But it is really important that everyone gets the opportunity to see the house before you sign any contracts so there are no surprises when you move in. Once you’ve found some houses you would like to view, use Doodle poll to help you find a time that works for everyone and make sure no one bails at the last minute!
5) Location is key
Let’s be real, there is nothing worse than waking up after a heavy sesh and having to mentally prepare for a 50-minute trek to uni in the rain. Sure, right now you may think that a long brisk walk to campus will be a great way to keep fit, but we promise you that the novelty will soon wear off and by the time second semester rolls around, you’ll be skipping lectures for an extra few hours in bed. To avoid receiving any of those pesky low-attendance emails in second year (when your grades actually count!), choose a house that is close to campus. We promise you… your future self will thank you for it!
At Hoots Student Living, we have plenty of great student houses near Parkgate Road Campus, so you can roll out of bed half an hour before that dreaded 9am and still make it to your lecture with five minutes to spare!
For more help finding your perfect student house in Chester, pop into Hoots HQ for a chat or give us a call on 01244 399734.
