What's harder than searching for the phrenic nerve? Searching for a house for next year!

This is something very crucial that, I feel, was very masked from all my Year 1 preparation for university! You must be prepared to start house viewing, basically from November.

Yes, you read that correctly. You will start university in September. You will enjoy the beginning of term, all the way through to October. Then in November, you should be getting prepared to start accommodation hunting ready for Year 2!

This is my flatmate, from Year 1 and now Year 2, signing the tenant forms and confirming our house for next year!

This is because all of your peers and other students at university will roughly be looking all at the same time. The student letting agencies will be releasing properties slowly, but will be turning them over very very quickly.

Here is my little nifty guide to help prepare you for this, because house hunting was everything but enjoyable (to an extent!) and easy!

1. From September/October, this is the perfect opportunity to start flatmate-hunting! You should be using this time to work out who you should and shouldn't be living with next year. This is crucial stuff, because it's ridiculous how you're house hunting so early yet you're not sure whether or not these people are still wearing their "first impressions count!" masks and could actually change as the year progresses. Personally, I feel living with your current flatmates is a safe option as you can address problems fairly early on (eg. "Please can you start washing up after you've cooked?" or "Please don't use my tray if you're not gonna wash it?" etc) ready for next year.
2. Some people do choose to keep medic-orientated. So if you've made some great friends in the course, or even across other courses, then maybe consider living with them next year! Either way, I have found in my city that finding accommodation for a larger house (ie. 6/7 people) is a lot easier than a smaller house (ie. 3/4 people).
3. Book as many viewings as you can in different properties - don't go by the photos! This works in two ways: don't judge a property by it's naff photos because the 'small' bedroom photographed could turn out to be the best in the house and the one you want! And, don't judge a property by the way it looks in the photograph without seeing it for yourself. If I'm honest, I didn't practice what I'm currently preaching as this is what I've done. I have put down a deposit and paid the agency fees to a house I haven't seen, my flatmates went to the viewing whilst I was on placement so I haven't seen my house!
4. Booking as many property viewings will educate you on what you should be looking for: mould, condensation, cleanliness, washing facilities etc. Make a list of things that are important to you, such as en suite bathrooms or a living space, and help this to refine your searches when booking different property viewings.
5. If current tenants are in the property as you are viewing, use them as accurate reviewers of the landlord! Use it as an opportunity to ask questions for honest answers, like how quick are repairs done and what are the catastrophic disadvantages of living here? Like neighbours that hate noise or a leaky roof in the winter may not be highlighted in the paperwork or leave the estate agent's mouth whilst she's giving you the viewing. It's also the perfect time to ask about how much the bills are for the property as you will need to factor this into rent.
6. Review your estate agent that you're using to buy the property before you go ahead. We did this after - just to find that our estate agent is currently rated 1/5 stars because of their inconsistency, poor professionalism and reliability. For example, the tenancy agreement that was emailed to us was full of awful spelling and grammar mistakes.
7. Have your deposit and the agency fees at the ready. Be prepared to make a payment of around £1,000 in the November-January period if you have currently secured yourself a property. I had to pay £500 in agency fees, and then the deposit of around £485. Obviously this was the greatest shock, because I did not have £1,000 ready to transfer towards the beginning of my first year in university!
8. Finally, you need to be quick. My flat were fairly quick on the ball. We started searching in November and got the house sorted in January/February. My friend however only secured their house towards the end of March, he was very worried he wouldn't have a house for next year! But also, you will be viewing the property alongside other students who are viewing at the same time. In every property, I feel I was viewing houses with three other groups. In one property, we were looking at the larger bedroom and walking downstairs when the estate agent then told us that the other group had already signed the paperwork and had just bought this property and she 'apologised' we were too late.

You have been warned! Make sure you are prepared to go house hunting, and have £1,000 (roughly) ready to be able to put a deposit down on the next house for Year 2. And of course, make sure you choose the right flatmates to live with!

If you can't, and find yourself struggling, my social media at the moment is full of people advertising for new flatmates. For example, someone who has had to dropout of university for unseen circumstances, and is looking for a new flatmate to replace them. So if you do miss out, or can't find the suitable people to live with, keep your eyes peeled on the social media platforms!