Student accommodation: what to expect

Moving out of home for the first time is exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time! But you’ve got your A Level results now and have received your confirmed place at university, so it’s time to think about your accommodation for October! Whether you’ve got a place in halls secured or you’re trying to find suitable last minute accommodation, it can be stressful moving out of home for the first time. So take a deep breath and read our top tips for preparing for your first time living away from home!

Who will pay for what?

When you move into university halls, all of the bills and utilities are rolled up into your monthly or quarterly rent. However, if you’re not moving into halls, but instead into private accommodation with friends or other tenants, it’s important to know how the bills and other household items will be split so that you can budget accordingly. Is there a monthly cleaner that you should budget for? Do you have a house fund for communal things like toilet paper and bin bags? Money can be an awkward subject to navigate, but it’s important to have these conversations early on.

Cleaning schedules

Not many people are a fan of cleaning schedules but living in a shared house, things can get messy very quickly and arguments about who’s turn it is to wash up can escalate! But with a straightforward cleaning schedule, you can easily navigate chores and who’s turn it is to take the bin out!

If you’re going to be living in halls, where will your belongings go?

University halls are not renown for being particularly spacious! Are you planning on taking all of your things from home? Or are you simply packing up a ‘must-have’ selection of belongings with you and leaving the rest at home? If you want to take everything but are worried about what to do with them over summer, don’t worry, expert self storage facilities like Masons Self Storage have a range of flexible rolling contracts perfect for students.

What are your incomings? And what are your outgoings?

How are you going to pay for your outgoings? Whether you have a maintenance loan or grant, funding from your family or a part time job, it’s important to know how much money you have coming in and then how much you have going out. This will also mean that on a month to month basis, you know your budget and how much money you have to spend on clothes, nights out and groceries!

Who’s going to help you move?

If you’re staying local to where you already live, it’s not too difficult to convince a friend or relative to help you move your belongings, even if a few trips are necessary. However, a professional and reliable removals company can take a lot of the stress out of a move with a variety of options to suit your budget if you’re moving a little bit further afield! A recommended removals company like Masons Moving Group can make one of the most stressful parts of moving, simple and they even offer a new mobile move & store service that means you don’t have to hire a van for smaller loads! Perfect for students.

Whilst these seem like big and scary decisions, moving away from home for the first time is really exciting and a great opportunity for you to meet new people and engage with the full university experience!

All you need now is some new T.K.MAXX bedding and a box of ear plugs, and you are off!