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Advice for Students, Halls of residence, Living away from home, Only in Cardiff, Renting a house, Second year, Staying in

Things to remember when picking second-year housing!

30 May 2023
Muskaan

Muskaan

Picking second year housing can be a true task. Be it figuring out where to live or who to live with, the confusion and stress only increases with time. Don’t worry though because all of us go through that and all of us mess it up a bit, no matter how hard we try to prevent that. What’s most important is to know that second year living is just that- a place to live in for 9 months. So, please don’t stress too much and affect your current living situation! In the end, everything can be sorted.

After going through the very painfully long process of deciding my second year housing, here are some things that I think you should keep in mind when starting and going through this process:

1. Know your requirements and decide!

While this might sound very obvious, more often than not, this point can be ignored by us. It is very important that you remember what your priorities are for your second year housing, such as proximity to your university building, facilities available or maybe your housing budget. Details such as living in a house or a flat, including bills or not including them can make all the difference to your living experience! A lot of people can forget what they wanted out of their next house and just go along so that they can live with friends but that is not all there should be. You need to keep in mind that this is your house and if you need certain items you certainly need to ensure they are there when you sign the contract.

2. Do not rush!

I will say this again and again (even to myself)! You need to realise that being in Cardiff, you have the plus point of having more than enough student housing available for us all. So please do not rush into picking places or picking people just because you see others doing it. I wish someone told me this last year because all of us, including me, booked our accommodations in November! Yes, November! The issue with that is that you jump onto the very first accommodation that you see because agents always tell you that the houses are going out soon (that’s not true!). Not only that, they are a lot of new details that can crop up about your future roommates and can complicate stuff later. So, hold on, and book your accommodation when you are sure.

3. Get the necessary help!

Cardiff university has offered to its students a service which is arguably one of the most important ones! This service allows students to get their housing contracts checked and reviewed by Cardiff Student Letting. That is very very crucial as there are so many small lines in the contract that you can miss while reading the contract originally or there might be details/ legal words that you do not know. Alternatively, you can ensure that you and your roommates read the entire contract before signing it. Discuss the minute details with each other because sometimes the agents can tell you some false details in order to get the flat booked. Please pay attention to that too!

Last but not least, ensure that you have the guarantors sorted when you sort the housing situation and that you genuinely like the place you have selected!