When you travel to another country, the first thing that you do is book a flight. And none of us would choose the middle seat, because where would we keep our hands? The aisle seat is too boring, and the window is always expensive. That will take us another two hours to decide which seat to select. And now imagine choosing a student accommodation where you will be spending your whole year, wouldn’t you want to be more cautious?
Whether the student room is quiet after eight, or if it’s safe to travel at night or if it includes all the bills, these all queries will make it even tougher to choose the student room that fits your daily life and budget. Housing expenses are the biggest expense in a student’s study abroad journey, and one wrong decision can lead to lifetime regret. Which is why, in this blog, we have summed up the best tips on how to choose the best student room, the factors that affect your decision and the dos and don’ts that you should follow while choosing the student accommodation that fits your daily life and budget.
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🔎 Explore UK Student Housing7 Practical Tips on How to Choose the Best Student Room for your Daily Life and Budget
Making a decision would be so much easier if it came with the outcome. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works. But that doesn’t mean you will sweat it out and worry about every student accommodation listing you see. We will list some of the best practical tips to help you make the right decision.
Set Your Budget First
We know that instead of sleeping at night, you are scrolling through student accommodation listings. Your listing might already be full with the big living room with a couch in the centre, a bedroom with a fancy rug from Dubai and French windows, and as you proceed to click on the book now button, you realise the property is out of your budget. It won’t just kill your motivation, but also your will to search. That’s why, before even scrolling, you should filter out a few options, one of which should be the pricing. Select the range between your budget, so if you like any property, you wouldn’t have to worry about “what if it’s expensive?”
Pick the Right Location
When we say, “pick the right location”, we don’t mean look for the best student room five minutes’ distance from your university. Because that’s not possible all the time. And, sometimes, you will get the best student rooms a little way from the university with a good vibe and friendly neighbours. The location isn’t about staying near, it’s about being safe. When you scroll through the listing, read about which shops are nearby, what the neighbourhood is like, whether it’s safe to roam after 7 in the evening, and whether there’s good transportation access. These are the exact things you should consider when choosing a location; they are more important than just staying near your campus. We’d rather have you safe and happy than near the university than always vigilant, because we know you will sometimes forget to lock the door.
Choose a Room Type That Fits You
If you have not taken the “Are You an Ambivert, extrovert or introvert?” quiz, then you should take it right now. By better understanding your personality and preferences, you can choose a student room type that fits your daily life. Your options will always come down to en-suite, studio or non-ensuite student rooms. In en-suite rooms, you will get a private bedroom and a bathroom in the attached shared flat, basically like a master bedroom. In the studio, you will have maximum privacy, your own bathroom, kitchen, and room, so if you can’t stand people, this will be perfect for you. And then comes non-en-suite, for those who love gossiping and socialising, you will get a private room, but with a shared kitchen and bathroom. So, choose the one that suits your personality.
Check What’s Included in the Rent
Studying abroad is already tough because no matter how much money you have, it will never be enough. That’s why knowing the expenses beforehand will save you the stress of managing money one day before the rent is due. If you book your student accommodation through UniAcco, you will never have to worry about finances. Because utilities, heating, water, and Wi-Fi are included in your rent. Imagine how much sleep and money you’d be saving.
Look at Safety and Security
There will be days when you will feel sceptical, especially if you are alone. Imagine you are sleeping, and in the middle of the night, you hear footsteps. What would you do next? Can’t call your parents. That’s why choosing a student room with 24/7 security is very important. So, you can directly call them when you hear anything weird, and they’d be there to help you in minutes.
Review Facilities and Amenities
Have you ever bought a movie ticket just because it said ‘free popcorn’, only to realise it’s not for the movie you bought a ticket for? That’s exactly why you should check or call your agent to ensure the amenities and facilities they list on their page are available. Because we don’t want you to use your mobile network even after listing saying free wi-fi.
Read Reviews and ask someone to Visit Before Booking
When we shop online, we always read reviews, so how can we miss such an important step before booking the best student room? It’s very important to read the reviews before booking a student accommodation, because they are not paid; they are someone’s lived experience where you will be living next. And if you have friends or relatives abroad, ask them to check the property and don’t worry if you don’t have anyone; you can even ask your landlord to send a video or better, if they can video call.
Curious about how students choose the best room type? Read this Reddit thread and discover how they do it.
What made you decide to choose a specific room? – r/UniUK from r/UniUK
Key Things Students Often Forget before choosing the best student room
Hidden costs and deposits
How would you feel when you send out a rent payment but, in return, get a message saying you haven’t paid for electricity or for using the kitchen amenities? Wouldn’t that make your stay tough? That’s why when booking any student room, it’s important to read every little detail, ask whatever silly questions come to your mind, because these questions will save you from possible mishaps. So, while choosing the best student room, don’t forget to look for hidden costs and deposits.
Contract length and rules
What if the student room you chose is a little too boring, or it’s a little too far, and you want to move out after 12 weeks, but when you talk about this to your landlord, they refuse it? This is exactly what happens with students who forget to check these little details. Before signing any agreement, read the contract and the rules carefully. We know the language is tougher than Shakespeare’s writing, but you can ask your lawyer friend to review it for you, or you can start by uploading it to ChatGPT as well.
Noise levels and social environment
Students get so excited when they find the student room of their dreams that they forget to check factors like noise levels and social environments. Because during exams, these things can seriously affect your grades. When you read the reviews, see what they say about noise and the neighbourhood. And if you can’t find, do some research about that area, which will give you an insight on social environment.
Distance from daily essentials
Do you remember how we said, pick the right location? This is why we said that: it isn’t about choosing a student room near the university, but about choosing one near your daily essentials and transportation. Unlike India, there are no Blinkit or Zepto in any other country, so you will have to walk down to the superstore and buy yourself. This is what most students ignore.
Want to know what students consider while choosing the best student room? Take a look at this Quora discussion and read what they prioritise the most.
Do’s and Don’ts Before You Choose Your Student Room
Do’s
- Compare multiple properties: You are already scrolling day and night, but don’t forget to compare properties as well. Compare their prices and facilities, and on UniAcco, you won’t have to struggle so much. We will help you with comparing multiple students’ rooms.
- Ask questions before signing: When our friends share something with us, we ask a lot of unnecessary questions, but those questions help us join the dots. That’s exactly why you should ask every silly question that comes to your mind before signing, because once you sign the paper, then God can’t even save you.
- Understand the full contract: We know reading a contract is tougher than finishing a semester in a day. But to avoid any fraud, you should ask your lawyer friend to read the contract once. Do you know that in the UK, 57% encounter student accommodation scams? That’s why it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Don’ts
- Don’t choose based only on price: Numbers hold a different power over us, like when we buy a lottery ticket, we keep staring at the number hoping to find the same number on the winning lottery, or when we go to the restaurant and ask for a bill, we pray for the number to be in our budget. And that’s exactly what happens when you book a student room. That’s why it’s very important to see beyond numbers; they might look tempting on paper, but if you put in practicality, the scene would change. These lower numbers will mostly be due to an unsafe neighbourhood or a big distance from essential services.
- Don’t rush the booking: We know you want to steal the deal before it sells out, but sites that push urgency often lead to student accommodation scams. So, never rush the booking, always take 2-3 opinions and to stay safe, always book from UniAcco, so that if at any time of the day you feel anxious, you can call us and get the assurance.
- Don’t ignore safety or maintenance: When you go abroad to study, it becomes your responsibility to take care of yourself. That’s why, while booking the best student room, don’t forget to research the neighbourhood and the security available in the building.
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🔎 Explore Student Housing in GermanyConclusion:
Remember, choosing the best student room isn’t about how it will look on your Instagram feed, or how close it is to the university. It’s about choosing the one that blends with your daily lifestyle and fits within your budget. And this can be easily achieved by setting a realistic budget, choosing the right accommodation, reading the contract carefully, and selecting the room type that best suits your personality.
To save yourself from a student accommodation scam or a lengthy contract, book the student accommodation from UniAcco. We only list verified student accommodation, which means no fear of “what if it doesn’t exist” plus all rent-included facilities, so you won’t even have to worry about finances, and 24/7 customer service, which means you can call us at any time of the day and we will get your questions answered.
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