My TOP 10 House-Hunting Rules

1) Check property websites several times a day. New ads are added normally early in the morning, but also anytime during the day. Do not take into account ads added more than 3 days ago, they are probably arranged already. There is a website I used the most called Zoopla. Most of the agencies use it, so I found it a very useful searching engine when I was house-hunting. Other websites that might be useful too: Gumtree, Primelocation and Rightmove.

2) Arrange viewings on the phone. Although some websites encourage contacting agencies by email, if there is a telephone number, call. Some agencies take a while to reply to emails, and other might not even reply. I found the telephone the most efficient way to arrange viewings. Visiting the agencies physically do not help much. Most of them will tell you to check their websites to see what's on the market.

3) Arrange viewings three days in advance. No more. This is applicable to those who are not in the city yet and would like to arrange viewings in advance. The market, specially in September, is very dynamic. In three days, the flat could be gone. 

4) Leave at least 30 minutes between viewings. You will need time to go from one property to another, or even to take some notes about the property you just visited. It is very common to forget things when you are house-hunting, so I suggest you take notes of the impression you had about the house.

5) Prioritise your priorities. Ask yourself what the property must have and what it should have, for example, number of rooms, furnished/not furnished, washing machine, parking slot, central heating, double-glazzing windows... and check them all during your visit. 

6) Ask for extra furniture. Some landlords have several properties and do not have any objection to move sofas, wardroves and so on from one property to another. If you think you need more chairs, for example, ask for them while you are visiting. 

7) Bills included or excluded? It makes a difference if bills are included in the renting price. Normally, if you are renting a room, bills and council taxes are included. If you are renting the complete property, bills and council taxes are excluded. Make sure you know the council tax band for each property, from A to H, because you will pay depending on the band. Remember, students are exempted from paying council taxex, or a discount will applied in the total bill if there is a tenant in the property who is not a student.

8) Make sure you understand what happens after the minimum contract term. We always worry about the minimum term and very little about what happens after. In some cases, you need a one-month notice if you want to leave the flat after the first 6 months, in other cases, it may be longer. Make sure you understand what happens if one of the tenants wants to leave the house, whether it is your responsibility to find someone to replace the previous tenant or not... 

9) If you are visiting a property which is not empty yet, take the chance to talk to the current tenants. They will give you more information that the agent is not able to provide; experiences, neighbourhood, noise in the area... If you are sharing a house, it is also interesting to get to meet them. First impressions are always important.

10) As soon as you get in love with a property, make the appropriate to close the deal. 

To read the post about my own experience house-hunting, click here.

Let's go house-hunting!

About a year ago, I was a house-hunter. It was September, new fresh arrivals of UWE and Bristol University were also house-hunting at the same time. Anybody who's been in my shoes will agree that house-hunting is an absolute nightmare. Mostly because you never have a stable place to stay while house-hunting and the simple thought of it stresses. But I was lucky. Some friends of friends offered to host me for a couple of nights, without even knowing my name or seeing my face. Totally uninterested help, which I am very grateful for. So, I basically found myself jumping from couch to couch for more than a week during the hunting period.

Not everybody is as lucky as me. Some people are sharp enough to send couchsurfer requests on the Couch Surfing website. And if they are not lucky, they don't have any other option rather than paying for a bed in a hostel until their definitive place is available. Either way, I can assure that it is not a very comfortable to wander around with one huge suitcase and a handbag.

I knew my priorities, I knew how I wanted my flat to be like. First requirement: I wanted a flat very close to the city centre. Previously, I was living in Horfield and I felt like I was not living in Bristol. It was too far away, and life is too calm there. I also needed it to have good public transport connections, one/two bedrooms, furnished (I couldn't afford to furnish it myself), if possible with a washing machine... all of that within my budget!

My prior contract finished in August, and leaving everything I owned in a Yellow Box (Self Storage Company), I took some days off and went back home. I arranged some viewings before I arrived back to the city, through the telephone, paying very expensive (and long) international calls. Nobody rents a flat without seeing you face-to-face and making sure you have a job or a feasible way to pay at least 6 months. Estate agents know that if it is not yourself, someone else will rent that flat. The demand is bigger than the offer in September, it's peak hunting season, and landlords are never worried: their flat will surely have a tenant.

I had 3-4 viewings arranged beforehand and I arranged a couple more when I visited some agencies. I walked the city from one corner to another, from agency to agency. I also contacted some landlords in Gumtree website but I didn't get any reply. The more flats I visited, the less I liked them. My day finished as it started: I still didn't have anywhere to live. 

I might had been too optimistic. I thought six viewings were enough to choose one among them. The first one had more people interested who paid the deposit before I took any decision. In the second one, I didn't like the landlord. Yes, I know I shouldn't jump to conclusions at first sight, but he didn't look very trustworthy to me. In short, I didn't find my future flat. Each flat viewed had a least one inconvenience.

I went to "my couch" and suddenly, I started to cry. I surprised myself. I was not sad nor disappointed, but the anxiety of getting a flat overwhelmed me that day. Instead of closing the subject, I switched on my computer and started searching for flats again. And that's when I found mine.

There is not an optimum way to find a flat. You can be more or less lucky. The most important advice is "Do Not Panic!". Eventually, you will find your flat.

The Telegraph published an article sharing tips for finding the perfect home and National Student Union created a downloadable YES/NO checklist for house-hunters. Their advice is "do not rush into any decision", however, I slightly disagree. If you view a house that covers most of your expectations, take it before it runs away!

For further help and tips, read my Top-10 House-Hunting Rules