20 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving Into a Uni House
Having spent the last 3 years living in uni accommodation I know, only too well, the life of a student and certain things that will be music to many other students’ ears.
Renting a house has its perks; you get to decorate your room any way you want and the house will be inundated with photos, fairy lights and other decorative items that become part of the furniture.
I’ve learnt that you will always find a way to encourage your housemate to not cook (it gets real boring) and order a takeaway. Or you can fully help one another procrastinate with a rant, film or both.
I have had the best years of my life living in both halls and private housing. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but aside from the great memories, parties and laughs, there are a few things that I’d wish I’d known before renting student accommodation. As much as I don’t want to leave, and my friends and I are quite happy to live in independent living forever, we must now discuss 20 relatable secrets that you are faced with living in a Uni house:
1.
So, to start with, you’ll never see loss of money for admin, insurance, bills, SUMMER and term rent like you will with a student house. Goodbye Student finance.
2.
Most importantly, you will never feel as cold as you do in your uni house. No matter how high up the radiator is, wearing 4 layers will never suffice. It’s just a constant struggle working out the timer and the right temperature! Going back home will feel like you’ve changed climates.
3.
Even though the Tenancy agreement always highlights that No pets are allowed you will unluckily be granted with a pet. We’ve had spiders and rats in our time. The latter even became part of the house eating food and living in the loft… they dodged the rent though. Other friends have had slugs and bug type creatures. It’s all good fun you know.
4.
Moving into a house, 9 times out of 10, you’ll expect to find something broken or old. Don’t expect luxury if your house is labelled ‘Student lettings’, you get what you pay for. You learn to not clean too much surface area, at a time, in case the hoover hose falls out or not turn the light off in case it doesn’t turn back on, amongst many other ‘new ways of life’.
5.
The hoover won’t work properly, if at all, and doesn’t do what it’s meant to; it will in fact, create more mess than before.
6.
You’ll have damp and mould appearing somewhere. No matter how many windows or curtains you leave open (unless you’re a real grim student that never sees daylight in their room), then it’ll be damp.
In the houses I’ve rented, the only option for drying clothes is inside. So, there’ll always be an investment in a dehumidifier. When I say dry clothes, there’ll practically be people’s whole wardrobe on the airer due to large washing loads/lack of time/laziness.
7.
The sofas, throws or carpet that were already there will always be a little bit gross!
8.
There’ll be that ongoing rant of who will do the bins- the gross process of emptying them AND wheeling them out on the street? Who will clean the kitchen or toilet next? Or help with the washing up?
And there’ll always one who will do that little bit less…
9.
You’ll reach a point where you don’t realise your favourite packet of ham has fallen down the back of the fridge or you forget to use your milk before the sell by date. Or if one of you go away for the weekend forgetting about food, you’ll be welcomed with a pleasant smell!!
10.
The mop bucket will have a dual function as a sick bucket at some point in the tenancy.
11.
Your street will always be filled with delivery vans at any time of the day (evening is cheaper, FYI). Plus, don’t think you can park near your house freely, unless you have a driveway or permit!
12.
There will be a time and a place where someone will lose their keys. Unwittingly, or not, it will happen and in our case, it wasn’t just a loss of keys there was also a loss of ID card, money and broken lock.
13.
You’ll be forever receiving junk mail or previous tenants’ letters and post with discount codes and a credit card (on one occasion). You continue to wonder why they never change their address?
14.
You will miss home, despite all the fun you are having, as you will reach the break down stage of so-many-things-to-do-but-not-enough-time.
15.
WIFI will never be reliable 100% of the time, not that anywhere is, but four people trying to submit essays, watch Netflix and online shop never is going to work well…
16.
As the weeks and deadlines go on, your garden will start to resemble a small forest.
17.
Whatever street you live down it will always be a double of Coronation Street, just a community of students in cute cloned houses!
18.
Party bunting becomes an all year-round decoration to also cover up the unpainted or tatty walls.
19.
You’ll have to reach that depressing time of the year where your house goes back up ‘To let’ for new students and you have to make your room look presentable for someone to live in your house- yeah, you become a little possessive.
20.
You won’t want to ever leave!!!
