5 Things: Finding Your Dream Apartment.

I’m definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel here, but if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s flat-hunting. I like to think I’m quite wise now because I’ve lived in my own place since I was 16 (seven years – sob!) which has spanned four cities and two countries now I believe. In that time there has been a crazy amount of flats, and flat-hunting. It’s truly obscene. But, I know what to look for when it comes to the dreaded flat-hunt and I often get asked for tips are as our current (rented) flat is so nice.

In truth, we were really lucky with this flat as it was just one of those things that was meant to be. A lot of people like to think my parents pay my rent (must be the Porsche I don’t drive or all those holiday’s in the Maldives I’ve never had) but tragically, Jordan and I pay it all. I’ve always paid my own rent (except when I was studying at uni, but even then I worked 25 hours a week because I didn’t have a loan or bursary) and I know how much of a bummer it is, so I know it’s not worth it to go for a really expensive, modern flat because it will just eat your salary. There’s also things like bills and council tax to cough up so keep this in mind.

Consider Going Private
I never, ever go with letting agents when looking for flats. They’re a waste of money with their “admin fees” before you even get near the apartment and the deposit which you will NEVER get back. When I’m looking for flats, I do keep an eye on rightmove etc. but usually I go through Gumtree or word of mouth. I know a lot of people think Gumtree is a scam when it comes to flats, but obviously if you are safe and tell someone where you’re going, take a boyfriend or flatmate or whatever, how can it be? Don’t sign anything or hand over any money until YOU ARE IN THE FLAT ON THE DAY OF THE MOVE. I remember a girl I used to follow on Twitter got scammed out of something like £500 because she met a potential flatmate in the street to hand over money – ridiculous. Use your common sense, if you’re moving in to a flatshare, go for coffee with your new flatmates and make sure they’re reasonably normal. If it’s a brand new flat, use your initiative and make sure everything checks out.
Our current flat had one small photo on the Gumtree ad – I would never usually go for this but it was of the window seat and the view over Glasgow from the kitchen, something made me want to go with it and it worked out.
If you are going to go for an agency flat, take pictures of any damage and things that are already there when you move in and upload to a private Facebook album as evidence incase they try to do you for it later.

Take In All Costs
While our rent here is pretty cheap, we live in the centre of town, the ‘up and coming’ area (lots of rainbow flags) so council tax is a bit of a bummer. Any flats I look at, I make sure to find out their post code (a simple google search of the street name and house number usually does it) and then check out the council tax band and also what kind of broadband services you can get. Yup, I’m crazy but it’s worth it. We’re still band C I think so not too bad, but if it was band E we just wouldn’t be able to afford it. Also, make sure you’re both ready to pay council tax – not that you have a choice, but remember if you’re not a student anymore then you’ll have to so keep this in mind if you’re getting a flat now but finish uni this summer! Also, if you’re about to live with a student, be warned – you only get a 25% discount as far as I know so be prepared to pay a good chunk of it on your own.
It’s worth mentioning that you should sign up for council tax as soon as you get in the property, this is your responsibility and there’s no way of not paying it. If you put it off for six months and they catch up with you, you usually have to pay a fairly big amount in one. Not worth it.
This also goes for bills – always check for central heating and double glazing. Admittedly our flat doesn’t have either which means it can get quite cold and it’s also very pricey – we always knew we were only going to be here on a temporary basis so it doesn’t bother us too much but it’s definitely worth making sure you have these! Ask about the boiler too, you will want hot water.
The best thing to do is to make a list of your monthly allowance, your outgoings (rent, council tax, bills, food, travel) and really see how much you can afford for the month. You will need some for going out and having a life so don’t pick the most expensive flat going, be realistic and stick to a budget when flat-hunting. Also, make sure to go over costs with the landlord – confirm the rent, how it will be paid, how much bills are, the council tax band, whether or not there’s a phone line etc. There’s also the deposit to keep in mind, usually a months rent but sometimes more.

Think About What You Need
I usually make a checklist before I go view a flat – it sounds completely unhinged but it’s a must. By now I know exactly what to look for, but if you’re new to this whole thing you’re likely to forget things. I usually want the following: double glazing, parking, central heating, a bath, pets allowed because we have a cat, any floor but the ground floor, a good shower (test it, no one wants a pathetic shower that feels like someone’s having a pee on your head), neutral colours, semi-furnished (we own most of our furniture by now so make sure to get furnished if you own almost nothing), a good-sized fridge, at least one storage cupboard and kitchen appliances.
There’s other things like, no nightclubs nearby and a secure entrance to look out for too. Always make sure the flat looks safe.

Take Photos When Viewing
Usually with a nice rented flat you have to be really quick, as they go that day. What I usually do, as I know to be quick by now, is take a lot of photos of the place and then tell the landlord or whatever that I’ll let him know as soon as. Express an interest, so he or she knows you’re keen but give yourself a moment to gather your thoughts and talk it over with your other half. Go to a nearby cafe, make sure it has everything on your checklist, you can afford it, look through the photos to confirm and then if you’re both agreed, call the landlord or whatever and let them know you’re interested. Hopefully it will work out! It’s a good time to start praying.

Other Things To Remember
Make sure there’s a set move in day – ideally you will sign the lease and hand over the deposit on this day. Also, make sure your new landlord isn’t a shady looking character, our landlord is pretty easy going and comes to collect the rent every month just so he can touch base with us. He’s a big fan of Mouse (who isn’t) and when our bathroom flooded because of a leak upstairs, he got it fixed quickly. These things matter!
Also, you can ask to sign a six month lease at first – we did this. This means if the flat really doesn’t work out, you only have to live there for six months. You can also ask for a rolling month contract after this, which means you give a month’s notice if you want to move. Otherwise they will probably keep your deposit (usually a month’s rent) so keep this in mind.
Keep the flat in good condition and remember your deposit when you consider throwing a party!

Remember, you’re probably not going to find an amazing flat on your budget unless you’re already in a really great job or whatever. We weren’t even sure about this flat when we moved in, but we quickly made it our own by buying a few nice things – I always think as long as the colours are quite neutral and you have enough space, you can do anything. Painting is a bit far and you will probably have to check with your landlord so avoid this if you can.

Hopefully this helps you to find your own perfect flat! I wanted to write this now as we’re currently looking to get our own place so this is what I’m thinking about every waking minute of the day!