February 13, 2023, by aqykd2
House-hunting for next year
Besides the rapid political and economic changes that have fallen out in the last term, one of the most stressful conversations that you might have had might go along the lines of… “We have already found people and signed the contract for next year. Have you decided where you will be living yet?” I know firsthand that this was among the most daunting question I had been asked as early as the second month of the first term! I’m here today to help those of you that are still unsure about who you want to live with, and where to find housing.
Some people choose to look for flats with their current flatmates, but it’s completely alright if you don’t prefer it! One of my flatmates from last year and I decided to look for more people to join us on Unisalad. You could post your preferences and details to find like-minded people before you decide to move in. We were lucky enough to meet two other wonderful girls that we even met up with a couple of times before we decided to live together. All of us had similar preferences and budgets too. But if you’re not sure about the area you want to live in, here’s an overview of where most students tend to go house-hunting:
Lenton:
Lenton is one of the most popular areas for students to live in their penultimate years. It is really likely that you run into your friends at bars, the cinema or even while food shopping. I have heard it gets quite noisy over the weekends as it is located at walking distance of the city centre. Most people tend to walk to the Jubilee campus (about a 10-minute walk) and get on the hopper bus if they want to get to the University Park campus.
Dunkirk:
Dunkirk is situated right next to the lakeside at the University Park Campus. You might find a good blend of families and students in the area. It is quite convenient in terms of travel as it has got numerous bus stops and a tram stop within walking distance of 10 minutes (based on where you live). You might be able to find relatively cheaper housing here.
PS: Not a lot of people are aware, but some houses in Dunkirk are, in fact owned by the university. This is especially reassuring regarding the security of the contract and the quality of service provided. You might be able to look into them further by contacting them via email.
Beeston:
Beeston is also among the most preferred areas for living considering its proximity to the biggest food shops, charity shops, bars and cafes. It has also got two tram stops that could take you straight to University Park Campus, if you’re not feeling a 25-minute walk. It is a relatively quiet and yet lively area to live in. It’s lovely to take walks through Beeston High Street and the nearby park.
City centre:
From what I’ve heard, some people prefer to stay in the centre of the city for the evergreen area it is. You are more likely to find either third party student accommodations or studio flats here rather than houses.
Some of the criteria that I had in mind while house-hunting include the convenience of travel, the proximity of food shops, distance from the campus my course was based in, and the cleanliness and safety of the neighbourhood. You could even find an option to choose to find a group to live with on most of the housing providers’ websites. I know it might seem stressful at the moment, but I assure you that this city is not short of options for housing. But at the same time, I would strongly recommend starting your search around this time, to avoid any hasty decisions later.
No comments yet, fill out a comment to be the first
Leave a Reply