Moving to a place on your own... What to keep an eye out for/remember?

[Oli]

So I've been living in shared accommodation in Oxford for a year and a half, and our lease is up in November, and I'm wanting to move into a place on my own (having randoms as housemates is always a gamble, which I don't want anymore). This will be my first time moving somewhere on my own, so my question is-- what things do I need to remember and look out for?

I know that I'll have to keep on top of council tax, rent, water, electrics, gas, but I'm sure there are other pitfalls :)

So any handy hints will be appreciated!

[gwEm]

its easy to go a bit funny living on your own - so make sure you see your mates a bit more(!)

[Frank]

Get things like electricity and gas sorted before you physically move in. When I moved in here it took nearly two weeks to convince British Gas that I was a new resident and they still sent me the bill for the old tenant. Also watch out for places that have electricity or gas on a prepay card meter, you'll need to sort out a card or a new meter before you can get gas.

If you haven't had bills in your name before then some utility companies can get a bit arsey and start asking for deposits from you, shop around a bit.

And expect a mound of letters demanding payments for debts that previous tenants have abandoned - give them back to the postman and ask for them to be all returned to sender.

[clyde billt]

Kebab shops,
pizza shops,
chippies,
Indians (do they deliver?),
Chinese,
all night shops (can I get drink/cigarette papers/chocolate at daft o'clock),
a boozer within staggering distance,
bus stop, train station,
can I get back home at 4 am on the bus/train/taxi.

[Nadz1lla]

INVENTORY INVENTORY INVENTORY!!!

I've been burned badly twice by dodgy landlords / estate agents.

When all is said and done, unless you KNOW your landlord, or it's a member of your family at the Estate Agent, then treat them as if they are the most evil, conniving bar-stewardos in the world. Do not, under any circumstance, trust a word they say. The Estate Agents will lie to you and tell you they are on your side until the end of the lease, when they will walk around with the Landlord and bill you for everything they can with a smile on their faces.

Inventory: The Agency / Landlord should give you this. Check it off, but take your time going about it and add things, even small things, that you see: scuffs on the skirting, loose fittings, a cracked mirror etc etc etc. Check everything works, check the taps / shower go to the temperatures they should, check the boiler works and anything electrical / Gas. Also, take pictures! Print them out and take a copy of the pics and the inventory for  yourself before sending the signed document back in with a batch of photos for the Agency / Landlord.

If one tiny thing is wrong or missing at the end of your lease, the Agency / Landlord will absolutely try to hammer your deposit for it.

I hate sounding negative, and I'm really sorry if this spooks you, but they are all politicians, mate. They will lie through their teeth to you to get your signature and then will try to bleed you dry the moment something goes wrong, just protect yourself from the outset and you'll be golden.  ;)

[Oli]

All very good points, thanks guys!

gwEm: Yea, i'm going to make sure that i'm social-- unfortunately i've not been as social as perhaps I should have been so far, but I think i've sorted it now :) I would certainly much prefer to have a place of my own rather than have cr@p housemates for a 3rd time!

Frank: I'm expecting to have to deal with the fallout from previous tenants, and that's a good point about the electric meter-- hopefully i'll have somewhere with a meter rather than a card, but if not then i'll try and get them to change it.

Clyde: I think you've nailed all the important ones! Especially the all-night shops-- at the moment it's only 10mins in the car to a 24 hour Tesco, so i'm a bit spoilt for booze/cigs/chocolate (often all 3 at once!)

Nadz: That's a very good idea, I think i'll go for the 'no holds barred' approach and make sure that I get every single thing-- It's good to know what's what before it all happens!

[Nadz1lla]

Yeah dude, no-holds-barred all the way! Agents might think you're slightly crazy or over-cautious when you hand that packet of paperwork and photos over, but at least you will be a very PROTECTED crazy person.  :lol:

[Philly Q]

its easy to go a bit funny living on your own

What are you trying to say, gwEm? 




 

[Andrew W]

I'd also suggest getting a couple of sets of spare keys cut and stashing them at reliable friends or relatives near by. It means if you're away people can check everything's OK (and water the plants etc.) and in the event you get your keys nicked or you lose them you can easily still get access to your flat.

[Philly Q]

Slightly different slant from what everyone else has said...

If you're looking at a long-term stay, little things can be important in terms of home comforts:  e.g.  is there enough storage space for all your stuff?  Are there enough power points, in the right places?


They may seem like minor issues, but they never crossed my mind when I first moved.  And now that I have a lot more stuff, working out where to keep it all would be a big issue!

[Afghan Dave]

 e.g.  is there enough storage space for all your stuff?  

Philly solved this with bunk beds without a lower bunk...

[Philly Q]

 e.g.  is there enough storage space for all your stuff?  

Philly solved this with bunk beds without a lower bunk...

Yeah, just chuck out that second mattress, it wastes a lot of valuable space.

(A quick survey of the local area will usually reveal a skip outside someone's house - perfect for the dumping of unwanted mattresses.  In fact that seems to be the primary purpose of all skips....)

[Elliot]

I agree with Nad - photograph everything when you move in - every mark on the wall, the furniture whatever coz this is used as a means of taking your deposit everytime.  - Email/put it on cd-rom and give it to the landlord/agent after you have done it as proof.

[38thBeatle]

And send the dvd/pictures by recorded delivery too.

[HTH AMPS]

I agree with Nad - photograph everything when you move in - every mark on the wall, the furniture whatever coz this is used as a means of taking your deposit everytime.  - Email/put it on cd-rom and give it to the landlord/agent after you have done it as proof.

I've fallen foul to that old game before - we left the place 100% cleaner than when we moved in and the landlord had the gall to keep our deposits because he deemed the house still to be dirty and deducted half of everyone's deposit.

I believe that these days private landlords should hold your deposit with some registered third party, can't remember the name, you'll likely stumble upon what I mean by googling about this stuff.