Flat-hunting

[yrieithydd]

So what tips do you have on hunting for somewhere to rent?

Comments

[curig.livejournal.com]

When I was house-hunting in Bristol, I found Rightmove very useful.

[emperor]

Decide on budget in advance. Consider how far you are prepared to commute / which areas of town you're prepared to live in. Look at lots of agents, even evil ones :(

Act quickly - dither, and you'll find you lose the place you like. Be very wary of taking the first place you see. Always always view a place before deciding you want it.

When viewing, things to consider include: state of repair (if it looks a bit run-down, that suggests that getting things fixed may be pain), what white goods there are (and how good they seem to be), what the shower's like (I'd run it to see how good the flow is), how secure it is (state of windows / locks / doors). Don't believe any "we're going to get this fixed before you move in" stories.

HTH.

[cathedral-life.livejournal.com]

Do not use the internet at all. By the time most places are on the internet, they will have gone.

Register with a large number of agents. Do not trust that they will call you. Make sure you call them regularly. Even better, go in and see them and demand that they talk you through their current property lists.

I disagree with emperor on "don't believe we'll fix this" etc. as it is possible to get things fixed. Just make sure that you get the changes written into the tenancy agreement (or memo) beforehand, and thus ensure that they have received the landlord's approval.

Try and look during the day, rather than on Saturdays or at the end of the day. You'll find properties that would be snapped up later.

I agree with emperor about checking for flow of the shower.

Look out of the windows and see what is out there. If possible, stop people on a street or estate and ask them what it is like living there. If possible, do the same with current tenants. They always tell the truth!

Check what an agency's fees are. Also, ask how much (if anything) they charge for references. Also ask how much (if anything) they charge for the performance of a professional check-in/inventory and whether the tenant is responsible for this charge.

Ask for a copy of the tenancy agreement to read before you actually have to go in and sign it.

[caliston.livejournal.com]

Tenancy type: one year fixed, six month fixed, six month rolling?

If you're remotely interested, ask for the inventory. See what's included. See if they're being anal about inventorying every last bit of junk (must you preserve that rusty broken door handle on top of the cupboard, or can you throw it?)

If you're interested, ask to see the tenancy agreement. Make sure there aren't any gotchas, particularly things they don't allow you to do (bang nails in walls) or insist you must do (mow the grass every fortnight).

Find out the deposit. Find out what's their position wrt the Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Google the agency and look for opinions on them. Or ask around for recommendations of agencies and concentrate your search on the good ones.

Don't be in a hurry: get an idea of the market before going for anything. If at any time you're not happy, walk away. There are plenty more properties available and you're not in a hurry. But make up your mind quickly.

If the current tenant is there, find out how much the average bills are. What type of heating does it have? Find out its Council Tax band. Ask if the water is metered. If not, find out the water rates (phone the water company). Find out what connections it has (BT telephone? Virgin Media telephone? Virgin Media broadband/TV point?) - if they're missing find out what it'll cost to add them (£125 for BT line connection where there are no wires, Virgin are sometimes sniffy about new wiring). If there's an existing BT phone, find out the number and pop it into the ADSL availability checker.

Does it have electricity and gas prepayment meters, or is it metered normally? Prepayment meters are often quite a bit more expensive that billing in arrears. What sort of heating does it have, and does it work?

Take a digital camera with you on viewings. You can then record the place to remind yourself what it looks like, and snap any features you want to check up on (unusual boiler, strange phone socket?)

[yrieithydd.livejournal.com]

Does it have electricity and gas prepayment meters, or is it metered normally?

Aah yes, that was something that put me off the one place I've seen so far.

[caliston.livejournal.com]

It's not the end of the world, since there's EBICo, who are fairly competitive (and ethical). However make sure that the tenancy allows you to switch suppliers (ours doesn't, for example).