Right... I'm looking to move out on my own... just wandering Is there a minumum age thing? How much do flats tend to be per month (not dives but not the ritz)? What's the average per month costs of services, water gas electricity etc...? What kind of scams do landlords usually pull to decieve a prospective rentee? Are there other things I should worry about, insurence etc? Thanks.
I think an excellent idea would be for you to look up several letting agencies in the Yellow Pages, drop in and discuss your situation with them. They're professionals, they'll know the area, and you can compare what each has to say.
I dunno about the other stuff, but something you may want to do.. (I learned this trick from a friend) Get a camera and a fresh roll of film you won't be using for anything else. Go around wherever it is you're gonna be moving into and take pictures of every imperfection, crack, stain, whatever. Then mail them to yourself and do not open it, keep it somewhere safe. This way, if you ever get blamed for any of them, you can pull out the envelope which would be dated by the post office and it'd be all official-like and prove to them that the damage was there before you moved in.
Well cost of flats varies from place to place. I was renting a 2 bed terrace with kitchen, bathroom, through living/dinning room, shed and rear garden for £300pcm (with my wife) but my Sister has let he 2 bed flat, in a converted warehouse in London, for £1200pcm. It all depends on location. The wife is from Nottingham and during her masters at the Uni. she was renting. She paid about £300pcm for a smallish flat that was nothing special. Now onto bills, if you are sharing a house/flat then bills will be more expensive in total but your share will be less than if you were on your own. A rule of thumb is about £20 for Gas, £20 for lecy, £15ish for water, insurance for your stuff £15-20 (but depends on the area), and lastly Council Tax £45+. Council tax must be paid there is anyone who is living in the house/flat that is not exempt (student, etc...). If there is only one person then you pay 75% of the Tax. I used to pay £45ish when my wife was still classed as a student for a property that was worth about £25000. Now I pay £136 for both of us but we have moved to a house that is worth £85000 so have moved up a bracket and the council is different so the amounts for the bands are different. Other things you need to consider are, how much income do you have, what benefits you may be entitled to (but theses take a long time to come through), how much do you need for food and other living costs. As for a minimum age, to live on your own you need to be 16 but you may not qualify for certain benefits. To rent you have to give a deposit up front (usually a months rent), you may need someone over 18 to be a guarantor. As for the mailing photos to yourself idea, I'm not sure how much clout this would have but it means you have a record of the place when you moved in. If you go through a letting agency, find out whom is responsible for getting any work done if problems happen. This shouldn't be you but should be the letting agency (who pass on the cost + a percentage mark-up to the landlord) or the landlord. If it's the later then make sure the landlord is in the same country! Our last place our landlord had moved to Bermuda and it was a nightmare to get anything fixed. Good luck Meblin
Agreed - I have lived in rented houses for several years - THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!! Letting agancies make an awful lot of money from charging you for every little fault that was not on the inventory (even ones they knew about but omitted from the inventory). They take an inventory when you move in - take several days to check this and add ALL defects. Photos would indeed make good back-up but the inventory is the 'binding document'. My parents got stung for £1800 for not doing thing correctly. As others have mentioned - the price is dependant on your area - here in Swindon you are looking at £350 upwards per month for a flat and about £550+ for a 2 bed house. I would imagine that Nottingham would be similar - but I can't be sure. It is pretty standard to pay a month in advance plus a months deposit. Bills are usually payable by you (everything) but some places may do 'all in' deals. I hope this helps!
Lorquis if the birthday in your profile is right you are only 16 :/ i wouldnt rush into moving out i know people who have done it and ended up in a right mess. Live with your parents for as long as possible you get to spend your money on things you want and going out. with a flat at your age you will be tied very heavily finanically.
I presume you're gonna have a computer or two or three og more running - be aware that these actually drain you wallet! You never notice it when living with you parents, but damn!
>Is there a minumum age thing? I believe you have to be 18 to sign a lease agreement. >How much do flats tend to be per month (not dives but not the ritz)? Depends entirely on where you live. In Bristol a 1-Bed flat in a nice area is about £600pm, I rent a 3-Bed semi in an ok area for £550. Bristol is also expensive.. YMMV >What's the average per month costs of services, water gas electricity etc...? Depends how much you use. If it's cold, you'll use more gas. If the house is expensive, it'll cost more council tax. I generally pay about £300pm in bills excluding food. >What kind of scams do landlords usually pull to decieve a prospective rentee? None, if you have an agency or a trusted landlord. If you go with Pop's Letting agency and do not sign any agreements or do not read the contract, then you may get caught on a loophole. Usually the general issue is they withold your deposit until they're satisfied with the state of the premises once you've moved out or they do not do work and repairs you need them to in a timely manner. Other than that I've generally found agencies and landlords very good. They tend to be tougher on students and young people because statistically they treat the flats like crap. >Are there other things I should worry about, insurence etc? Get contents insurance. When you're broken into and all your stuff is nicked, you'll be glad you did. Keep the meters read reguarly; if you move, sorting out suppliers is easier if there's no dispute in who's used what. If it's a flat make sure you know which meters are yours. Moving out isn't the big scary monster it appears to be.. Just remember to pay everyone who wants money and keep the place neat and tidy, because it's not yours.
