If you’re moving from uni halls to a private student house, the likelihood is that this will be the first time you’ve set up things like utilities, council tax and broadband.
With so many options available and SO much jargon out there, this can seem like a mountainous task that neither you or your housemates want to tackle now (or ever). However, if you’re moving into a private house it’s worth getting everything sorted ASAP for a smooth and stress free start in your new home.
That’s why in this blog post, we’ve outlined everything you should do if you’re moving to private student housing. Read on to find out more.
Check the details
Before you start shopping around for deals and providers for your new house, you’ll need to be 100% clear on each and every detail. For example, when applying for contents insurance, you’ll need to know things like the type of lock your front door has, and to change your energy provider you’ll need to know the one the previous tenants used. It’s likely you aren’t going to know these things off the top of your head, but you’ll need to find out.
The best way to do this is through contacting the property’s landlord or agency. They should have all the information about the house that you’ll need to pass on to the insurance and utilities companies. You can also find out what is and isn’t included in your tenancy and therefore what you need to sort out, through the contract you signed when you agreed on the house.
Get help
If you’ve never set up the bills and other relevant admin that comes with a private house, then you can’t be expected to just know what to do! That’s why it’s important to get help if you need it.
Customer Services
Every supplier, council office and insurance company will have a customer helpline which you can call for information. It’s their job to help and talk through the steps you need to take, so don’t be afraid to ask! It’s much better to get everything set up right than to find out down the line that something, somewhere, has gone amiss.
Housemates
You and your housemates really are all in this together. That means no one person should be left with the job of sorting everything out on their own. If you and your housemates work together, it’ll make the task of getting everything in place much easier and less stressful.
Family and friends
Between you and your housemates, there’s probably a great deal of family and friends you can ask for advice. Everyone was in your position once upon a time, so it’s likely that they’ll understand any confusion you might have and be happy to help you out!
Stay organised
The main thing to remember when you’re moving from uni halls to private housing is to be as organised as possible. By sorting out everything you need to have in place to move into your house in advance, you’ll have the time to shop around for the best deal and prevent the stress that comes with making last minute decisions.
Get acasa
To help get students just like you organised, acasa have created a bill management and splitting app which will help you to find competitive utility deals. Through the acasa app, you can set up and manage all your utilities easily from your mobile device!