Let the house-hunting commence!

It's almost December so everyone has settled nicely in to their students homes, it is getting cold and, with winter ahead and endless assignment deadlines stacking up, next year at uni seems far - and a lot of essay writing - away! With students almost a third of a way through their course, think how quickly it has gone so far. Next year at uni will be here before you know it. Of course, we all need a roof over our heads so the important thing to ask is where will you be living? Thinking about these things NOW saves a lot of hassle down the line when there is only limited availability.

Firstly, you need to find an actual building to call home. You might want to stay in the halls you currently live in and make a whole bunch of new friends next year. But a lot of people will be looking for a flat or house share - either with friends or strangers - as a friendlier, more independent and more personal place. Picking the right home, area to live in and housemates to live with will make a huge difference to how much you enjoy next year. 

If you don't want to live in halls, start thinking about whether you want to be in a flat or house, do you want to remain close to the uni or take advantage of cheaper rents further out (more on this later on!) and how many people will you be living with? Speak to your friends/flatmates now and see who is interested in house-hunting with you. Be careful who you decide to live with though, as housemates from hell are a sure-fire way to you not enjoying your time at university. Again, more on this later on in the post.

Be sure to check out any Housing or Accommodation Fairs being held at your university as these can be a great resource. But Accommodation for Students is an invaluable website to use. Not only is it free to use, but the site will help you find the type of accommodation you want, in your city and at your budget. As one of the biggest - and certainly the best - student accommodation resources available to you, it's a no brainer! By clicking here, you can even use the site to find housemates to join you, either before your search or after you have found somewhere. And check out the guides here which are written for students, by students - people who know exactly what you are going through.

But where?

Every city in the UK has student-haunts where thousands of us take up residence each year. But these are not always the most enjoyable or best value for money areas you can find. Once again, Accommodation for Students comes to the rescue. As the UK's No. 1 Student Accommodation website, they have used their vast network of students to create Student reviews for each city. Just click on your city and you will see how each area is rated for going out, shops, transport, community, facilities and overall satisfaction. Scroll down and you will see an average rent rate for each area letting you know whether it's value for money. Use this information to decide the best area for you!

Picking housemates to live with is never easy. We all have pet-hates and its only natural to get slightly annoyed at times, even with friends. If there have been times when a current housemate has really got on your nerves though, it's probably a sign to look for a different flat buddy next year. Also you may have made lots of great friends who you enjoy spending time with over a pint or glass of wine, but this doesn't automatically make them the ideal housemate.

My best advice is to take the plunge and use your initiative to start the whole process. It makes YOU the person choosing where you want to live and who you want to live with. Speak with a couple of mates you particularly get on with, then you guys can find the perfect pad - and recruit a few more tenants if needed. Also, you need to be realistic. Do you ever leave washing up overnight, play your music a little too loudly or return nosily after a few too many drinks. Think about how other people doing the same to you makes you feel. You need a balance of housemates to make it work. Although you might want to live with all the lads, but this can mean the place deteriorates into a dump with unwashed dishes and rubbish piling up. You might love your girlies but all-female houses can become bitchy if you aren't careful - and bathroom wars in the morning are always a risk. So consider your options when it comes to the type of people you live with. Be firm from the start about cleaning/washing up and everyone playing their part, ask people what time they like to go to bed, can they or do they like to cook, do they smoke, if they listen to music and can they afford rent. 

This information will help you find the perfect housemates! Look for people who like to cook and are happy to do their share of cleaning from the get go.... a well-fed, clean household is always a good start!

Can you say no to living with someone?

Of course you can! Remember, if you are friendly, polite and explain yourself then the other person can't be unreasonable about your decision. If you really want to avoid confrontation, follow my advice and use your initiative to seek out potentially great housemates first, giving you the power to decide where and who to live with. But if you do have to say no, then don't be personal - especially if it's someone who get on with but just don't want to live with. They may be loud, rude, untidy or just lazy - but a great mate on a night out - so being too hard won't help. Being upfront early on is your best bet, whatever the problem might be. Calmly explain there are no more rooms in the property, you are avoiding the temptation of going out too much with the bigger workload next year, you want to live with tidier people but that doesn't mean you want to lose the friendship you have. Any decent friend will understand - and who knows, it might be the kick up the butt they need to change their ways.

Paying those bills!

If you have been living in halls then you won't have had to worry about those pesky bills. But a house or flat share is a whole different ball game - students are exempt from council tax, but there is gas, electricity, water, insurance, TV license and rent to be worrying about. Try and find a property which has some, or all, bills included. Choosing the right people to live is important to avoid

But fear not, there is an easy solution! Glide is an AMAZING company which makes bills simple - and stress free - for any student household. If everyone in your home signs up, Glide will quote you a one-off, monthly cost (per person) to take care of ALL your bills. Each individual is only responsible for their share of the cost, taking away the need to be anxious about housemates paying up and on time. You have access to an online metre for the energy used, so if you use less energy than you have paid for, you receive a refund for this amount at the end of the year. Bonus! It's not a question of why not use them, it's more why the hell would you not?!

Happy house-hunting everyone!

What Manchester is all about!

Manchester is all about four things; Food & drink (as you will have seen from the blog so far), Music, Sport and Shopping!

 

Sport is a huge part of Mancunian life with the bitter rivalry between two of England’s great clubs, United & City. A tour of both the Trafford and Etihad stadium is well worth a visit for any footy fan. As, of course, is the National Football Museum which is open 7 days a week and home to the World’s greatest football collection with over 140,000 items to see. Hosting the 2002 Commonwealth Games left a lasting sporting legacy in the city as well as fantastic venues like the City of Manchester Stadium, the Manchester Velodrome, the National Squash Centre and the Manchester Aquatics Centre. Rugby League is extremely popular in the North West so it’s worth checking out a game if you can, as well as a match at the 155 year-old Old Trafford cricket ground, one of the most famous in the world!

For a city which gave us the likes of Oasis, The Chemical Brothers, The Smiths, Happy Mondays and Simply Red, music is a big deal here. You will find live music played regularly in hundreds of bars & pubs across the city. For big names in the music industry, a must-stop is the Phones4U Arena (or the Manchester Arena) - one of the busiest music venues in the world. The Royal Northern College of Music is found here too so there is endless talent – international, national and local – being played!

Of course, shopping is a huge draw for anybody coming to Manchester. There are two massive shopping malls, the Arndale and Trafford Centre. The two massive complexes contain hundreds of shops including the big names. Trafford Centre is the 2nd biggest shopping centre in the UK boasting Europe’s biggest food court and the UK’s busiest cinema. The Arndale is the 6^th biggest shopping centre in the UK but the most visited with 41 million visitors each year. Be sure to check out Exchange Square, King Street and the Northern Quarter for more boutique style shops – in Manchester, you really are spoilt for choice!

Hidden gems in Manchester

If you want something a little off the beaten track, a must see is the stunning John Ryland’s Library. Regarded as one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, it doesn’t disappoint. It’s Gothic style architecture – inside and out – transforms you to a different world. There are great exhibitions to see alongside medieval illuminated manuscripts dating to the 1400’s. It may not be the obvious destination in the city, but it is certainly the most impressive – an amazing place to learn, visit and study in!

Millions of people head to the Trafford Centre each year but don’t realise Chill Factore is literally just round the corner. You can ski and snowboard on the UK’s longest indoor slope. You can skydive indoors next door at Airkix – something a little different. But if chilling is what you’re after, check out Heaton Park – there is an historic hall, a farm and animal centre, a boating lake and tram museum to. And on those rare sunny days, check out St. Johns gardens – just off Lower Byrom St, this little known green oasis is right in the heart of the city to be enjoyed! Take a picnic!

Wherever you are in the city, you will see the rolling hills of the Pennines on the horizon. Never forget that the Peak District is literally on your door step – a short car or train journey – will take you to some of the most beautiful, idyllic countryside the UK has to offer!

Eating out in Manchester!

If you can’t be bothered to venture far off campus, there are great canteens and cafes across Man Met Uni selling a selection of sandwiches, snacks & hot meals at rock bottom prices. The coffee is good too, and mega cheap at just £1.45 for a large latte, but get very busy at times. To avoid crowds, go to the Couch Potato food-truck outside All Saints Park; the usual greasy stuff but you can grab a hot dog with onions for a just quid!

Elsewhere, Manchester offers a dizzying array of nice (but cheap) places to eat! I mentioned the booze on offer earlier but the 5 Black Dog Ballroom venues dotted around Mancs serve tasty grub too. Pick up one of their ‘cards’ absolutely free over the counter and you’ll get 25% off all food – bargain! Revolution is found around the corner; make the most of their B.O.G.O.F offer on all food on Mondays. Along Oxford Road, you find the big fast food chains which are not to be sniffed at as they open 24/7 and are lifelines at the end of a night out. There are some gems to be found too like Kro Bar priding itself as a ‘Danish village pub’ promising good food, beer & a warm welcome. Red Chilli offers amazing, authentic Chinese food (as cheap or as expensive as you like) in a beautiful setting - definitely recommended! Gorilla is a fave student haunt found under the railway tracks. The place has the feel of a 1950’s space lab but has cheap, tasty food and great live music. Travel down Oxford Road (or jump on one of the countless buses running along it) and you reach the famous Curry Mile. The name comes from the sheer number of Asian & Middle eastern restaurants, takeaways and kebab shops found on it. It is the largest concentration of South Asian restaurants outside the Indian subcontinent with over 70 establishments in a half mile stretch! Tonnes of choice and friendly on the bank balance.

If you want something a bit different? Almost Famous burgers almost burnt down this summer but whilst it’s being rebuilt you can find their burgers being served at Luck Lust Liquor & Burn, next door to the original premises. Once it reopens, expect the burgers to be brought out on a Frisbee, coke served in a jar, amazing bacon bacon fries and some crazy décor. Dogs n Dough is a basement bar slash restaurant serving a variety of gourmet hot dogs and pizza. The ‘No Way Jose’ dog comes with guac, salsa, Doritos and sour cream. On Sundays, you even get free fries! If you’re after Asian grub, Hunters BBQ is a late-night café specialising in game curries. It’s grubby chic at its best with mismatched crockery, cheap cutlery and a slightly tatty interior – it adds to the charm as you tuck into pheasant, rabbit, venison or even quail! Croma pizza provides a nice meal without breaking the bank; affordable pizza in a stylish setting. The quaint Richmond Tea rooms is a pretty, traditionally decorated venue where you can sip tea & coffee or eat amazing cakes & sandwiches in style.

If you like soup – perfect on a cold, wet Mancunian day – you have some great choices. SHLURP! Soup Bar and The Soup Kitchen pride themselves on fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients delivered which are prepared, cooked and sold on that day. Both offer great lunchtime food at cheap prices.  Talking of soup, you find the best freshly baked bread (& meals) at Bakerie in the Northern Quarter. Whether stew & bread, sandwiches, bread baskets, toast or even just fresh bread is your ‘thang’ this place is for you! Located nearby, their sister restaurant Pie & Ale, has fresh pies on offer alongside some fine ales.

Finally, if you’re having one of those days and can’t decide what you fancy, head to The Printworks and there will be something for you. You will find Prezzo (pizza & pasta), Harvester (a carvery), Nandos (peri peri chicken), Hard Rock Café (American), Bierkeller (German), Wagamama (Japanese), Chiquito (Mexican), Papa G’s (Mediterranean) and Café Rouge (French). Although chains can be generic places to eat, look up discount vouchers online to make the most of your pennies.