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Before you begin to consider which options are best for you it is a good idea to sit down and consider your present situation, budget etc.
• Do I / we know how much accommodation both on arrival and long term is going to cost - have I / we budgeted for this and how long for?
• Who am I going to be living with, my friends, my family, what are the most sensible options available to us?
• What implications would the various options have on me / us?
• Is there anyone I could stay with when I arrive - if so, how far away do they live from where I work?
• Where am I working, how accessible is it from surrounding residential towns / villages?
- Consider where you want to live - living close to work may be great initially but what about later on - are you going to wish you chose a more central location?
- Where am I working, how much is the housing in the surrounding areas.
- What are the surrounding areas like to live in - is there anyone who can tell you the more or less desirable areas - ask friends & colleagues for their advice / opinions.
- Are there any websites local to the area I'm working that I can look at / register before I arrive?
BritBound says - You don't need to wait until you get here to start your long term accommodation planning - start your research before you leave and you can really reduce your temporary accommodation bill.
Once you have arrived, settled in and are a little more familiar with your new job, surrounding area, transport links etc. then it is time to think about moving to more long term accommodation.
Homestays can sometimes work on a longer term but it all depends how comfortable you are with your room, facilities, cost and of course how you get on with your host. Hostels, Hotels & B&B's are great as a stop gap for when you first arrive but if you are planning on being here more than 6 months then you will probably want one of the following:
- To Share a House / Flat with another Friend / Colleague
- A Room Only in a House / Flat
- To Share a House / Flat with a group of Friends / Colleagues
- To Share a house / Flat found through an advert with someone else or a group who you don't know.
- Your Own House / Flat
- Your Own Studio Flat / Bedsit
BritBound says - There are many different forms of accommodation - it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the various options and which one will be most suitable so you can narrow down what you are looking for.
Sharing a property with someone might be one way to be able to afford the rent, save on bills and have a bit of company. On the other hand, it can be difficult to share, and your housemate's habits might become annoying at times, and so might yours! Make sure you know what sharing involves, come to some firm agreement about money for rent, bills etc. before you move in.
Prices: Totally Depends on Area but can be as little as £80 per week to as much as £160
BritBound says - We think sharing a flat with friends is the way forward but any type of flat share is the most affordable way of living here. If you take a room going in a flat the rent is often inclusive so easy to budget for!
If you are planning on arranging your own private accommodation - either direct with the landlord or by using an agency then you have a lot of research to do. Because the more you can do in advance the less time you will have to spend in a hotel - remember that whilst you are in a hotel it is going to be very costly as you will be using your own currency rather than pounds so the shorter time you stay there the better. On the other hand the last thing you want to do is to rush into somewhere as most contracts are for a minimum of 6 months so again start planning and researching before you arrive.
BritBound says - Your own house or flat needs careful planning & preparation - read the rest of this guide first!
If you are here on your own then the following are probably the best options for you, of course there is also the option of renting your own place so read about our advice on those options too. Sharing a flat / house can offer three main options:
Sharing with the flat / homeowner: you pay 50% of all the bills and rent but you also treat the house / flat as your home rather than as a guest - very important that you get on with the other tenant / landlord!
Sharing a Flat with a group of Friends / Colleagues - meeting up with a group of friends / colleagues is the ideal way to rent a property, if there are 3 or 4 of you then you can rent a whole house and just divide the costs. Before you arrive why not e-mail some of others coming over (BritBound automatically asks if you want your e-mail address viewed on group e-mails) and see what they are doing about a place. If they are planning on renting a property then you may be their missing flat mate. Find out how soon they are hoping to start so you can arrange your temporary accommodation accordingly.
Sharing a house / flat through an advert - i.e. you don't know the others. A very popular option but not as attractive as staying with friends / colleagues. However, again if you are by yourself then this is a good choice provided you make sure you would get on with your flat mates-to-be! Many rooms come available as people move out / return home / go travelling, try and talk to the person who is leaving and find out why and anything else about taking over their place.
BritBound says - We think sharing a flat with friends is the way forward but any type of flat share is the most affordable way of living here. If you take a room going in a flat the rent is often inclusive so easy to budget for!
As a couple it is likely that you will want privacy and therefore having your own place is probably going to be your preferred option. Because of the cost of accommodation here many couples house or flatshare and you will see adverts saying double room ideal for couple. Just ensure that you like the other house member and find out about how the bill sharing will work - you will probably pay a larger portion even though you only have the one room.
You could also consider a studio flat - there are double studios, which basically mean they have a double bed. You will not have any privacy from each other so it is vital you enjoy each other's company!!
Firstly, you need to really think about whether you absolutely have to travel here together - you are making life a lot harder for yourselves so make sure you are all aware of that. Remember that if you have children it is going to take a few weeks to get them into school - who is going to look after them till then?
We would suggest that the family member who has been offered the job comes here first for a few weeks and settles in, learns the ropes at work before the rest of the family arrives. This way they can arrange the accommodation and ensure that schools etc. are being organised.
If you absolutely must travel as a family (please consider all the implications of this carefully) your own place is probably going to be your only option. As we have said before it is not going to be easy so do a lot of research and arrive here armed with knowledge. So that you can reduce the time you have to spend in a hotel (eating up your savings). Start the ball rolling by registering with agencies before you arrive.
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