HELP:::::Renting for the first time

marshallfc

me and my girl friend are going to start renting a flat however we have no idea of the costs invloved first when we say that we want the flat what would we have to pay upfront , also how much on average does it cost for all the bill including water/gas /elec ????
help please

BitterAndTwisted

If you go through a letting agent expect to be charged for credit-checks and possibly a holding fee where they stop advertising the property (allegedly) while they do them.

Most landlord expect at least a month's rent as a deposit and a month's rent in advance.

Other bills are pretty dependent on where the property is (Council Tax) and how large it is (lighting and heating). Gas and electricity charges can be HUGE if a property isn't well built or well insulated.

My own costs for a two-bed flat are £300 a month in the winter

charlie792

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

If you go through a letting agent expect to be charged for credit-checks and possibly a holding fee where they stop advertising the property (allegedly) while they do them.

Most landlord expect at least a month's rent as a deposit and a month's rent in advance.

Other bills are pretty dependent on where the property is (Council Tax) and how large it is (lighting and heating). Gas and electricity charges can be HUGE if a property isn't well built or well insulated.

My own costs for a two-bed flat are £300 a month in the winter

I assume you don't mean that's just on heating?

marshallfc wrote: »

me and my girl friend are going to start renting a flat however we have no idea of the costs invloved first when we say that we want the flat what would we have to pay upfront , also how much on average does it cost for all the bill including water/gas /elec ????
help please

It really depends on what you are looking for and where you live. Don't forget to include insurance, Tv/Internet costs, TV Licence, Groceries

Water - Prices vary by area + property and if you have a meter or not.

Gas/Electric - Incredibly dependent on usage

Council Tax - Again really depends on type/size of property

If letting through Estate Agent - expect to pay up to around £200 admin fee (which is non refundable), A months rent as deposit, a months rent upfront

You really need to work out what you want first, whether it be a 1 bed or more for example and look at the price differences, for example in my area its only about £25 more for a 2 bed over a 1 bed. Do you want a furnished or unfurnished place? Remember unfurnished will be cheaper but you need to consider how much it will cost to furnish the property - It cost us around £700 but we had things like a dinning table and TV for free.

Just for a really rough idea here is what we spend for a 2 bed flat.

Rent - £400 pcm
Electric - £25 pcm
Gas - £30 pcm
Virgin Bundle - £31 pcm
Groceries - £200 pcm
Council Tax - £752 a year
Water - £450 a year (not metered)
TV License - £145 a year
Insurance - £113 a year

Average= £807 a month

BitterAndTwisted

No, the £300 a month in winter included the increased heating charges and Council Tax