cost of living

petabear

Morning everyone

Hoping someone can help me out with this, at the moment I live in spain and I'm planning on moving back to the uk (suffolk) as soon as I find a job. My partner is in the RAF and hes based in suffolk so ideally we'd like to find a flat to rent near to his base.

Could anyone tell me how renting works in the UK as I left when I was 12 so i don't really have clue, and my partner is a little bit useless with these things.

Is council tax usually included in the rent? What about gas/water/electric? if not more or less how much would the gas/water/electric bills be on a 2 bedroom flat (i know everyone is different but i'd just like a rough estimate to try and budget everything) Do you have to pay a deposit when renting and if so how much is it usually?

I have so many more questions but thats all I can think of at the moment. Thank you for your help!!!!
Have a lovely day

x.x.x.

Hi,

In my experience, it usually only covers rent; some places may include water or councl tax, but I'm guessing this may be in the bigger cities etc (I'm in a small lincolnshire town). Running costs can depend if you have gas and elec, or just elec. In my last place (a 2 bed flat) it was all elec, with storage heaters (nightmare!) and was paying £60ish a month, and water rates were something like £37. In my current place (a small 2 bed house), I have both gas an elec, and pay about £45 a month. (altho i pay monthly, and so in summer when no heating goes on, i only pay around £25-£30). Deposit is usually 4-6 weeks worth of rent. If going through an estate agent, there can be credit checking fees etc, ours are around £30ish person person, and around £80 for the tennancy agreement.
Hope that helps slightly, not had too much experience, as I'm only in my second home (although have to be out by end of next month, so currently hunting around myself!)

Good luck!

tellmeitsfriday

Hi

I have rented a few flats in my time...

Usually, the rent was just rent, so there were all the normal bills of top, although in one flat, the rent did include water rates.

Deposits are 4-8 weeks rent, plus a month's rent in advance, then you pay rent monthly in advance. If you go through an estate/letting agent there will be a fee as well - about £200 for credit checks and such like.

Estimates of bills:

Water - £30-50 per month (i live in SW and ours is expensive, if you're lucky, it'll be much cheaper )
Electricity - £20-40
Gas - £20-40
Don't forget council tax! Usually £100+ a month.
Then there's lovely TV license (£12.50 p/m)
Contents insurance
Phone, broadband

Always better to over estimate - then if there's a bit spare then lovely

jetta_wales

Have a look at property web sites to get an idea of the kind of rental prices in the area you're thinking of moving to. Also remember car insurance is another cost which is getting ridiculously expensive over here.

Are you married or intending to marry? Married quarters on base would likely be a fair bit cheaper than private renting.

I think compared to there it might be quite a shock to the system.

petabear

the flats we've been looking at cost around 500 a month so its not too bad, and here renting is terrible, prices have shot up with everything.For the same type of flats you have to pay at least 900 a month, i pay 600 a year car insurance and food is much more expensive here so i'm not too worried about money in that way. We arent planning to get married yet so at the moment private renting is our only option. Thank you all for your help I really appreciate it.

jess1974

Suffolk is a lovely county but stay away from the Ipswich area, i'm on the Norfolk/Suffolk border xx

abby1234519

petabear wrote: »

the flats we've been looking at cost around 500 a month so its not too bad, and here renting is terrible, prices have shot up with everything.For the same type of flats you have to pay at least 900 a month, i pay 600 a year car insurance and food is much more expensive here so i'm not too worried about money in that way. We arent planning to get married yet so at the moment private renting is our only option. Thank you all for your help I really appreciate it.

I'm a Suffolkonian, I just don't live there at the moment! I can't wait till the day I get to go back.

Its very nice and sunny sometimes, sometimes its miserable.

Is it near to Wattisham you are moving? If it is I think thats where our Prince Harry is stationed!

Best place in Suffolk in my opinion is Bury St Edmunds.

Rent can be high in some places and lower in others, its a matter of whether you choose a pretty market town, or somewhere like Stowmarket where the rent can be £100 per month less than a similar property in Bury

petabear

i'm moving to Bury St Edmunds! Thats where my partners based we've been looking at places in Bury and Thetford

petabear

hi everyone,

here is how i've budgeted it on monthly outgoings could anyone tell me if this is more or less good estimate? I have over estimated on some things.

car insurance 150
Rent 600
Water 50
Electric 40
Gas 40
Council Tax 120
TV Licence 12.50
2 mobile phones 80
food shopping 200
phone and internet 20

TOTAL 1312.50

I havent included road tax or house insurance does anyone know a rough estimate on these? I know i'm being a pain but im a planner and I like to know I have everything planned out and thought about before i do anything.

Thanks for your help!

Tropez

For car tax see here - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/index.htm - it depends on the vehicle and emissions.

charlie792

petabear wrote: »

hi everyone,

here is how i've budgeted it on monthly outgoings could anyone tell me if this is more or less good estimate? I have over estimated on some things.

car insurance 150
Rent 600
Water 50
Electric 40
Gas 40
Council Tax 120
TV Licence 12.50
2 mobile phones 80
food shopping 200
phone and internet 20

TOTAL 1312.50

I havent included road tax or house insurance does anyone know a rough estimate on these? I know i'm being a pain but im a planner and I like to know I have everything planned out and thought about before i do anything.

Thanks for your help!

I think its going to depend on your area but my 2 bed flat is as follows
(ive taken off the cost of rent and car insurance, mobile phones etc because theses arnt comparable)

Water - £48
Electric - £20
Gas - £30
Council Tax - £51
TV License - £12.50
Food shopping (for 2) - £160
TV/Phone/Internet - £33 (cheapest virgin package)

= £354.50

Road tax depends entirely on your car but my partners is £130 for the year but other cars are a lot more....
In regards to household insurance - if your renting your best bet may be tenant insurance, I think ours was £113 for the year