looking to rent my first flat questions

mrathb

im 22 and i havent moved out yet because ive always really just had agency work and they have always been short contracts and ive been told by my latest job they have put me in for full time and my contract is in the pipeline and i will get it before xmas so i have been trying to figure out how much everythign wil cost a month if i moved and if i could afford to live in a flat on my own
ive been looking for a flat close to work to cut out my need for buses
i found a small flat 5 mins walk from work
£350 pcm and it is partly furnished

i cant post links to it yet im still a new user

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"Key features:
1 double bedroom
Woodlands
Modern kitchen
Close to transport links
Newly built development

Full description:
1 Bed apartment in Woodlands. Partly furnished with appliances and sofas, 1 Double bedroom, shower room, open plan kitchen and living room.

Lounge (Reception)

Bathroom

Bedroom

Kitchen"

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i know i will have to pay gas, electric, tv licence
what else will i need to pay for?

thanks alot matthew

Fire_Fox

It's worth running an advanced search, this comes up regularly. Living alone is VERY expensive, have you considered a shared flat or shared house? You've forgotten council tax, water, contents insurance, landline and internet, mobile telephone, food, cleaning products. Gas is unusual in flats, they are usually heated with electric which is much more expensive. You also need one months deposit, first months rent up front, agency referencing fees.

Do you have a decent credit rating? Are you registed to vote? http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/credit-rating-credit-score

mrathb

im moving out to be on my own because i just want to have my own independence and not have the hassle of sharing with anyone and having to wait for bathroom or share house duties

with my own place i can set everything up how i want it to be and basicly be me

i wasnt sure if i was the one who had to do council tax or the agency since i was just renting not buying

my bad i through i put water down
didn't know about contents insurance is that much on average
at start im not that fussed over getting a land-line yet i mainly just use my mobile for everything and can use my phone for internet
ill only get a landline and internet when i get everything else sorted
i wouldnt be getting any tv packages like sky i mainly just have freeview and my pc
i knew about food and cleaning products.
i wouldnt really near money for appliances because ill try get the main ones before i move
i dont have much to take with me just my bedroom contents so would still be cheap on a removal van

is it cheaper to be with gas and electric or just get some sort of fixed eletric rate and have everything on electric since gas is also expensive with BG keep raising there prices

is there a website that tells you how much council tax

im going to the agency to find out about there fees and the bond

im going to try an advanced search

Fire_Fox

Plenty of shared flats/ houses you can get an en suite room so no waiting for the bathroom, many shared houses there is no formal division of duties, not sure why you have these prejudices. You don't have to stay in shared accommodation more than six months to a year, but it really helps you gently get used to all the bills you have to pay. If you move alone wait until winter is over, the heating bills will kill you otherwise because you won't have built up a credit on your account over the warmer months.

Gas is expensive but electric is far more expensive, but as I said relatively few flats have gas because it is expensive to install for the developer and dangerous if even one leaseholder in the block does not service their boiler and appliances. You will likely only find gas in older flats which are often worse insulated. Don't know what you mean by fixed rate electric, you pay for what you use so your outgoings will depend how warm you like to be and how well insulated the flat is.

Local council website tells you the council tax bands! You will need to pay this in a flat, it is in the name of the resident. You may not have to pay this if you lived in a bedsit in a House of Multiple Occupancy. Tenants often cannot get Sky anyway, you can't just install a dish on someone else's building.

Your TV license will be double the first six months if you pay by direct debit - to do with paying partly in advance and partly in arrears of the start date of the license.

mrathb

i wouldn't actually be moving in till after Xmas

i did an advanced search and a few say about using lpg bottles to fuel those small fires and only use in rooms your in since they are cheaper if only used when needed

this is basicly a fact finding post for when i am able to move in
so there isn't going to be as many nasty surprises when i do move in

i through you could get like fixed rate electric because i hear that term alot off tv and stuff
ill keep doing advanced searches and see what advise others have recieved

i only said about not getting a tv package to show i am only going after essentials needs at moment

19lottie82

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Gas is unusual in flats, they are usually heated with electric which is much more expensive.

Not in my experience...... Of all the flats where I've lived / stayed / noticed the heating systems, I'd say most have had gas central heating.

But..... FF is right about living alone being expensive.

Gas / Electric £60 a month over the year (guess)
Water £25 a month (guess?)
Council Tax £100 a month @ a guess for a 1 bed
Contents £6 a month should do it
TV license £12 a month


So this + £350 rent = £553 a month before you've spent anything on a mobile, clothes, food, household items, entertainment, debt repayments, travel and so on......

Lots of people find it a lot more expensive than anticipated! How much is your take home wage a week / month?

Oh and as FF has said, you will need a good credit history if you want to rent + fees / deposit / a months rent up front to move in

Fire_Fox

19lottie82 wrote: »

Not in my experience...... Of all the flats where I've lived / stayed / noticed the heating systems, I'd say most have had gas central heating.

But..... FF is right about living alone being expensive.

Interesting: thinking of everyone I know who lives/ lived in flats in recent years most are electric. The majority of the blocks in my city centre are all electric, tho these are conversions (offices, mills) or new builds not houses. My best mate has gas in a tiny block of perhaps eight flats. AFAIK most of the new student accommodation is all electric not just the private ownership. I would guess the older social housing blocks have gas, but of course most are not available to let. The property boom is really changing the face of apartment accommodation.

19lottie82

I suppose it is all down to the type of flats in your area..... Where I live (Glasgow), there is a real mix of properties, old and new, but again, most of them seem to have GCH.

My flat was built in 1990 and has gas, the place I lived in before was 1997 (I think) and had it also. All the older flats seem to have it too. Most of the very modern flats have been in (10 years or less) have had Gas but My friend lived in a horrid mass built modern block, and it had electric, as do the high rises, but Gas is definitely more common.

HB58

mrathb - I think that the 'fixed rate' fuel you were talking about refers to the prices being at a set rate per therm for a certain period of time. It doesn't mean that you can use as much as you like for a set price.

mrathb

when i get my contract i will be on about £1,300 after tax and a few months after my houses will go up and then ill be on about will be on about £1,700 after tax and not including any bonuses

the flat i have seen has recently been built

it has a oven and a hob but cant tell if its gas or electric and it doesnt say ill ask estate agents tomorrow when i go to find out the fees and stuff

Andrew_Cottrell

mrathb wrote: »

im moving out to be on my own because i just want to have my own independence and not have the hassle of sharing with anyone and having to wait for bathroom or share house duties

I've been flat sharing for many years. It's not so bad if there are only two or three people. I've never felt that I've lost my independence. My flatmates and I have always been able to schedule our showers/baths without needing to wait for each other. Sharing house duties simply means you'd have less of them!

Over the years, sharing has allowed me to save far more than I would have been able to otherwise. And now I'm buying a house, which I would not have been able to do without these savings.