Best Utility Items To Get On A Student Budget

There are some items that make life a little easier. The student life might be seen by some as a first attempt at living as an independent adult. If so, there’s likely to be a period of adjustment to this new phase of your life and a lot to learn during this period. With that being said, anything that enables you to get from day-to-day as smoothly as possible will surely be a welcome addition to your student house or studio.

Here’s a look at some of those items that can be of assistance without being too much of a burden on the typical student budget.

Student Accommodation with Unihousing

If you are a student in Birmingham considering which student accommodation is right for you, Unihousing’s student studios and houses could be the ideal choice. Superbly located, Unihousing’s range of Birmingham student accommodation is spacious and suitably furnished for modern-day student living. Affordably priced, Unihousing are registered lettings agents that work to meet your requirements on a daily basis.

It’s worth noting that the majority of Unihousing’s student accommodation is furnished with all the student essentials. However, it is still a good idea now to give some thought to which items you know you will want in your place, and sometimes owning your own equipment can be nicer, especially if you can afford these items on a student budget. You can also think of it as future-proofing, as you’ll want all of these items when you move into unfurnished properties in the future.

Microwaves

Super-handy to have In any home, and particularly convenient for students wanting their meals to be ready quickly with minimal effort, microwaves are pretty much a must-have.

Supermarkets: You may be surprised to learn that supermarkets sell microwaves. Places such as Asda sell microwaves and ones that are very reasonably priced, too. Not only are they low in price, but, as they can be bought from a supermarket they should be easy to acquire and take back to your accommodation too.

ASDA George Manual Microwave Price: £39.00.

There’s also Argos. A Simple Value by Argos microwave is likely to cost: £34.99.

Amazon feature microwaves amongst their vast collection of goods, too. Their prices appear to range from £15 to £50. As with many things in life, the price is probably reflective of the quality, but with something like a microwave, which performs such a simple task, perhaps you don’t need to be so fussy with your choice. But do research and/or read reviews for the products where you can to make sure that you are not wasting time and money with your purchase.

Toasters

Toasters are of course very useful, but due to the fact that a grill on an oven does the same job, toasters aren’t completely necessary in the kitchen. Therefore, a toaster is something that you may have to provide. Luckily though, toasters tend to be fairly affordable. Some toasters include features or are of a size that you may not expect or need. You can pick up a good, simple toaster extremely easily on the student budget.

Morphy Richards 220023 Dimensions 2 Slice Toaster; Argos Price: £19.99.

-For slightly more cash and with a kettle as an added bonus, you can buy the more stylish Daewoo Stainless Steel Kettle and Toaster Set; Wilko Price: £26.00.

- Or, for a totally low-cost, totally basic buy from Wilko, you could opt for the Wilko White 2 Slice Toaster; Wilko Price: £6.

If you’re under the impression that with shared accommodation having a four-slice toaster is more appropriate yet imagine the price is too high, then it may shock you to learn about this- a JD Williams Breville VTT476 Impressions 4 Slice Black Toaster; JD Williams Price: £29.99.

Irons and Ironing Boards

While some may see this as superfluous in the context of the student lifestyle, there are surely going to be some occasions where your clothes need to be crease-free. Other techniques for doing this are not really going to give you the same results that a reliable iron will. Also worth mentioning here is it’s wise to ensure that the ironing board is reliable and of a good standard; an ironing board that lacks the sufficient padding on top will wear down faster and can lead to permanent marks being created on your clothes as you iron them.

A quick search online for ironing boards reveals that some are available for pretty low prices. On the other hand, for a little extra, you could payout for a board that could be better.

Here’s an example of a good-quality, higher-cost ironing board: Minky Printed Comfortable Black Ergo Patterned 152cmx38cm Ironing Board; Dunelm Price: £40.

At the other end of the scale though there’s this: Argos Home 118cmx34cm Ironing Board- Turquoise, Price £12. Smaller dimensions for this one perhaps, but the price and simple nature of it might be what you’re seeking.

It’s hard to forget Ikea when it comes to kitting-out student homes. Ikea does their own ironing boards and the price seems to fall somewhere between the two examples above, which may suggest that it’s something of a compromise in how well it works and how much it is, too. Dӓnka Ironing Board 120 X 37cm; Ikea Price: £19.

As for irons…

Why not go for AO? With free delivery on their items, it seems like an attractive prospect when getting things for your place. AO supply a selection of top brands so it could be a good idea to browse through what they have on offer.

A quick glance at their products demonstrates that you can get yourself a nice, cheap iron, such as the Russell Hobbs Light & Easy Brights 24840 2400 Watt Iron- Aqua; AO Price: £16.

Residing in student accommodation within a city should put you fairly close to a Currys. It’s there that you could discover a reasonably priced iron for you.

The Essentials C12IR13 Steam Iron Blue & White; Currys Price: £7.99.

The Tefal Ultraglide FV4043 Steam Iron; Currys Price: £34.98 (50% off).

The Braun TexStyle 3 SI3041 GR Steam Iron; Price: £29.99… these are just some picks from the range of irons to be found at this store.

For more options, you could always try Asda again. Asda George feature some further solutions to the problem of having creases in your clothes and do so at some very low prices. You can also come across something else you may need after using your ironing board for some time- an ironing board cover. One from Asda George should cost a minimum of £5.

Kettles

Another part of everyday life, after all, who doesn’t enjoy a good cuppa? Having a kettle is very handy for your hot drinks, and sometimes your meals. As with the other utility items covered in this blog, kettles vary in price and this can be dependent on quality, and they can be purchased from the kind of stores pointed-out above.

To give you an idea of what to expect here’s a couple of examples:

Tower Kettle Black & Rose Gold; B&M Price: £20.00.

Deik Electric Kettle 1.7L 3000W Light Weight with BPA- Free Auto Shut-Off & Boil-Dry Protection; Amazon Deal Price: £16.99.

Breville Impressions VKJ738 Kettle; AO Price: £27.

Birmingham Students and Unihousing

Aside from the high standards of their student accommodation, the Selly Oak locations of Unihousing’s student homes makes them an ideal choice for the Birmingham student. Positioned amongst both local amenities and nearby nightlife, Unihousing’s Selly Oak student accommodation is also conveniently close to public transport links and can make getting to other places of interest very easy. Choose from a Selly Oak studio or a house to share and enjoy the comfort and convenience of a student property with Unihousing.

Contact Unihousing today and find out what we can do for You!!