Choosing the Right Accommodation

The majority of students today will spend their first year in a community based student accommodation known as ‘student halls’. This type of shared living does not suit every student however and come the second-year, students will have the opportunity to branch out as a group or independently. The vital decisions that are made in this moment can shape the rest of your university experience, therefore, we are here to shed some light on the variety of student accommodation that is available in Birmingham and its surrounding area.

Independent Living

If you’ve spent your first year in student halls and have decided that they are not for you, maybe it’s time to consider an independent living environment. This is ideal for students who enjoy time to themselves. Student studios and apartments offer a perfect get away from the busy life as a student. Both studios and apartment have their pros and cons so it’s important to know what you’re looking for.

Price

Studios – the cost of a studio can vary greatly depending on the supplier, but the average for a studio in the Selly Oak area next to the University of Birmingham can be between £100 - £150 a week. This price is affordable to students, but by doing your research, there’s always a chance you can find a good quality studio for a lower price.

Apartments – the cost of a student apartment is very similar to the cost of a studio, so in this instance, there is not a great difference. Both are affordable for students in Birmingham.

Layout

Studios – a studio often consists of one large room that contains your bed, a kitchen and a lounge/study area. It is said that a studio is suited to a person who lives a busy life, as everything you need is in one space allowing you to easily move between tasks. While you may have enough space to have your friends around, some of your friends may have to perch on the end of your bed, which could be invasive to your privacy.

Apartments – the layout of an apartment can provide a great environment to relax and relieve stress after a long day at university. However, apartments differ from studios here due to their layout, an apartment has 2 or 3 rooms, one large main living room for relaxing and study, a second kitchen room and finally a bedroom. This can offer a more relaxed style of living, and means that you can have friends visit without impacting your privacy.

Size

The size of both a studio and an apartment are solely dependent on the size of the property and can vary. As should be expected, the price of a studio or apartment will increase with it’s size.

Storage

Studios – storage in all property types will not vary much, however you could argue due to a studio being one large room that it will not contain as much storage as you may need.

Apartments – an apartment can offer a more ideal storage solution. Having a number of rooms offers the opportunity to add multiple storage options of your own, without your accommodation looking like a storage facility.

Shared Accommodation

For those who have enjoyed their time in student halls, shared accommodation would be a great way to live during your time at university. Shared accommodation such as housing has its own advantages and disadvantages for student life, but with communication between everyone, most of the disadvantages can be worked through.  

Price

The price for a shared house in Birmingham averages around £60 – £90 a week per person. This price gets you your own room, with shared bathrooms, a lounge and kitchen. This is often a lot more affordable for students than an independent living solution, however you are sharing the space with other people.

Floor Plan

In shared accommodation, the layout tends to vary a lot more. A student house can hold anywhere from 2 bedrooms to 12 and above. Alongside this, there will be a number of bathrooms, usually 1 to every two/three rooms. On the bottom floor you will have a large kitchen complete with appliances such as a washing machine, cooker and fridge/freezer. You will often find that the layout of the student house will differ street to street. The best way to find a property that suits you is to book several viewings.

Size

Houses tend to have a lot of variety in the size of its rooms. You are likely to get a larger kitchen and lounging area than those found in independent accommodation, but this is to be shared between everyone at the property. Most properties have bedrooms with a double bed and storage, alongside a small desk or study area. The bedroom in shared accommodation is your private space away from your housemates, so make sure you find a house with a bedroom that suits you.

Storage

The amount of storage you have available in a property will often depend on the size of the property that you are looking at. However, almost all properties will give you a wardrobe for your clothes and a desk with drawers in your room, with some properties giving you additional drawers or shelving space. There will likely be room to add a further small storage unit if you require it. The true test of storage in shared accommodation comes in the kitchen, as everyone will be trying to find room for their pots and pans. It may be worthwhile for everyone to agree on sharing utensils, or to buy a shared pack of cooking utensils for the entire house to use. 

What’s Right for You?

This isn’t something that we can tell you. Where you decide to live in your second and third year at university is up to you and your preferences. Each form of student accommodation has advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered. It is important that you pick your accommodation based on what suits you and your requirements. Living in a space that doesn’t agree with you can lead to you not enjoying your university experience, or causing issues with your studying.

Unihousing offers all types of student accommodation in Selly Oak and other surrounding areas of Birmingham. Both student studios and shared housing are on the market for the new academic year in 2018. We could have your ideal student accommodation, head to our site and book a viewing so you can find your ideal student accommodation.

Student Studio Living: Some Things To Be Aware Of

  

As you embark on this new phase of your academic life, you may be feeling rather excited about what is coming your way. It is a period of change that will present unfamiliar challenges as well as fresh opportunities to learn and experience new things, and while your head may be filled with a great number of things to think about and plan for, getting your student accommodation in place is a crucial aspect of the stages leading up to you starting the coming academic year. 

In Birmingham, accommodation for students can be found through the Selly Oak-based registered lettings agents Unihousing. Their studios are ideal for Birmingham students as not only do they give high living standards, but they usually sit within an easy walking distance from the University of Birmingham. So securing accommodation with Unihousing by opting for one of their studios is well-worth giving a thought to.

On the subject of student living, it is also worth giving a thought to some of the things that you should be aware of, as various issues could potentially arise during your time as a tenant, and being prepared for these things is a good way to help you overcome them. And of course, without looking ahead to what you could encounter, you may find it more difficult to get the absolute best out of your overall experience as a student tenant.

Money

Perhaps not a surprising topic to bring up, money could be an issue for you as a student. As we all know student life and a comfortable financial situation are not always that closely linked. With this in mind then it may be wise to start planning how to deal with your finances for the coming year. You may even want to begin setting out a budget that covers all of your living expenses, such as food, rent, travel and all the other costs for all of the essential and not-so essential outgoings that are part of getting through your weeks.    

Neighbours

When it comes to your neighbours, it may be a good idea to make, where possible, a positive impression on them and probably, more importantly, to consider the levels of noise coming from within your digs. This is important as no one wants to be kept up at night or be caused unnecessary problems simply because someone failed to be careful about the volume emanating from their studio.

Home Hygiene

Although it may be the first time that you have lived away from home, there is no real alternative to being thorough and consistent in regards to maintaining the overall hygiene of your student home. Even if you have been living away from home for some time, it might be worth seeing if you can make any improvements. Keeping your place clean creates a clear path to a home that enables sanitary, healthy living, and making sure rubbish is dealt with correctly will help your keep pests away. Being aware of cleanliness in your student home and acting accordingly will help make your living experience much more pleasant.

Getting Out

It can be easy to become isolated when you are living on your own, so it is advisable to socialise when you can and make time to see places other than the inside of your student accommodation. In order to give yourself options and to get the most out of the occasions when you leave your studio, it is recommended that you learn about what the local area offers as well as any other areas that are nearby. Selly Oak, for example, boasts a number of pubs and restaurants that are able to give you a brilliant night out, and via a short journey by car or public transport, you can get to other local towns like Kings Heath or Moseley, or even the constantly stimulating Birmingham City Centre.

Health

When you are in charge of what you do and what you eat on regular basis, it is not difficult to be a little complacent and neglect such vital things as maintaining your health. However, it isn’t too difficult to make sure that you stay healthy. All that is required in basic terms are a balanced diet and plenty of exercises. Take steps to find more information on these matters and act accordingly, and enjoy a more rewarding university experience.    

Maintenance

You may find that there are problems with your studio from time to time. Through no fault of your own, you may discover that certain aspects of your accommodation will require special attention to alleviate these problems. In these instances, contacting your landlord is the route to take. Tackling any issues promptly leads to quicker results for you and an all-around better property as a consequence. Unihousing has its own team of qualified tradesmen, which means that the effective maintenance of their properties is always achievable.

Going From Here

There is no doubt that a lot of thought and planning will need to go into starting at university, while some consideration will still be required even if you are simply continuing at University. Whatever your situation, this blog will hopefully help make you aware of various elements of the whole student living experience that you should give your attention to. Bear these things in mind, find the right accommodation for you with Selly Oak-based Unihousing, and prepare for what should be a great year ahead. Check out our website and contact our team today!

Student Lets in Selly Oak

Unihousing are registered landlords in Selly Oak that specialise in high-standard accommodation ideal for student living. Now is a great time to start looking at the range of accommodation they have on offer. Whether you are interested in studios or houses to let in Selly Oak, Unihousing have a range of properties available that are perfect for you as you make your way through your university experience.

 Discover Houses and Studios 

Starting your search with Unihousing could very well begin with 191 Dawlish Road. This impressive property includes five bedrooms, so it’s able to accommodate a group of you and four friends. Helping to ensure you stay warm, it is double glazed and has central heating. With laminate flooring throughout, 191 Dawlish Road also has a shower room and a fitted kitchen with appliances. As an added bonus, this property has double bedrooms, one .

Alternatively, take a look at Harrow Road. This is an attractive 6 bedroom house. It features a well-sized fitted kitchen that includes appliances and its bedrooms are also amply sized. To make your nights in a little more fun, it has a spacious lounge equipped with a flat screen TV.

As for Selly Oak studios, maybe start by considering Dawlish Road Apartment 1. This studio has been fully furnished with all of the essentials for your life as a student. It incorporates a fitted shower room, an open plan living/dining area and a contemporary fitted kitchen with appliances.

 There is also Grange Road Apartment 3. Available from July of this year, this studio is newly refurbished and boasts a refined kitchen and shower room as well as a double bedroom. It is reasonably priced at around £650 per calendar month

If this studio, with its comfortable features, doesn’t appeal to you, then maybe North Road will. Fully furnished and laminated throughout, North Road incorporates an impressive shower room, a contemporary fitted kitchen and well-sized living area, perfect for your leisure time.    

Location

The great thing about choosing Unihousing is the location of their student accommodation. The location of these houses and studios means that you will have convenient access to the Selly Oak train station and the University of Birmingham. As a result of this your journey into Birmingham town centre is quick and easy. Being located close to Birmingham university has the added bonus of late mornings which is something all students love. Not only that, but these properties allow you to conveniently make it to Selly Oak’s amenities for all your essentials as well as its various pubs and restaurants.   

What Next?

Whatever it is that suits you best, you are sure to find it with Unihousing’s choice of Selly Oak property. From well-equipped, high-standard houses that will be perfect for sharing with a group of friends, to the kind of studios that allow for comfortable living in the peace and quiet of your own company, Unihousing are the letting agents to consider for Selly Oak studios and Selly Oak houses to let.