Due to high demand, there is a lot of competition for rental properties at the moment and finding the right property at the right price can be a challenge. In this guide, we will take a look at some great hints and tips to make finding your ideal new home, hopefully, a lot easier for you.
Research areas
The first thing to do, before you even start looking for a new home is to research the area(s) you are looking at renting in. Take a look at property websites to see what is available, look at the local criminal statistics and take a drive around to see what facilities and amenities there are. Also check to see what the local rental market prices for various property types are so you can check your affordability.
Make a list
As cliched as it sounds, making a list of the must haves and the nice to haves is a good start. You can include aspects around the property itself and your area requirements too. This will help you enormously during your search. Consider things like how you will get to work or university and how long that will take. Are you wanting to cycle? Take the bus? Use the train? What transport links do you need? What amenities do you need in your local area and what would be good to have? What about the property itself? What kind of space do you need? The point of this list is to focus your search so that when you find the right property for you, you can act fast to secure it.
Sharing?
If you will be renting with housemates or a partner make sure that you have taken into account their needs too. There might well be some collaboration needed to make sure that you all get what you must have in your new place.
Try to be flexible
Although you have your list of must haves and nice to haves, it always makes sense to be flexible. There is little point losing a suitable property just because it only has 2 toilets and you absolutely had to have three. Be aware of what you will be happy to compromise on. Prioritise, again this level of understanding of your own criteria will enable you to act fast and the speed at which rental properties are being snapped up, you might need to be quick.
Only apply for property matches
Save yourself some time and only apply for properties where there is a match. For example if the property is advertised as a long term let and you only want 6 months, this isn’t a good match. Save yourself some time and move on to the next one in your search.
Understand your budget
Don’t just look at how much rent you will need to pay for a property, also try to understand the general running costs around council tax, gas, electricity and water rates. You might get somewhere which looks affordable from a rental cost point of view but when you add in the bills and cost of living, it could push it beyond your budget.
Be prepared
Have all your documents ready, be ready to prove you can afford the rent and the bills and also be really communicative with the landlord or agent during the process. The better a rapport you can build with them and the more you can show that you will respect and look after their investment, the better chance you have of securing the property.
This is perhaps the best bit of advice we can give. Know what you want, know what you can afford, know what you’ll be prepared to compromise on, do your research and show the landlord you are a good tenant. All of this will make the chances of securing a rental property a lot more likely.
