TIPS FOR FINDING THE PERFECT RENTAL HOME

Renting a property may only be temporary, so it’s easy to move on if you’re not happy with it, but it’s cheaper and it saves you and the landlord time if you get it right first time. Our lettings expert Faye Owens shared some tips that will make life easier for renters when it comes to looking for their new home:

• WHAT CAN YOU AFFORD?
  Make sure when starting your viewings that you know how much you can spend per calendar month. Also ask yourself whether you have the deposit required (usually 4-6 weeks rent). Once you know this and are confident with your limit, it makes your search much easier as you can then focus on getting your living requirements right.
• WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
  Think about what’s important to you. House or apartment? Furnished or unfurnished? Garden or Balcony? Parking or public transport? Bath or shower? Bills included? Pets allowed? Make a list of what you’re looking for and if you see a property you like, ask about these things before you make a viewing. And make sure you’re being realistic to your budget!
• BE FIRST TO VIEW...
  The competition for good rental properties is high, so anything decent will get snapped up quickly. Make sure you’re one of the first to view by regularly checking available properties and make sure you’re signed up to receive property alerts matched to your criteria.
• TAKE SOMEONE TO THE VIEWING...
  Even if you’ll be living alone, it’s worth taking a friend with you to the viewing so you can get a second opinion and they may notice some issues that you don’t!
• CHECK THE DETAILS...
  You may fall in love with the huge open plan area, but it’s important not to forget about the less noticeable details – simple things like checking the taps to see if the water flow is fast enough or asking whether the broadband connection is fast enough. Think about what’s important to you before you go!
• DOUBLE CHECK WHAT’S INCLUDED...
  Make sure you know everything that is included as part of the tenancy, so you don’t get any surprise costs that you hadn’t budgeted for. Are bills included? What furniture or white goods are included? Who looks after the garden? Is parking free or do you need to pay for permits?
• WHAT’S IN THE LOCAL AREA?
  We’re happy to help give information on what’s in the local area, but it’s always good to do your own research, as your tastes may vary to ours. It’s also good take a walk around the area before or after you’ve done a viewing to give you a full picture of your potential new home and find out who’s living in the area.

To make it even easier for you, you can download our rental viewing checklist.

We have plenty of rental properties currently available. You can search them all here.