How to find housemates for your second year of uni
05 August 2022 • 4 min read
If you're a first year student looking for next year's housing we're here to help you along the way!
You are not alone 🙋🏻♂️
You may be worrying that other people around you have already found and sorted out their living situations for next year. But more often than not, there are many more people in the same boat as you - still searching.
Finding people to live with is not as easy as it may seem. Especially if your current student accommodation is filled with a lot of people you would rather not live with for another year. The best thing to do at this stage is to not panic. Stay calm and put the feelers out to people you would much rather live with.
If this seems daunting and you need a few tips to get you started, check out our guide on how to choose who to live with.
Decide on your ideal property type 🏠
This may seem strange, as though you are working backwards, but finding out what property type you prefer first, can actually help you choose the right people to live with. From house shares to halls of residence, there are lots of different letting types available, so it’s important to research each type and discover which is the best for you. Have a look at our guide on the different property types to help you get to grips with what’s out there.
Once you have decided on the property you want to live in, you can start to narrow down the amount of people you will be able to live with. For example, if you are looking for student housing you will know the amount of bedrooms in the house that will need to be filled. On the other hand, if you are looking for student accommodation such as a cluster flat (where you typically have your own bedroom and bathroom, but share the kitchen/living area) you will know the amount of bedrooms to be filled, but as you will have your own space and bathroom, it might not matter too much to you who you share with.
Once you have this information, it can change the way you are looking for people to live with, and can even change who you wouldn’t mind living with. Sharing a house with X person, including bathroom, kitchen and living area, may not be ideal, but sharing with X person in a cluster flat could be much more manageable.
Places to find people 📍
If you aren’t happy with your current housemates and would like an “upgrade” next year there are many different places to start looking. As outlined in more detail on our blog, “can you choose who you live with an university”, here are a few options to consider:
- Current flatmates (the ones you like)
- Course mates
- Societies and clubs you may be apart of
- Current friends
- Social media
Social media is always a great way to find like-minded people in the same situation as you. Dedicated student pages such as The Student Room, are full of other university students looking to find housemates, giving out advice, and generally looking for connections with people. This is always a brilliant way to meet new people and possibly make new friends - friends you just might be able to live with next year.
Let fate decide 💭
Maybe you are more calm and collected than you realise and actually, you aren’t too fussed about who you live with next year. As long as you have done your research and chosen your ideal property type, then the rest is down to the universe! The rooms will be filled around you, and who knows, you might even make some life-long friendships along the way!
If you want to start your journey towards finding the perfect home and flatmates next year, have a look at our vast range of bills all included properties to give you some great ideas!
