Decided to Rent – What next?

• Calculate your maximum budget - don’t forget to make allowances for paying Council Tax, Gas, Electricity, Water Rates, Telephone, Contents Insurance & T.V. License etc when assessing your available budget.

• Assess your minimum requirements from a property e.g. 3 bedrooms, large garden, walking distance from a school etc.

• Get a feel for what is available in the area you wish to move to for the budget you have (local newspapers, local Lettings Agents and websites are all good sources). If your budget and your expectations match then you can start looking for the right property, if not, look at what compromises you can make in order for you to get something as near as possible to what you want. This could mean increasing your budget, looking for a smaller property, looking at a different area etc. Be realistic as agents and landlords will soon give up on you if you have unrealistic expectations.

• When you know what type of property and where you want to rent you can either look on line for a specific property or contact local agents and tell them exactly what you are looking for. The advantage with using an agent is that they can keep you up to date with any newly available property and so you don’t miss that dream house. The more often you call an agent, the more likely you are to get the right property. If you contact an agent regularly they will know you are serious and so make you more of a priority when the right property for you becomes available. Several people may be looking for a similar property to you so be first in line.
• When you find the property you want make a decision quickly and be ready to provide references and a deposit. If you delay the property will most probably rented to someone else. The rental market is currently quite buoyant meaning properties don’t stick around for long. Landlords and Agents understand that you may have to give one months notice to your existing Landlord but a deposit is usually acceptable to secure the property until you can move. Be sure to ask the agent before you pay anything what their charges will be and how much the deposit is and how much rent is payable in advance.