Property to Rent!

Warwick is full of surprises, but I think that the aspect that surprised me the most was students’ desire to sort out housing for second year while just being in student accommodations for a total of two months! This fact was shocking as housing by itself is multipronged, with aspects such as who to stay with and where being the most important questions, and hence, making a right, informed choice is an integral part of the process.

HOUSING

After shortlisting the area, you want to stay in (more on that coming up in future blogs!), next step would be choosing the type of housing. Your best friend in the process would be the housing section on the SU website (I was able to shortlist a couple of houses myself using the website! – https://www.warwicksu.com/help-support/housing/ )  This website gives you a ‘A to Z’ guide on housing and all the paraphernalia you would not have even thought of!

In addition, a couple of websites that helped my mates and I out to shortlist a couple of places were-

• Zoopla (https://www.zoopla.co.uk/ )
• Warwick student pad (https://www.warwickstudentpad.co.uk/Accommodation )
• Rightmove (https://www.rightmove.co.uk/ )
• Unihomes (https://www.unihomes.co.uk/ – Knowing which area Unihomes supplies its utilities could be a backdoor tactic to finding a house!)

If finding a house is not for you, do not worry! There are a variety of student accommodations that come into the picture as well. To make your life easier, here are a few for you –

• Leamington Spa
  • Homes for students (The Union – CV31 2AU(££)) – The composition in this accommodation is predominantly South Asian, hence if you are someone who prefers less diversity, this accommodation might be for you. There have primarily en-suite flats of around four, seven or eight but they also have studios. It includes amenities like a pool table, a laundrette, a common room, and a reception, which is very helpful to make any sort of complaints or issues you are facing in the accommodation. It is also in a good location, as it in the border of south Leamington Spa and has shops, restaurants and takeaways, all in walking distance.
  • Union Court(CV31 3DP(££)) – A stone’s throw from Union on the other side of Upper Parade road, around twenty seconds away is Union Court. There is a bus stop remarkably close to the accommodation, and fortunately is not very crowded, even on Monday mornings! Union Court has en-suite flats of about the size of six to eight. In addition, the area is quite secure, and they are also planning to increase it further in the following year.
  • Station House (CV31 3NS(££)) –  This accommodation also has en-suite flats of around two to ten, and a couple of studios. The main advantage of this accommodation is the proximity to the train station, which is right opposite, as well as the bus stop where you can catch a direct bus to the university. In addition, it is a ten minute walk to Upper Parade, the main area in Leamington Spa that contains the shops and restaurants.
• Coventry  
  • Red Queen (CV4 9BY(£££) – A private accommodation on the outskirts of Coventry that is quite costly but includes facilities like a gym, a cinema room, large kitchens with free laundry facilities and a car park. In addition, there is also a bus stop really close to the accommodation that takes you directly to campus, and fortunately is not very crowded.
  • Eden Square (CV1 4FS(£)) – Quite an affordable en-suite living in the heart of Coventry, that contains facilities like a cinema room, a small gym, a communal area that has a foosball and pool table. The accommodation is also five minutes to pool meadow and ten minutes to the city centre.
• Westwood
  • Oaks(CV4 8JB(££)) – Similar to the previous accommodations, there are around seven people in an ensuite flat, with ample storage space all around the room. The only con about this location would be the distance from campus, compared to other locations that have direct bus services.
• Cannon Park
  • Vita(CV4 7FA(£££) – This accommodation is on the expensive side of the spectrum. However, the perks include a free breakfast, gym, a cleaner and multiple study spaces around it. This one could potentially be the right one for you if you like to stay on your own rather than in a flat with multiple people.

If neither of these work for you, the university does accept applications to stay in their accommodations for the following year, however, preference for places is always given to incoming first year and final year students and a place is not always guaranteed. Hence, it is highly recommended to try accommodations off campus.

HOUSEMATES

I think making a choice about who to live with is one of the hardest choices as the company makes the memories. Most students make a choice to live with the flatmates they are assigned with in their first year. However, for those who don’t, the university provides its students with a platform called ‘Housemates wanted Forum (https://www.warwicksu.com/forums/topiclist/630/ )’ that allows students to match demand and supply for students and homes. Anyone can put up their requirements on the forum and match with people who would want someone to join their house or find one in itself. Another recommendation I would make is joining as many group chats on possible, on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Discord and Facebook to find like-minded people to live with in the following years. I also suggest joining various societies as well, to find those who you could be compatible to stay with in the following years.

On a side note, a recommendation I would make is to check the websites for properties and posts every other day till you find the right house and housemates for you, as the rate at which this changes is very dynamic and until then, it is quite the hustle. Hence, good luck! I hope you find the right accommodation that suits all your needs!