Top tips and hacks for moving into your student home

So you’ve just collected your keys, how exciting! But don’t worry, you are not the only one who will be feeling slightly overwhelmed with the long list of items and tasks that comes with moving. It can feel like a stressful time especially if it’s your first time living away from home!

Don’t stress, moving should be fun and exciting. Just take one thing at a time! We’re here to help you through the move-in phase along with some helpful hacks that will save you time and money. Should we continue? Ok!

1 – Property condition and inventory

 

Before you start tipping your suitcase upside down, take some time to walk through your new home and make a note of its condition, where things are located and it’s feng shui as they say! This is also a good time to allocate kitchen cupboards or storage space in your house so your housemates have a good idea of where each person stores their food and belongings.

HACK – Purchase a mattress protector! These can be bought for as little as £8 at Asda or on Amazon and can save you time cleaning small stains at the end of your tenancy or forking out the large sum ££ for the cost of a replacement mattress. 

2 – Get to know your appliances

 

Sounds simple we know. But all appliances work differently so it’s best to allocate some time when you first move in. Boilers can be confusing if you are not familiar with the setup so take some time to get to know your heating and hot water system. This will help when it comes to the colder season! The perfect room temperature is around 18-22 degrees which is good to know for wintertime and for setting your thermostat settings.

HACK – Not sure how to work an appliance or your heating system? Jump on to YouTube and search the brand and model number and you will find a lot of useful operation videos. Of course, we are always on hand to assist with any questions!

3 – Set up your bills

Before a cloud of anxiety sets in, take a deep breath – it’s really not as overwhelming as it sounds! Start by making a list and then set each utility up one by one. We recommend going directly to the supplier for each. To get you started, here is a quick checklist of your utilities and some recommended suppliers;

• Gas and Electricity
  E.ON Next (They use 100% renewable energy, yay!)
  You can sign up online and they offer no exit fees
• Council Tax
  Students are exempt from paying Council Tax. Simply email your ‘Tax Certificate to revenueservices@norwich.gov.uk for the exemption to be applied. The certificate can be downloaded from your University blackboard.
• Internet
  In most eyes, the most important utility! Head to www.moneysupermarket.com and https://www.virginmedia.com to compare broadband packages.

HACK – Virgin Media offer exclusive student broadband deals which give you access to shorter contracts and cheaper bundles!

• TV License
  You don’t have a TV? In the eyes of TV Licensing, this doesn’t matter. By law you need a licence to: watch or record TV on any channel, watch TV live on any streaming service (e.g. ITV Hub, Amazon Prime Video, Now, All 4, YouTube, Sky Go) or watch BBC iPlayer
  They cost £159 per year and can be set up online www.tvlicensing.co.uk
• Water
  Anglian Water – The team at Anglian Water are very friendly and happy to help. You can call or head online to set up your account. Have your move-in date at the ready! www.anglianwater.co.uk/

HACK – If you experience a water leak at your property, Anglian Water offers a leak allowance and will refund you a credit for excess water use during a leak. Contact us in event of a leak and once the leak is repaired, call Anglian Water to apply a leak allowance on your account.

For a step-by-step guide to setting your utility bills, head to our blog here https://emuproperties.co.uk/organising-utilities-and-bills/ 

4 – Set up a household rota

It is always a good idea to set up a communal rota in the first few days of moving into your home. This can include general household items such as emptying bins, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming and putting the external bins out for collection.

HACK – Combat limescale! Norwich is renowned for its hard water. If you have moved from an area in the UK with soft water, you may be surprised to see the white limescale growing in your kettle and over your shower. Besides regular cleaning, we recommend Viakal to break down and remove limescale and Oust Descaler for your kettle. Leave the Viakal on for 10-15 mins and then wipe away. Trust us, limescale is stubborn so you need the right product for the job! Viakal is £1-2 and can be bought in the cleaning aisle at most supermarkets.

HACK – Make cleaning easier. Line your baking trays with tin foil for protection.

5 – Make a shopping list of household supplies

 

Before you all go out and buy 6 mops, 6 sets of cutlery and 6 bottles of fairy liquid – make a shopping list then divide and conquer! Once all items have been purchased, you can pin your receipts to your notice board and split the costs. You can also set up a regular kitty where everyone chips in per month to cover household items such as toilet rolls and bin bags. 

HACK – Hit up Facebook Marketplace for some second-hand goods! Marketplace is filled with 1000s of items for sale around Norwich. You can generally find a lot of household items which can save you money and is better for the environment.

There you go! It’s now it is time to unpack and enjoy your new home. If you want some tips on how to transform your student bedroom, visit our blog here https://emuproperties.co.uk/refresh-your-student-bedroom/ 

If you have any further queries or concerns in regards to the move-in process, please feel free to drop us an email or give us a call by visiting our contact page. We will be happy to help you out as best as possible!

Emu Properties