Breaking out of home....

[jammiedodger]

Hi, posting this question here as this seems to be where everyone hangs out! Well I'm 21 and am moving to Nottingham to do my LPC. This involves moving out of home for the first time and finding a place to rent with my boyfriend. I am slightly naive to the renting game as I've lived a very fortunate life at home! Just wondering if anyone could advise me on the various bills we will have to pay whilst renting, obviously theres the main rent, but then there council tax, electricoty, water etc which I have no clue about how much it will cost!!!!! aaarrrggghhh!!! please help!!! thank u! x

[crete]

its very difficult to estimate bills etc, im sure your parents will assist you in making a list of bills plus food and travel , or ask your friends who are renting , good luck

[leelapops]

Hey jammiedodger. Good luck for moving out-I left home at 17 and love living independently! It's a lot to consider though and you have to be very strict with yourself (I am a complete homebody so I don't go out much anyway!)

We (me and my partner) live in a 2-bed terrace and pay quite a low rent as our house belongs to a housing association. It's worth getting your name on association lists if you can, as the rents are usually very minimal-ours is �63/week.

If you are a student you are exempt from council tax, but you have to let them know, and provide proof of your registration at college/uni. If only one of you is a student, the other will only pay 75% council tax.

So as well as rent and CT, we pay water rates (�13/month), electric (�20/month), gas (�30/month-less in Summer), fixed line phone (�10/month), Broadband (�14/month), TV licence (�14/month), mobile phone (�30/month). We spend around �200/month on food, but we don't go out a lot so that saves money.

Also consider that there will be a lot of compromising to do if you're moving in with your b/f: moving out is a whole different experience when you find you're still hving to consider someone else!

Hope that helps and lots of luck for your adventure!

Lisa x

[jammiedodger]

Thanks you very much Lisa, ur answer was very very helpful!!!! x

[leelapops]

No probs jammie! :)

Not sure what an LPC is...but if it's a part-time course/training option you may be eligible for income support and housing benefit towards your rent. Your local Citizen's Advice Bureau can help you with that-they do a "benefits check" so you can see if you're entitled to anything. Just a thought!

Also, and I'm sure your parents (or experienced friends) will be happy to visit prospective new homes with you. You need to make a checklist of things to ask potential landlords-such as who is responsible for repairs and maintenance, and what exactly would be covered in case of any accidental damage (should be the landlord's responsibility), what your deposit is for and what grounds he/she would have for refusing to return it, and so on. When you decide on somewhere, check the tenancy agreement through before signing it, to make sure the landlord hasn't added "small print"! You don't have to agree to anything you aren't happy about. My first landlord accessed my room in my absence without my permission-that wasn't in the agreement and is NOT ok! If you Google something like "rental checklist" or "landlord responsibilities" it will provide you with a more comprehensive list than I can! New legislation has been brought out recently to protect deposits-this is worth looking up!

Sorry to bore you chick, it's just all worth considering so you aren't messed about at all, especially as it's your first time.

Hurray for independence!! :) Lisa x

[pingping]

one big piece of advice i can offer) from personal experience) is that you both learn to do some basic cooking and cleaning chorses before you leave your parental homes. if you do not already know how to use washing machine/iron/dishwasher/cooker etc then start practising as this was the biggest source of arguments between me and my boyfriend when we first moved in together. I could cook clean etc as had lived on my own for several years, while he had been waited on hand and foot by his mother. when we moved in together he 'assumed' that i would continue to do everything his mother had and it was a rude awakening when he reaslised he'd have to iron his own shirts and help prepare dinner!

good luck though, i love living with him now!

[pingping]

sorry, that should say 'chores' rather than chorses!