Flat hunting for January, advice Plz (Manchestoh)

willhub

willhub

willhub

Caporegime
Joined
3 Jan 2006
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Location
Chadderton, Oldham
So, I shall be flat hunting hopefully with a friend, looking at Manchester City Center around the Green Quarter / Angel Meadows.

First question is, when should one start looking?

Hopefully someone may have an idea of prices or soemthing, I'm not sure on budget, I'm planning 400-450 (450-500 inc bills) if that's realistic? Considering unfurnished.

Sick of living in places where I don't get on with people so I've decided to look long and hard with someone I know now.

What sites should I be looking at? Or should I use sites or go directly into an agency?

My tenancy expires on 7th Jan so would be looking at moving into somewhere around then.

Anyway ANY advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Don't move to Manchester? :p

Make sure you knock on the doors of neighbouring flats you view to get a feel for who you'll be living next to. Wish I'd done that a couple of years back!!
 
Gumtree, spareroom and rightmove are good places to look. The problem is they come and go so quickly its pointless looking until you're in a position to put a deposit down.

I hate letting agencies/estate agents with a passion, they will charge ridiculous fees simply for printing off a contract and getting you to sign it. Be prepared to pay up to £150 each for their fee.
 
I thought now would be the best time, with Dec being the time parents buy their kids a place of their own etc. Then of course that could very well be Jan when most students realise they can't survive on their home and run home to the apron strings :p
 
I don't think you realise how quickly rental properties move in manchester!

Unless you're lucky and a landlord/agency are willing to hold a property for you for several months, then it is pointless looking for somewhere now. Chances of them holding it are pretty slim unless you're willing to pay.
 
Most places are a month notice, so no more than a month in advance unless you get lucky. Some adverts will even say when the current tenancy is up.
Landlords don't like holding onto properties without getting rent.
 
Is that each or in total?

It can range from 275 - 350 each pcm plus bills would be a realistic amount, depending on the area and the flat.
 
As has been said, things move very fast up here although the Christmas period is likely to be slower. I'd be looking a max of 2 weeks before and be ready with a deposit for something you like.

£450 each pcm should be enough to cover rent and bills. £450 on its own would not.
 
Keep an eye on this thread, looking to do the same in Leeds. Also realised that it's pretty pointless doing anything until December at the earliest. :p
 
I was living in Moss Side at 350PCM inc bills, I'm not living in Ordsall at 400PCM inc bills, but I pretty much have a small room in a flat and no use to kitchen cause of flatmates and is always messy, thought it was a bargain at first but feel ripped off now.

How much would bills be each on top? £70 per month?
 
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If you go on right move or anything similar you will usually find plenty of properties being advertised for months in advance. Plenty of people have 6-12-24 month contracts and will have already told their landlords they are not renewing. Loads of places will be being built currently and loads of places will be being renovated and landlord will have a relatively good idea when it will be ready.

So yeah, it's worth looking now but skip straight past anything that doesn't have something like "available late december/early jan" listed, plenty will, most won't. Then as you get closer you'll see more available now/soon with landlords either willing to wait a few weeks or if it's somewhere you really like, have a month overlap. I'd far prefer to spend a bit more on overlap than miss a flat I really wanted. Looking now will also give you a feel for prices, quality for a price, areas/prices. The longer you keep an eye out for flats the better an idea you'll have and better you will be able to bargain. If you get a flat in a building for instance which flats come up constantly and rent quickly you won't have much room for negotiation. Conversely if you see a flat in december that had said available now when you look today... you can guess people don't think it's worth what they are asking and the longer it goes unrented the more likely they are to drop the price. Knowing a flat has been available for two months because you recognise it though is great. Be aware for this reason that flats get relisted pretty frequently but you can search and usually see that an alternative version of the advert may have been placed months earlier or by other agents. Different agents may list the same place for different prices. One place I was looking at was listed at 1350 by two agents, 1250 by a third, we viewed the place with the agent who said it had been around a while and on pressing they had recommended the landlady put it up for 1150 and they went in the middle of that and the other agents for their ad.

Sometimes viewing a flat in the area is useful to ask another agent what the area is worth, the answers could well be very different to the agent you viewed the flat you really wanted with. Don't be afraid(in the right situation) to offer less than asked, don't ask don't get, if it's something that got listed that day and you phoned and had 10 other viewings... I wouldn't offer low. if it's the third advert and been available for 3 months... it's probably overpriced(or horrible neighbours/crap area... which are also worth dropping the price for).
 
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