The Newcastle student housing rush tends to begin mid-October, as fresher’s friendships begin to solidify and the excitement of non-university accommodation and housemates you can actually choose, settles in. Houses become available in a range of areas around the city, and major sites like UniHomes can reach as many as 500 listings in the winter months. Larger group home for 3-8 are often more commonly sought initially, as larger friendship groups assemble for potentially slightly cheaper rents and more people to split the utility bills.
Jesmond is the go-to area for many, average prices of £150-£180 per person per week and well-known for its student culture.
Jesmond is the go-to area for many, average prices of £150-£180 per person per week and well-known for its student culture. Sandyford is a close second with often slightly cheaper houses available, £120-£160 per person per week, though still a great quality, student community. Heaton is another popular spot, with often cheaper prices again, £100-£140 per person per week, and lots of bars, cafes and stores, though slightly further out from the city centre and universities.
Whilst the rush begins in October, houses are available all the way through the year with over 100 on UniHomes still in March/April time. It may be true that the well-located and more sought-after properties do tend to be snatched up earlier in the year, however there are plenty of diamonds in the haystack of properties, that can be found all the way up to spring and summer time (personal experience can confirm this!). For those wanting houses in more popular area, it is worth potentially taking time early on to do some viewings and sort it out early, as it does avoid stress later in the year and there’s more chance of getting a great deal that meets all your needs.
...waiting until November or even early December to find one in the right price range and area is good move, and allows you time to determine your priorities as a group and individually.
This doesn’t mean you need to buy the first house you see in October - waiting until November or even early December to find one in the right price range and area is good move, and allows you time to determine your priorities as a group and individually. If you’re not too sure on whether you’ll be local next year due to applying for placements or years abroad, it’s still acceptable to sign on a house with a group of friends, and let them know the situation, and if necessary it’s quite easy to find people to replace your spot in the tenancy. Alternatively, you can wait until late winter, spring-time to gain some more clarity, and find a group in similar positions, that can find a house together if needed.
All in all, whilst it may feel like getting a house is the utmost priority and all anyone around you is doing, there are plenty available. Using a range of websites and local property groups to search is a good move to find what you’re best looking for, and don’t feel too stressed! You’ll find somewhere and it will most likely be the perfect home for your next year at university.