Your needs and priorities
Make a realistic list of what you are looking for. Here are some key
considerations:
| What is your budget? |
|
Try to avoid spending more than 30% of your
income on accommodation. Ensure that you
calculate how much that is.
- Living in Adelaide City
can be more expensive than
the suburbs, but you are
close to cafes, cinemas,
etc.
- Unfurnished housing may
be cheaper, but you will
need to buy your own
furniture and household
equipment
- Remember to budget for
your security bond (usually
4 weeks rent) and advance
rent (1-2 weeks rent)
- Budget for the
connection & use of utilities (electricity,
water, gas, telephone &
internet).
|
| Where do you want to
live? |
- How far will you be from your main campus? Refer
to
the
maps
- What facilities are available nearby? Public
transport? Shops? Post office? Medical facilities?
- Location of friends, regular sport or part-time work
commitments may also affect your choice.
|
| How independent are you? |
|
This will help you to determine the
type of accommodation best
suited to you.
Do you want to ...
- cook for yourself?
- be responsible for connecting utilities and paying
the bills?
- do household chores?
- negotiate with a landlord/agent regarding your
lease agreement, maintenance issues, etc?
|
|
Do you want to share accommodation? |
- Sharing accommodation can be good for your budget and can provide
you with a valuable support network.
- Avoid the common pitfalls of share accommodation by following the
tips in the Sharehouse Toolkit on the
ShelterSA website.
|
| Have you completed a list
of your needs and priorities? Make sure that
it's realistic. |
| |
| Before agreeing
to a legally-binding lease, do you know your
tenancy
rights & obligations? |
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