The Ultimate Guide to House Hunting like a Pro

Follow these 8 easy steps for success and you’ll have a house sorted in no time


Student lettings agents unleashed their properties last week and opened the floodgates for all you househunters out there.

But don’t panic about the big move – The Tab is here to help!

Location, Location, Location!

Hyde Park is definitely a dump, but at least you’ll be within a five minute walk of the majority of your friends.

If you are lazy then don’t venture to Headingley when house hunting. And if easily scared then avoid Woodhouse and Burley.

Food for thought

There is a 99.647% chance that you will reside under five minutes from Sainsbury’s Local or Co-op.

There is an equally high chance that you will develop a love-hate relationship with these convenience stores.

The vast majority of your week’s budget will end up going on horrifically overpriced staples bought when in a cba or hungover mood i.e. most days.

Warning: if near to Co-op in third year you WILL morph into a sighing, tutting granny at the appalling customer service there.

Security is key

Burglars are to Hyde Park what MD is to house parties in Leeds. So – take precautions! There should, at the very least, be a solid lock on the front door.

If possible, each bedroom room should have a lock and key too.

Use your instincts: if the road feels dodgy and lacks street lights then give it a miss.

Size matters

Mostly.. err.. with regards to communal areas.

Prioritise big kitchens and living rooms over big bedrooms – bedrooms should only be for sleeping and watching New Girl re-runs.

If you end up with one work surface to cook five people’s dinner on or sitting on someone’s knee at a jam-packed pre-drinks then don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Power shower priority

Test the shower when looking around the house. A truly underrated tip.

If, as naïve freshers, you are used to the relative comfort and warmth of Halls then you might want to start training your body up now for survival strategies against the Leeds winter.

On icy winter mornings the only thing that will become worth living for is the hot cascade of water to give life back to your rapidly numbing toes.

Carpet is your friend

In a similar vein to the above point – everything helps when it comes to staying warm.

Unless you want to die curled up in a ball under your duvet or you have a fetish for wooden floorboards, carpet equals cosiness.

Walls should not dampen your spirits

If the walls are being painted when house hunting then run while you still can. The same goes for if damp is clearly visible when looking around.

Too many landlords just paint over damp each year to avoid actually being useful.

Present often in roof bedrooms and bathrooms without windows – damp is unpleasant and should be avoided as much as post-Fruity Flames.

Channel your inner Snoop Dogg

In saying this I am not advising you to drop it like it’s hot (as mentioned before – you need all the warmth you can get).

The suggestion is to do a little bit of snooping and detective work when house hunting – you don’t want to be stuck with one of these guys.

Ask those currently in the house whether the landlord has been responsive to problems and find out if the company is reputable.

The Tab wishes you the best of luck with house hunting!