The accommodation debate: Halls vs house

In first year, a rented house with the mates of your choice looks like the best thing in the world, but there are a few things you first years should appreciate more than you think. 

Heating

If you sign for a student house prepare to freeze, invest in layers and live in your duvet. Wandering around halls in a vest top and shorts are a stark contrast to not being able to afford the heating in your new pad.

You’ll go from wearing shorts all year round to living under a duvet.

Halls: 1

House: 0

Housemates

A clear benefit is getting away from that one idiot who you never spoke to and couldn’t handle their drink on Fresher’s week. In your new house you’ll be peeing with the door open before you know it.

Get rid of that one flatmate who didn’t take the bins out, ever.

Halls: 0

House: 1

Location

Your first year flat won’t be far from uni, so appreciate leaving for a lecture five minutes before it starts in comparison to having to jump the metro or leave the house half an hour earlier.

You don’t know the struggle of a 9am lecture until you live 40 minutes away from campus.

Enjoy the extra half hour in bed while you can!

Halls: 1

House: 0

Bed

Singles beds in student houses are hard to come across. Starfishing across a double bed will only make it harder to get up of a morning.

They can even fit more than one body in them

Doesn’t look quite as cosy, does it?

Halls: 0

House: 1

Fire alarms

Getting woken up at 5am by some drunken lunatic setting the fire alarm off will be a thing of the past.

You won’t have to deal with standing outside for half an hour because someone put their wet shoes in the oven (that actually happened), and your lie in won’t get rudely interrupted by the fire alarm test either.

Standing in the freezing cold, no thanks.

Halls: 0

House: 1

Bills will make you dread the postman

A definite downside to living in a house is the cost. Its unlikely bills will be included in the rent and coming across an estate agent that actually cares about any aspect of repair work will be a challenge, but then at least you will have a proper living room and chairs that don’t belong in a classroom.

There’s a slight difference though.

Halls: 1

House: 0

The verdict:

Halls have their benefits, but they are best kept temporary.

Living in a  house is much more homely (though slightly colder) and getting rid of the worlds worst flatmate is just an added benefit, even if your bank account will be slightly worse for wear by the time you graduate.