Introducing our HOUSING SPECIAL

Yesterday I saw a group of worried looking first years having a team huddle in Portswood after being shown round one of the many student piles on Alma Road. Yes, it’s that time of year again: as the auburn leaves of Autumn rot into a black soggy mush, the wheeler dealer tenancy agencies hit the streets to begin their annual fleecing of students.  I scowled at them, and then remembered that looking at property with a greaser in a purple van as a guide is actually a right pain in the arse.

So this year we’ve decided to help you out by pooling all our combined experiences of Soton’s housing free for all and vomiting up a handful of gritty Jesticle coloured pearls of wisdom.

You’ve already read about why having a proper house beats living in an institutional box (at least until winter comes in anyway…), now check out our guide to the REAL essentials you should be looking for in your new crib. If you’ve got no idea where to start, we also explain why being far away from uni is a potential winner.

But maybe you’ve already found a couple of places that tick all these boxes? We’ve found a new site which provides that key extra info about what its like to actually live in specific properties, and gives you the crucial lowdown on the tyrannical landlords of S-town. They will decide whether next year is housing heaven or hell for you and your homies, so checking out our extensive survey from a few months back is also well worth doing.

Finally, if all this grown-up chat is a bit stressful, Luke O’Brien gives us his take on why you should play it cool and bide your time. Enjoy!

And as ever, if you want to get involved with the site join our writers’ group– no experience required!