For those who cannot afford to rent an £110/week house in Lenton, and those who were a little late on the house hunting game during Freshers, you probably looked around some of the worst kept houses in Britain. What would have been a nice town house has been turned into a very grim place by years of lazy students and landlords who don’t care anymore.
If you have unfortunately fallen for the house that seemed okay at the viewing, or rather, in a better condition to the pig sites you’ve been trawling through in hopes of finding a cheap house in a good location, then you’re probably feeling a little bit mugged off.
I was in a house that hadn’t been cleaned in years, that had a woodlice and damp mite infestation, damp everywhere, the worst plumbing in the world and an awful smell of eggs coming from the drains most days. Though it was no palace when we looked around it, it never seemed that bad. Even now, despite it’s huge improvements, my new house has some odd smells, marks on the walls, shoddy paintwork, annoyingly disproportioned rooms and an oven caked in grease and grime. It’s safe to say I’ve had plenty of experience with terrible housing and so I’ve acquired a wealth of advice for anyone moving into a below par house this September.
1. Email your landlord as soon as you can about pressing problems such as damp, mould, the plumbing, broken furniture etc. Big problems are the responsibility of your landlord. The sooner you make them aware, the more likely and the sooner the problem should be solved, or at least looked at.
2. Send photographs of the problems with your house or room (smudges on the wall, blu-tack left from the last occupant, cracks in the paint etc.) to your landlord, just so you have a record of the state of your house/room before you moved in, so the landlord cannot charge you from your deposit. This is just in case your landlord is horrible, but still wise no matter what.
3. The spring clean. The landlord probably didn’t bother to get cleaners in and the last occupants might have wiped down the shower but the place is probably dusty as hell and in need of vacuuming. Spray down and dust surfaces, vacuum and get together with your house to do a deep clean of the whole house before you properly move in. The place will look a lot better for it.
4. Having your house smell pleasant is key to tricking yourself into thinking the house is better than it actually is. Buy some scented candles (if your contract allows them), incense, a plug in air freshener or a cheap air freshener from Wilkos to chase off any strange smells. Make sure to air out your room too. Your house has probably been neglected over the summer so letting the house breathe should freshened it up.
5. Make your room and your house your own. It’s surprising how easily you forget about the damp behind the sofa and the grime in the cupboards when you’re watching a movie with your housemates and eating pizza. To help you on your way, buy some comfy effects for your house, such as
- A mood light
- A rug
- Decorative pillows
- Photographs
- Posters
- A memo board
- Colourful tea towels
- Board games and movies
Maybe even procure one of those ‘live, laugh, love’ signs depending on how depressing your house is or throw in some bunting to really cheer the place up. Making your room or house your own is important for settling in no matter what year you are going into, especially if you’re prone to homesickness or if the state of your house is really getting you down.
Most universities have a poster sale in Freshers week in recognition of this.
Edited by: Jenine Tudtud
Image sources:
Image 1: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4fchYCfsY4w/VE_Iwm2DPXI/AAAAAAAADMU/sCyUoFKSPqw/s1600/dump.gif
Image 2: http://65.media.tumblr.com/f9ce36c5d1da84423a68d1481f3c883e/tumblr_inline_na93vopKtp1qzn2uf.gif
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