We all want somewhere nice to live, which\nhas both the amount of space we need as well as being in a good enough location\nto commute to work or university. The problem is, we also want a rental\nproperty that is affordable enough to allow us to save up for a house deposit.\nSo, then, how can we save money on our rentals without compromising on your\nquality of life? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rent with a Friend <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The wonderful thing about renting a home\nthat has a flatmate is that you\u2019ll instantly half both your bills and the\nrental price. However, many of us can feel a little apprehensive of renting\nwith a stranger, especially when you can hear so many horror stories. Which is\nwhy, if you choose to rent with a friend or even your partner, your rental will\nbecome far less expensive, as you will have two incomes to cover it. Plus, you\nget to live with someone you like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose an Unfurnished Property <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A fully furnished property can be\nconvenient; however, it will also come with a higher monthly rental than an\nunfurnished one. Worst still, if you damage the furniture, you might lose a\nchunk of your deposit at the end of your tenancy. Instead, by opting for an\nunfurnished home, you can save yourself some money and family and friends are\noften happy to donate old and unused furniture for your home. Or, you can use\nsites like Freecycle to pick up furniture for free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be Wary of Your Work Commute <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While your work commute won\u2019t save you\nmoney on your actual rental costs, it can directly affect the amount of\ndisposable income and free time you have. For instance, you could find a\ncheaper rental an hour\u2019s commute from your work, however, when you cost of the\nfuel or costs of public transport, you may have been cheaper renting closer to\nwork. Worse still, you\u2019ll spend at least two hours a day travelling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, try to find a happy balance of\ncommuting and rental costs. Even better, if you can find a property within\nwalking distance of your work, you can save money by avoiding public transport\naltogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for a Property in the Winter <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For some reason, when it comes to winter,\npeople are less likely to want to pack up and move home. Which means, for\nlandlords with empty properties, there might be a little wiggle room on rental\ncosts. As, offering a discounted monthly rental is less expensive that having a\nproperty lie empty for three or four months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Try and Haggle on a Property <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you view a property, it\u2019s good\npractice to note down any flaws you see, such out-dated d\u00e9cor, old boilers or\npoorly maintained garden. You can then use these flaws to negotiate the monthly\nrental on that property. Even a saving as little as \u00a320-30 might not seem a lot\nto your landlord but, over a year, it will add up to a nice saving for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you don\u2019t get the discount, the\nlandlord might be open to redecorating the property for you. Which may have\nmeant that the property would have cost you more otherwise.<\/p>\n