As if the stresses of the fast approaching exam season weren’t enough to make most first years start wishing they hadn’t skipped so many lectures for the sake of a few extra hours in bed, the added pressure of finding a house – and more crucially housemates – for the following year are enough to send even the laziest students into a frenzy of house-related hysteria. While the prospect of moving out of halls and entering the “real world” with your very best friends may be appealing, there are however a number of pitfalls to be found along the way. Here are some tips from a seasoned pro:

Choose your housemates wisely. While many of you will (rightly) want to make the most of the freedom moving out of halls offers, choosing the right housemates to take with you can often be a difficult business. Remember: just because someone may be your best friend at university, this doesn’t necessarily mean they will make the best housemate. Sharing a house with someone is very different to sharing a flat in halls with someone. Ask yourself whether your sleep patterns fit with those you intend on living with. Consider also, how messy your potential housemates are; how much housework they will be prepared to do; how reliable they are when it comes to things like paying their rent. Living in a house with someone who doesn’t contribute to the cleaning and general day-to-day running of the house may seem a triviality while you have university cleaners in your flat every other day, but after a few weeks of living together, issues such as these really can be a major cause of tension.

Consider the type of housing you are looking for. Housing for university students comes in many types. For some of you, reapplying for halls may be the best choice and certainly has its benefits, but remember it also has its disadvantages too. Given you will be working a lot harder in your second year, are you really prepared to put up with all the noise and disturbances hall life offers? Away from halls, most students tend to opt for university owned housing, and this is generally the preferred choice for many as contracts won’t necessarily run for an entire year, which can save you money over the summer months if you decide to live back home. Remember though that university housing runs by university rules. Universities may well have specific rules regarding pets, people staying over, damage, mess etc. Don’t be alarmed if you find your university arranging a regular house inspection to keep an eye on your property. If this isn’t for you then there’s always the more difficult option of going out on your own and renting privately. This does of course mean entering the murky world of estate agents…

Know your contract. It pays to read your contract inside out. If things turn sour, you will need to know your rights and precisely where you stand.