What living in a student house is really like

Fresh from spending a year in halls, moving into an actual house with your chosen friends can be quite a change. No longer in a big block of flats, the moment you step into your new house you feel like first year was a distant memory.

It’s definitely different, so here’s a brief list of some key points you should keep in mind when imagining your post-halls life:

There’s no cleaner, so you have to look after yourself

Most halls do hold the luxury of some poor sod taking care of your tip of a flat, but in a house this is no more. Mum and Dad won’t be around to pick up your dirty clothes, so do it yourself before you anger your housemates.

And that includes the washing up

Yeah, those plates won’t just disappear. Get the scrubber out and lather up the washing liquid to your hearts content, you’ll be doing this a hell of a lot.

But you won’t have to lug your laundry around

Gone are the days of dragging a huge bag of clothes to the laundry room only to be met with a massive queue and a message saying you have no money left on your card. Hello to clean, working washing machine. If you know how to work it that is.

A TV licence is needed

Some uni halls might include a TV license for the communal area, but it's unlikely to be the case in rented accommodation. However, if you're on a joint contract for the property, you'll only need one TV licence for the house, as opposed to one for each room. Split between you and your housemates, it won't be a big expense.

It’s a whole lot quieter

Rather than a contained block of students galore, a house only holds a bunch of you in it, so noise is pretty minimal compared to first year. Finally, you can pamper yourself in peace.

You’ll go on nights out a lot less

Not being in town means nights out are considerably more hassle, and a night in with a pizza and a film suddenly seems more appealing than thudding music and sticky floors.

But it’s fine because you’ll also have tons of work you need to do

First year normally doesn’t count towards your final grade, but sadly every other year does. Buckle up and get those books out, no excuses this time round.

You bond a lot more with your housemates

Living with a smaller group means you get to know each other better than you ever thought you could, whether that be good or bad.

You’ll probably fall out with your housemates at least once

Living in confinement can have its downfalls so arguments are pretty unavoidable, but it’s easy to move on from them soon enough and continue embracing peace and quiet before you know it.

It’s not all house parties and late-night drinking

House life is pretty chilled overall, and we all like a good lie down in our dressing gowns, so don’t expect every night to be like freshers.

House meals are common too

Towards the end of term when you realise you’ve bought way too much pasta, you’ll find yourself cooking for your new family of four. It’s quite lovely really, and another reason why house life is far different to halls.

Being out of town isn’t all bad

Not being close to every shop can be a bit of a hassle, but chances are you’re in a much quieter location, so can sleep without the shrieks of definitely drunk girls waking you up at three in the morning.

There’s a lot more space

Instead of a flat, a house has more rooms, more space, and a lot more storage. Spread your wings and get to grips with this new-found freedom.

You can make it really homely

It’ll start with the occasional trip to Wilko, and next thing you know you’re decorating the house with stockings five months before Christmas. Help, it’s an addiction.

It’s nice to have an actual garden too

Fair enough, most people don’t use it, but having some outside space to yourself rather than a concrete slab outside your window actually helps your mind-set more than you might think.

But be careful of nightmare landlords

Try and research as best you can all the housing companies in the area, as far too many students fall into traps after not digging deep enough into the agencies.

You’re a lot more responsible now

If you break something, it’s your fault. You make the call to your landlord, and you sort it, no member of staff can help you anymore. It’s all a learning curve really.

You actually have to pay bills

Unless you’re lucky and have bagged a bills included contract, you’ll probably have to learn to manage money a ton more than you did in halls solely for bills. But fear not, it’s quite easy once you get the hang of it.

The people you live with make all the difference

Finding a good bunch of housemates can make the dream house, and gives you the perfect experience of what the future holds. Living with people you don’t exactly like will most likely be a recipe for disaster.

And it’s generally quite fun

Yes, it’s different from halls, but who says different means bad? You’ll learn to love this new way of living, and it really brings you and your house closer together.