REPOST (Moving to UK)

Moving to UK?
I'm not sure where this fits so I'm going to post it here. Basically I would be coming from Rome and I'm not sure how everything is going to be in the UK. Like student accommodation and etc.

I'm specifically interested in Manchester which is where I hope I'll end up in.

I'm thinking just buying a house outright, or getting a studio flat I'm not sure. But I'm a bit worried about transport and everything?? Do most uni students move by bus?? Here in Rome private transport is much more used than public, and here you drive 50cc scooters at 14 of age and 125cc at 16. I was thinking of bringing over to the UK a motorcycle and use that as a mean of transport a Yamaha R6 or CBR600.

How would everything work and how different are the cultural norms?

Reply 1

rY4uGD1fMzBj4xe2

Buying a house outright?

You made of money, brah?

University of Manchester

Manchester

Reply 2

girlwithsharpteeth

Original post by lulu2d4

Most students will rent in University halls for the first year and privately for the 2nd years and after. Very, very few people will buy their own flat/house but if you can do this it will possibly be a nicer environment to live in, though you may find it less sociable (also bear in mind that the UK housing market is very up and down lately, you may make a loss on any house you buy or have difficulty selling, though Manchester is a much cheaper area to buy in than most other areas - be careful where you buy as some parts of Manchester would not be very nice to live in). Most students will walk, use the bus or a bicycle. A few will use motorcycles or cars but not very many - you will have to pay to park if you choose to do this, which will get expensive if you do it every day.

Most students, including international students, will rent. I would certainly recommend this for your first year so that you make some friends and get to know the area a bit before you choose to buy. There are some halls which are preferred by international students if they are the people you would rather be housed with. You also don't have to live in University run halls for your first year if you don't like the look of them, there are many privately run halls which will be full of students as well (you can see some of them here: http://www.accommodationforstudents.com/studentprivatehalls/studentaccommodation_lphs_Manchester.asp)

Reply 3

lulu2d4

No I'm not made out of money, I was just wondering if it was more convenient in the long run that renting?

If houses can be bought for under 400k then that's fine with me. Since the cost of living in Rome is extremely high with house prices soaring.

Reply 4

lulu2d4

Original post by girlwithsharpteeth

Thank You, I used to live in Manchester when I was younger I know the areas I should avoid like Gorton, Moss Side, Whythenshawe and other areas. What are the university halls like or private ones?? Is there parking space?

Reply 5

girlwithsharpteeth

Original post by lulu2d4

Some have parking spaces but these will be limited, you would have to look for where it is specificed on the accommodation website (http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/accommodation/ and here has some other info too: http://www.accommodation.manchester.ac.uk/). Some of the halls do look nice but you run the risk that you won't be placed in a hall that you want. The way it works is that everyone applies for which halls they prefer and you get to pick your first 3 choices. After this you will be asked for some preferences (e.g. en-suite room, catered, close to campus, etc). The University will try and give you one of your first 3 choices but if lots of people have applied for the same places, there won't be enough rooms for everyone. For those who don't get their choice, they will try and give you a room based on what you said was important to you (e.g. en-suite) but it depends on what is left over. You could get a room completely different from what you asked for.

With private accommodation you rent normally, so you know where you will be going and have a fixed contract with a private company for your room. However, you could be with students from other Universities which may make it harder to make friends.

You would have to look and see which halls were best for you and compare them to the private ones. Remember, if you apply for University halls and they offer you somewhere you really don't like you can say no to the room and apply for private accommodation at that point instead.

Reply 6

lulu2d4

Ok thanks a lot :smile:

Reply 7

costy

Original post by lulu2d4

I was thinking of bringing over to the UK a motorcycle and use that as a mean of transport a Yamaha R6 or CBR600.

How would everything work and how different are the cultural norms?

Don't you have to pass your driving license again? And driving exams in the UK are harder... I won't be able to take my new car *sigh*

Reply 8

~Kat~

Original post by lulu2d4

On a Gap Yah are we?

Original post by ~Kat~

The cost of living in Rome is much higher therefore 400k wouldn't even buy you an apartment... it would buy you an apartment outside of the rome or on the outskirts a very small one.