Sheffield-Accomodation advice

Hellooo all,

so I would start my PhD in Sheffield from February and I should start looking for a place soon. I have 5 questions and I appreciate any input from you guys:

1- What is the advantage of living in a university dorm over renting a private place? As far as I had a quick look, the price is not particularly lower for dorms,...Do I stand a chance to get somewhere private applying from outside UK???

2- When is the best time to start looking for rentals if I want to already relocate to Sheffield in mid-January?? Should I start now or perhaps late December?

3- What does a self-catering dorm actually mean?? perhaps means meals would be served 24/7? Are the meals included in the rent?(I might sound weird but sorry we do not have such kind of dorms here in Germany)

4- I would get ca 14000 lb per year, so nearly 1100 lb per month as my stipend. What would be a reasonable amount to consider for rent? (for other expenses please assume an average life style, eat out maybe once a week, etc.) And does anybody have any idea how much the utilities cost in the UK, esp. in Sheffield??

5- Health insurance: how much does it cost for PhD students and from where should I get one?(I am a German citizen).

Thank you so much.
Fabian