Any PGCE students for 2018/19? Accomodation?

I recently received an offer for Exeter and I'm probably going to take it. Any other PGCE students for this year have any accommodation plans?

I had a look at the Studentpad list but they are all extortionate! I'm not paying £500-£600 a month to live in someone's spare room. For that amount of money I would expect my own space, like a studio/bedsit. I know rent is ridiculously high nowadays and it's more difficult to find short term lets than long term ones, but I'm certain there's more affordable lets out there somewhere.

I've looked at student halls but it doesn't seem like any of them offer short term lets, or their idea of 'short term' is 10 months.

Does anyone know where the best place is to look, and what time of year is best to look? Ideally I'd like to move in August, so a 5 month let would be perfect as that would then expire at the end of December and allow me to take up a new tenancy wherever my first placement is. I don't really want to spend more than £400 a month if I can help it, and while I don't mind living with a family/landlord if I have to, I need my privacy - I don't want to be expected to hangout with anyone or share meals.

If anyone has similar preferences, lets join up and find somewhere together?

If this seems impossible and we're actually expected to pay ridiculous amounts of money or take up long term tenancies in places we won't be living while paying for a second tenancy somewhere else, then I need to know because then I'm probably better off accepting my other offer from a different university where I'm able to take up a regular 12 month tenancy and just commute.

Reply 1

Puddles the Monkey

Hi - sorry you haven't had a response to this yet. I'm just going to bump the thread in the hope that someone sees this and can help :h:

University of Exeter

Exeter

Reply 2

Shelbyo96

I’m exactly the same! Can’t find anything below £500 a month!! Any ideas?

Reply 3

vrv

Original post by Shelbyo96

I’m exactly the same! Can’t find anything below £500 a month!! Any ideas?

I'm holding on to the end of the July when we get our placement information - if I am in/near Exeter, I'm then going to look for a long-term tenancy which will hopefully be more affordable (£300-£400/month).

If I'm placed far away and need to look for a short term then I'll start seriously looking in the summer.

I believe the people who regularly offer out their spare rooms to PGCE students for upwards of £500/month are trying to take advantage of us. A short-let tenancy in a spare room in someone's house should be a reasonably cheap affair, but given that we need this accommodation and they know it, it seems they're trying to make as much money as possible.

Reply 4

Katielikesfrodo

Hi there, I’m also trying to find somewhere to live for my PGCE in Exeter.

I’m originally from Oxford and the admissions lady said to just commute for the first term! Is she having a laugh?

Studio flats are nice but hella expensive and no where that has a short let is nice. Looks like the rooms you find someone’s dismantled body parts in.

If anyone else wants to team up please let me know!

Reply 5

TheBarnExeter

Hi Guys,

Have you tried looking on sites such as Campus Board? They may have different accommodation to the ones on offer via Student Pad. You can always post in the Facebook Group "Student Accommodation in Exeter" - it has a lot of members and if anyone has short term accommodation available then hopefully you can get a response that way.

As a last resort you can try speaking to local agents to see if they have anything - even if its not student accommodation they may have general short term lets. Cardens and Star Lettings deal with a lot of students so would be two you can try as a starting point.

Good luck! :smile: