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Looking for a place to live in Norwich for next year? We've got the lowdown on what to look for and where to find it. eptember may be a long way off, Daily Press advertise available accomodation th roughout the year. but now is the time to look for a place to live for next year if you it's advisable to get hold of the pape rs as early as possible , phone up immediately and be haven't done so already. Yes , it won' t be long before those piles of prepared to visit any accommodation the same washing up festering nicely 1n the corn er, the day so as not to lose out to someone else. lea ning tower of pizza boxes in the living room In addition to this, it's always a good idea to and th e seemingly compulsory psychotic keep an eye out for adverts displayed in local vegetarian are as much a part of everyday life shop wi ndows. as the incredible non-functioning Norfolk Many students find accommodation through amount contains any hidden extras or not. word of Qlouth so it is worth asking around Terrace toasters. Charges like water rates , gas and electncity second and third years who are moving out Living out is one of the most enjoyable student usually fo rm th e other large expense of living experiences , and it's important you give it soon - you migh t be lucky! out. If they're not incl uded in the ren t, th ese some detailed thought. charges will arrive in the form of Whether you're a firs t year lt won't be long before those piles of washing up bills which are then shared whose only experience 1s festering in the corner and the leaning tower of pizza amongst the tenants. of a Un1versity V1llage pod , Always check whether or not the boxes in the living room and the seemingly compulsory house is furnished , otherwise or a second year who's fe:J up wi th you r psychotic vegetarian are a part of everyday life you might find yourse lf fork ing housemates, Concrete 's out an extra £150 for a bed and 1996 Hous1ng GUide offers some useful hints There are also several housing agencies 1n a second-hand desk. and tips for you over the next seven pages. Norwich and some estate agents have property management and letting departments. WHO TO LIVE WITH However, you should be aware that some WHERE TO LOOK Last , but not least, you should be extremely agenc ies can be very expe nsive and not all of Ren ted accommodation in Norwich is plen tiful careful when choosing your fellow them are willing to let property to students. w1th the most popular student dwelling being housemates. If you do decide to use an agency , then make the older terraced houses , many of which are The best of friends can often become the it clea r from the start what charges are Situated in Norwich's own studen t village, the worst of enemies so it's very important that involved and don't be fooled into thinking that 'Golden Tnangle' (see opposite page) . you make the right decision. this necessarily guarantees you a troubl e-free Yet there are plenty of other areas to look for a If her passion for R Kelly drives you mad, and tenancy, because it doesn1. place, such as th e City, th e areas out towards his girlfriend makes your flesh crawl now, then As a membe r of the Student Union you also Bowthorpe and around Norw1ch station . take heed ... these pet hates will escalate into have free access to the Landlords Index which UEA's Accommodation Centre advises on major 1ssues once you're living together. can be found in the Un1on Advice Unit, f1led properties to let, but th ere are also rooms and So , make su re that you know wha t you 're alphabeti cally unde r street names. This way, houses to let advertised in the Union Advice letting you rself in for and don 't just choose you can check up on a house you may have L nit and on noticeboards downstairs in Union people you feel sorry for. already looked at, and see what the tenants House. If you can 't find All th1ngs conside red though , prepare yourself anything here, then your next say about it - you might be surprised at how for a good time in your new abode . honest they are . bet is the local press . Don't fo rg et though, student houses are If the comment mentions part1cular faults about Thu rsday's 1nfamous for their parties, so enjoy this new th e house, like mould or damp, then make sure Evening News found freedom . these are put right before you accept the and Friday's accommodation. Eastern An oth er alternative is a housing association, fo r example the Broadland Housing Association, who own a large block of modern fl ats in Bowthorpe.
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AT'S THE DAMAGE? As fa r as rents are concerned, th ese can vary from anything between £30 and £50 a week , alth ough your first conce rn shou ld be whether the
Paul Goulder -Housing 150 students, ex-students and graduates in the city - Single room s always available
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'I,IPs ~ D Don't visit a house alone. Apart from obvious safety reasons , it helps if there are a few of you to compare what you have seen afterwards. DNever sign anything on the spot. Ask for a copy of the contract and get it checked ' out at the Union Advice Unit. Dlf you're looking for a room on your own, rather than a whole house, check who else lives there . If they are non-students, you may be liable for Council Tax. Dlf the landlord lives in the same house, legally you have fewer rights. Again check before you sign anything. DWhen moving in, make sure you and your landlord agree on the 'inventory' of the contents of the house, otherwise you could get accused of stealing non -existent furniture later on . D Make sure that the house is secure. If someone 'breaks in' by having a key (a previ ous tenant, for example) , some insurance won't cover you . DGet the household bills changed as soon as you move in, otherwise you might find yourself liable fo r the previous tenants' bills . Agree with your housemates how you are going to pay for things like wa shing-up liquid and toilet rolls. A weekly 'house fund' to which you all contribute will save argu ments later. Dlf you have a telephone, work out how much you are going to pay for it. The bill wi ll have to be under one name , so try and ch oose the most re sponsible person to do this , and make sure the bill is itemised . Or get the phone to be incoming only. DCheck which household bills are incl uded (do you pay th e water rates or does the landlord?). Deposit... is the amount re asonable? Get a receipt so you can prove you paid . Otherwise a dodgy la ndlord won't return it , at the end of the contract. L.. ·-· _. __ ._._ ~-~~---· --~"¥'
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If you're looking for a place to live, you're bound to find it in the Golden Triangle, Norwich's own student village lthough the origin of the three-up, two-down configuration. winters creep in through poorlyinsulated windows. term 'Golden Triangle' is They typically offer between three or ParkinQI too, for those students obscure, it refers to the five bedrooms. depending on how area bordered by much subsequent structural fortunate enough to run a car, is Dereham Road and alteration has taken place; many pretty scarce and the driveless terraced streets are suitably Unthank Road, with Eartham Road landlords tend to use the downstairs running down the centre. front room as a bedroom, with a congested. Yet despite these and back sitting room running into a other drawbacks, it's the sense of Estate agents may well have been responsible for coining the moniker galley kitchen. community which provides the to describe an area within 15 Many other types exist though: some Golden Triangle with its most larger houses offer up to eight enduring appeal. minutes of the City centre and very well served with essential amenities. bedrooms; others provide cosy, well The City centre is as little as 10 But it was with the arrival of UEA in appointed accommodation for two minutes away from some streets, the early 1960s that the Golden residents. and even if you live on Dereham The main disadvantages with these Road and your best mates on Triangle was about to assume its current status - amongst other types of house - whether big or small Unthank Road, chances are you'll be things, a location for cheap, - concerns heating, or in particular, able to walk it within 15 minutes or convenient, • less. accommodation for The many newsagents, convemence stores, Each main Golden take-aways and launderetteS make the Triangle street has its Norwich's student f own characteristics: population. 0 en rtang e t e top C OICe Or StU ent Dereham Road offers And although many prefer to live nearer accommodation in Norwich year after year a plethora of services, the City (and further Eartham Road · from the university!), the Golden the lack of it. In many Golden features an assortment of large Victorian houses and there's the Triangle is by far the most popular Triangle dwellings, it seems central heating systems are still a luxury cosmopolitan charm of 'Unthank area with UEA students living off(even in the 1990s) with gas fires Village' - almost a self-contained campus. Most of its houses are of being the most typical method of town in its own right and arguably either the Victorian or Edwardian terraced variety featuring the familiar keeping warm as windy Norwich the most sought-after location.
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There's also the many studentfriendly Golden Triangle pubs providing a viable and atmospheric alternative from those found in the City. Many are renowned for their Sunday lunches, a wide range of beers and big-screen TVs for those premier sporting events. Add to this the many newsagents, convenience stores, take-aways and launderettes situated on its main
streets ... it's not too hard to see why the Golden Triangle proves to be the top choice for student accommodation in Norwich year after year. And it's pretty good for parties too you won't need to spend more than 10 minutes trawling round with a bag of beers on Friday and Saturday nights... • See the next two pages for Concrete's Golden Triangle Guide.
OL.aridlord/Unda.fdy Index · ·· OAccommodatlon Agencies Pr~Let Tel: 4503841
A record with (honest) comments of past students' experiences and houses in
Don't overlook accommodation agencies because, as Alison Wisely finds out, when it comes to the house, they've got the nouse...
Wensum Properties
. Tel: 623084 Norwi~. In the Advl£& Unit, <;?n ·• Kent Martagement the first floor of Union House. . ffi. Tel: 767100 OUnlon Notlceboard · ' Mitchells Tel: 622414 Anyone is free to place adverts These may change. for eitl)er whole houses or ONewspapers 'person needed to share' on Check oul the special the no1lceboards in' Union ' · supplement in Thursday's House. Evening News. O Campus Accommodation OThlrd Years Centre A good way of finding a.house Large board giving details of Is to find a third year Who's many rooms, houses and flats. moving. They'll be able to They will also provide general describe the house ~nd the information. landlord.
BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION NOW! Available now until Sept l: 3 furnished flats for couples - Unthank Road
Available from July l: 3/5 person cottage- Poringland (3 miles from UEA) Mixed house- Unthank Road (2 double rooms- & 4 single rooms) 2 x 4 person flats - Earlham Road Rent £35 - £58 per week to include: Colour TV, vide o, TV lice nce, washing machine, microwave etc Full mainte nance guaranteed by a team of tradesme n Tel Mrs BarreH-Vane on (01508) 558366 or (0850) 034454 (mobile) or Mrs Sheila Ford on (01508) 495243
CONCRETE HOUSING GUIDE 1996 3
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Previously the Warwick Arms, until a recent design overhaul, the Mad Moose is roomy ;:md comfortable. A bit Sloaney, but good local for people living on Unthank Road.
4 CONCRETE HOUSING GUIDE 1996
CONCRETE HOUSING GUIDE 1996 5
When it comes to finding a house, there's a few things you'll need to watch out for. The Union Advice Unit is on hand to smooth out any problems, so don't forget to get your copy of their annual Housing Pack
to Ba:s ics efore you even consider paying a deposit or s~gning a c.ontract for the house you f1nally dec1de upon, make sure you are aware of the legalities otherwise you might find yourself out of pocket and without a legal- leg to stand Qo. When renting a house, the vast·majority of landlords will insist on each tenant signing a contract agreeing to certain conditions and the level of rent. In general it is better to get a contract than to go along with a landlord who prefers the 'just pay me cash' approach. Beware of such landlords as they could be fiddling their tax returns by not declaring income (not your problem), or it could be that they have mortgage or money problems (possibly your problem if the house is repossessed by the mortgage company). Most agreements signed in Norwich are 'Assured Shorthold Tenancies' which are governed by the 1988 Housing Act. Such agreements must be for at least six months, but are commonly for a year, starting in June. This means that you will be paying rent over the summer, for a house that you might not be living in until Autumn. You could always risk waiting until September to find a house, although the best places might have already been taken. Some landlords will allow _ _ _ _ _.., you to sublet the house, which means that you :<:.::. liJ. can rent it out over the · ·~ M summer to someone .~flame
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The Union Advice Unit, upstairs in UH, have a number of very helpful staff who have extensive experience of dealing with housing matters, and can offer the wary house-hunter a number of invaluable services. With a trained solicitor, Malcolm Malone, they are more than willing to look over any contract a student is asked to sign. The Advice Unit produce a Housing Pack each year which gives details of the legal side of house-hunting through a series of booklets and leaflets, and is a must for those looking for rented accommodation. Janet' Peck, Union Welfare Co-ordinator (pictured, above left) warns prospective tenants never to sign a contract on the spot, and always to get it checked out by someone first. "Once you sign a contract, assuming it is legal, you are liable to pay the rent for the whole year", she explained. "In extreme cases, the Union pay for a solicitor to take up any problems that arise and give free advice." However, legal difficulties are still quite rare and can normally be amicably resolved. Students moving out should also be aware that living in a privately rented house means that a television licence must be purchased - £89.50 for a colour television or £30 for black and white. The penalty for failure to purchase a licence can be up to £400. Still, the most pressing problem you are likely to face is an argument with your house mates over who toots the bill for the wine stains on the carpet after the never-to-be-repeated house-warming party.
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else, perhaps a · postgraduate or a foreign student, but you'll need their permission. · Be aware of the fact thafif you sign a joint tenancy agreement, then you are bound by law to cover the rent of your house mates if they fail to pay. If you are given a license to sign rather than a contract, the landlord is definitely on the fiddle. Licenses exist solely to try and get round the protection of the 1988 Housing Act. The one exception to this is where the landlord actually lives in the house themselves. In this case you are a lodger and your legal protection is reduced. There are also lots of things GAS I'IOIIEM$ 1 that appear in contracts that ... c ~n h tl p are also not legal. • Clauses like 'no visitors to stay overnight' are illegal (but they do appear!), as { are 'the landlord may make an inspection of the property at any time.' Such clauses would never stand up in court, but obviously it is better to get a legal and fair contract from the outset, rather than risk major problems later.
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6 CONCRETE HOUSING GUIDE 1996
CA guide to • this contains useful lnfo on taking on a property, insurance and repairs. CHousing Checklist· to help you assess any properties you are thinking of renting. Clnfo on the Housing Act 1988 and negotiating wlth landlords/landladies. CA guide to your housing rights under the aforementioned Housing Act · · · Clnfo on dep()slts,' Rremiums and . agency chargt!s. . CQuestiona (and.pnswersU concemlhg t~~ ~ it J~:. OSafety tipa • th , 'f&r: ~lmost everythlng,from·ft ment to carbon nicmoxl · ·.chip pan '
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Where does all your money go? We spoke to Norwich landlords Terry Marney and Paul Goulder Is it true that student landlords make a lot of money? Terry Marney: No, I have to say that landlords don 't make as much money as people think. There are lots of overheads involved in the business so people should realise that their rents aren't going straight into their landlord's pocket. Paul Goulder: Most of the houses we bought in the 1980s aren 't worth as much nowadays, so we 're actually losing money. Plus, th ere are always refurbishments to be made on all the houses every year.
What do you expect from student tenants? Terry Marney: I think what's most important is good relations with people . If the tenants pay their rent on time, and keep the house clean , it all works out. Paul Goulder: To be honest, the minute they tell us they're students , we know they're going to be OK . We've no list of rules
What advice would you give to students loo king for a place to live? Terry Marney: Beware of hidden extras like water rates ,
gas and electricity. Some landlords will include these charges in your rent , and others won't. Get your contract properly checked out. Paul Goulder: There are four things that you need to think about when looking for a place to live; the rent, your housemates, the kind of house you want and the landlord and landlady. Also, you should be wary of taking up a six month shorthold tenancy agreement , because the landlord can often decide to ask you to leave halfway through the year.
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They're not all slobs! Sam Richards tries to dispel some of the myths of living in an all-male household ...
PHOTOS OF YOU AND YOUR MATES WHEN YOU WERE PISSED
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STONE ANIMALS A perfect trophy from a Stella-fuelled night out or a petty revenge on all those crap people who fill their garden with stupid stone ornaments such as gnomes - whateve r, they look great on your mantelpiece.
@ A COPY OF THE OBSERVER COLOUR SUPPLEMENT This should be visible at all times as it lends the residents an (admittedly minimal) sense of culture. Usually ends up in the loo.
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THE WITHNAIL AND I VIDEO We demand some booze! The finest wines available to humanity! I feel like a pig's shat in my head! Margaux '53 - best of the century' Well lick ten percent of the arses for me! We'll install a f'**ing jukebox! You perfumed ponce! Hahahahahahaha!
!H!u!~!~IISh~~~!olds who like to impress friends with their (genuine)
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Oliver Reed-like levels of alcohol consumption . Usually found in the living room alcove featuring Stella , Boddingtons and Murphy's empties.
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This is important for those occasions on which subtle lighting is necessary (smoking sessions or shagging , basically) . lt also proves you are dead hard at drinking because you managed to get through a whole bottle of JD. ~
THE BREVILLE TOASTIE MAKER Sod the stove - the toastie maker is by far tbe most important item where student cooking is involved. lt has two major virtues: versatility (it'll do anything from jam to curry toasties) and the fact that it's dead easy to use when you're pissed .
(;} A HUGE JAR OF NUROFEN TABLETS As we all know, Nurofen is the best drug there is (after alcohol, of course) . it's an instant cure for hangovers, headaches or minor aches and pains and even cheers you up when you're feeling a bit depressed!
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THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR Just have one hanging around the living room, and everyone will think you're a group of well cool musicians. Beware, however, as any of your guests, upon sighting said instrument, will pick it up and try to play it despite obviously having no musical talent.
POSTERS OBVIOUSLY PURCHASED IN THE FIRST \W POSTER SALE OF TERM
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These could include Oasis, Kurt Cobain , Reservoir Dogs, Bob Marley smoking a joint or the one with Einstein sticking his tongue out. They should be displayed prominently in the front room so everyone walking past can tell it's a student house.
KENT K M MANAGEMENT Property Management and Letting Specialising in student accomodation 125 Unthank Road, Norwich NR2 2PE
I:J Office: (01603) 767100 Fax: (01603) 767140
CONCRETE HOUSING GUIDE 1996 7
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