Young person has found a graduate role starting this autumn best place to find rented accommodation

[LimoncelloSpritzplease]

His start date has still to be confirmed but he received a call from HR yesterday. As above anything he/we should consider any pitfalls to look out for. Where is best to look for a rented flat, studio or room i.e. estate agent or elsewhere as really don’t know the area etc. As would like to suss out what is available and what areas would work best for getting to and from work, playing some sport and starting to
build up some sort of social life where he will be living as well as good transport links so he can visit GF, Uni friends and come home etc.

There is a specific bus service that runs to Birchwood park from the station though. It is walkable but it would take 20/30 mins or so.

Transport links from Stockton heath wouldn’t be great, it would probably be a 2 bus ride. Transport from Culcheth to Birchwood also not great. Surprising since they are so close.

Birchwood is obviously on top of Birchwood park, walking / cycle paths are good to get around, and the traffic never gets too busy for any road cycling. There are nicer areas / streets in Birchwood to live than others but it’s generally an alright place to live.

I think Great Sankey has a bus service that goes to Warrington bus station and then back out to Birchwood so he wouldn’t have to get off and get on another. It’s not a super long journey either, last time I used this service it was about 30 mins but it could have all changed since I last used a bus.

Would avoid all the places on your avoid list.

Newton-le-Willows is lovely, we lived there for a bit and I loved it (aside from the traffic when something is on at Haydock racecourse, and the water is very hard!). Living closer to the train station would be good but Newton-le-Willows doesn’t do direct to Birchwood station. It would be into Warrington then out again.

Also… what sport does he enjoy?

Manchester is horrendously expensive. He’d need to be in the city centre to avoid having to commute from manchester outskirts to get a train to Warrington. Unless he lived somewhere like Urmston I guess but then maybe you may as well be in Warrington?

Dd pays just under 1k a month for a flat share in a 4 bed flat in central Manchester. Add on commuting costs and he’d be better in Warrington. He can still travel to Manchester for nights out, etc I’m sure.

Yes, thats my thoughts especially and as he doesn’t know either Manchester or Liverpool areas or know anyone who will be living or working in or near Manchester or Liverpool. He has no real driver to live there and pay the expensive rent.

Thanks anymore options. He will need a car for the role, wants to save money on rent and says he isn’t bothered about paying a premium to live in or near Manchester when he doesn’t know anyone there.

Quite a few rooms dotted around Warrington central but I have never been to Warrington we need to visit ASAP and get some viewings lined up based on minimising journey times to and from work, some local socialising opportunities, access to gym or sports centre.

There's a parkrun in Warrington a short jog from the city centre, that can be a good way to meet new people if he's sporty.

Might Altrincham work if he had a car and what is it like. He has found a room he likes the sound of on the outskirts. Thanks

Altrincham is nice. Has a reputation for low crime, good school which has encouraged families to move to the area. Has a nice food hall. On the tram line, so about 30 mins to Manchester. Near the airport but the runways don’t line up so shouldn’t be on a direct flight path but might be worth checking.

no idea what the traffic is like heading west at commute time.

Thanks all looking at ‘spare rooms or room’. Some are only Mon to Fri lets so no good, or lodging with a very much older person which he isn’t keen on, a lot allow smokers, others look really dark and dingy even in the photos. Listings are often just shown under the WA postcode so whilst I can check on the map if a train or bus station looks to be nearby it’s quite difficult when we don’t know the areas. He could get a car, but parking is either unavailable, not stated or available but son doesn’t know if parking is readily available on site or free yet so may have to factor this in. His start time is 8.30am and wherever he lives most are a 6 month tenancies.

Anyone else any pearls of wisdom about better locations, areas and or anywhere else to look other than spare rooms for reasonable rent and house/room?

What about Macclesfield? I rented a room there when I got my first graduate job. It's well connected by road and train and there's a reasonable amount to do. I visited recently and thought their new food hall was great.

For a new job in a new area, something like a short term house share is ideal, so as others have suggested, look at spareroom and similar websites.

Our son got a grad job in a different city some 5 years ago. He didn't want to house share (he was fed up of sharing at Uni for 3 years), so looked for a 1 bed flat to rent. We all thought it would work out fine. The damn things were like hen's teeth. He couldn't even get a viewing as they were so popular in high demand, the viewing slots would be booked within an hour of them going live on the websites, with viewings typically the next day. Living a few hours away made it impossible. He finally got a viewing slot for an unfurnished flat outside the city ring road - we went across the next day for the viewing - he was desperate, time was running out, so he "offered" 10% over asking price and a year's rent upfront to secure it. Then he had to furnish it which cost a couple of thousand. Within weeks, he realised it was in the wrong place, crap bus routes to/from the town centre, top floor so it was ridiculously hot in summer. So he started looking for another, which took nearly 2 years as now, of course, he was restricted by looking for other unfurnished flats, but at least he was close enough to be able to go for same day/next day viewings if he got a sniff of a viewing slot.

He eventually secured one in a much better location, but much higher cost. Paid a small fortune in moving costs. Early leaving penalties if he doesn't stick the full term of the lease (non negotiable, 12 months at a time!)

Now he's being "rotated" out of that city and to another city a few hundred miles away. He's not falling for flat rentals again. This time, he's got a house share with a live in landlord, on a "Month at a time" agreement, so he's free to take his time to find a place to rent on his own, if that's what he wants, or to move to another house share if he doesn't like the location or landlord! Shame that all his furniture has to be sold or donated, but he's glad to be shut of the costs of rental, utilities, end of tenancy cleans, removals, etc. He'd rather put up with house sharing for the next year or two rather than have the costs/hassle of renting his own flat!

Thanks both sound advice also live a few hours away. Looked at some HMO’s today advertised on spare room in Warrington centre which were absolutely grim, not cheap and sharing with randoms. Most places seem to be either HMO’s where the reality is nothing like the online photos, Mon to Fri only lets and or away from transport links and no car parking and all seem to have a minimum of 6 month tenancy.

Will look into Macclesfield.

He’d be better off in Manchester than Macclesfield, it’s closer and better connected. Though possibly more expensive. But there would be more choice of lodgings. Urmston or irlam might be cheaper than more central Manchester

I thought it might be nicer to be in a town with lots of other recent graduates (AstraZeneca are based not far away).

I was the only one at my place of work but I used to house share with, date and socialise with the AstraZeneca lot.

@Needlenardlenoo whereabouts did you stay in the town centre please and which letting agency did you use please?

I lived there many years ago.

I just happened to visit this weekend and thought the town was looking nice!

Maybe Monton? It’s Manchester suburbs so not paying the extortionate city centre prices but it’s still a lively place with plenty of young people/sports etc. It’s about a 15 minute drive to Warrington with no traffic.