Nottingham, Birmingham, Exeter

[GrangeFill]

DD is hoping for offers from Uni of Nottingham, Uni of Birmingham and Uni of Exeter. We have been to open days at all three, but not ventured into the cities at all.

We are hoping to do this at offer holder days in the Spring.

What areas of each city are best to look at when we visit? For example, I’m aware Birmingham is like a collection of villages eg Stirchley, Selly Oak etc. And Nottingham Lenton, Beeston etc. Which parts of each city would a student likely venture to, so where is best to check out in each city?

How odd . Joe Lycett says bab as does Alison Hammond,Internet says bab! Interchangeable, I guess, based on your experience.

Yes I agree my DS is also at Brum and he rarely goes into town tbh as now he is 4th year he is less into clubbing and more into pubs near campus/in Selly or harborne or edgbaston or kings heath. In his younger days he had a job in a hipster bar-cum-barbershop (!!) in digbeth which is quite a student friendly area of Birmingham. He’s always been a bit too cool for Broad street 🤣

Definitely 'bab' , not babs.

As per the merchandise for the Commonwealth Games last year

https://www.google.com/search?q=commonwealth+games+merchandise+alright+bab&sca_esv=581534822&sxsrf=AM9HkKnVEt3PFXC3TltVaDU7B9YMXK_aNw%3A1699717906946&ei=EqNPZfz5OPqWhbIPjauhoAo&ved=0ahUKEwj8yr7QpryCAxV6S0EAHY1VCKQQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=commonwealth+games+merchandise+alright+bab&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiKmNvbW1vbndlYWx0aCBnYW1lcyBtZXJjaGFuZGlzZSBhbHJpZ2h0IGJhYjIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSNY2UIAHWOkWcAB4AJABAJgBtQGgAYsJqgEDNC42uAEDyAEA-AEBwgILEAAYiQUYogQYsAPCAggQABiiBBiwA8ICBBAjGCfCAgoQIRigARjDBBgKwgIIECEYoAEYwwTCAggQABiJBRiiBOIDBBgBIEGIBgGQBgM&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#vhid=cyoZFniMzTveiM&vssid=l

Yes it's bab! It's a shame they don't explore much now, I remember riding my bike all over Leicester when I was at uni. My ds, who grew up in Brum, used to roam all over the city centre at weekends with his friends when he was 15-16, as well as frequenting the university campus to make new friends! The buses are great and the trains are easy too. Ds used to like to take the cross city train past New St up to Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield!

I work at Birmingham Uni and my daughter is at Nottingham. Personally I prefer Brum, both the city and campus, but maybe I'm biased! People say Nottingham accomm is cheap, but most second year houses are £120 per week plus (lots at £150) which I think is pricey. I've checked Leicester prices and they're much cheaper, however I imagine Birmingham is similar too.

@crazycrofter I was just about to say the same - I'm not sure I'd class Notts as cheap. DD now 1st year in catered halls (not ensuite) £9.5k for a 39 week contract. 2nd year houses (she's in the midst of looking now) are between £140-165 per week, plus bills generally, over a 52 week contract (most are at the top end of that bracket). Accommodation will be between £8.5k and £9.5k again, and then she'll have food to pay for next year too - so more expensive than halls. She is loving it though, the campus is beautiful, she says she feels safe and I do think the catered hall thing has been brilliant for getting them all to make friends. Just one thing to add if your DD considers it as her insurance, I think they guarantee all 1st years accommodation, even if its your insurance, which many unis don't.

I don't think all the catered halls are the same - some of them (according to DD) have a reputation for being a little cliquey with quite a few people knowing each other from school / college.

One of DD's friends is at Birmingham and loves that too!

That is so helpful thank you. Might it be OK to PM you please for more info about which halls are cliquey etc?

Yes no problem!

Exeter is tiny, city centre is the best place to head to, Nottingham city centre is a little larger and has the advantage of connectivity to other cities unlike Exeter. Birmingham is huge, I went there - I would look at the city centre, brindly place is a good option if you need to stay overnight, as students we went to a few areas but alas most our favourite haunts are no more, victims of gentrification

I lived right by the cricket ground, dp lived in harbour ne

@GrangeFill DD paid £95 a week in Notts. Think that was pretty standard last year. Never saw anything for £145 ! Unless prices have shot up 🫣

Unfortunately unless you live down that way Exeter is miles from anywhere with terrible road links. Make sure she understands it can be difficult to be miles from home if you're homesick and want a weekend at home

@mumsneedwine would be interested to know where such a bargain is?!.DD is house hunting in Notts for her 2nd year this week...£130 pw is the cheapest she has seen, tho that includes bills "but not heating" 🤷‍♀️. They have 4 lined up for tomorrow, and the cheapest is £145 pw....

@Panicmode1 thats our experience too - if bills are included, its water, wi-fi and TV licence (and even then only included to a maximum of £6/week!). Specifically gas and electricity on top.

@Panicmode1 DD lived in Dunkirk in an old workman's cottage, 3 beds, small but ok. Then last year in a nice mock Tudor house up near Woolaton. Used Nicholas Humphreys as their agent.

@Panicmode1 - DS graduated from Notts in 2022 and the prices you are quoting are much more in line with what he paid. His house was in Lenton, and the rent did inc bills.

Three of my fave unis!
I went to Birmingham, DS to Notts and DD to Exeter.

I do agree that Exeter is bit out of the way compared to many unis. It’s a trek for DD to get home for the weekend. Also, lots of her friends went to places like Notts, Manchester, Leeds, Warwick etc and can all visit each other for the weekend quite easily, but she can’t do that.

@Panicmode1 there are cheaper houses out there but you have to be patient. Dd and co are paying £80 this year (four of them). They’re looking again now as there’s 6 of them and they have a viewing lined up on Friday for £100 a week but that’s the cheapest they’ve seen so far. I’ve seen a few for £110. Definitely no need to pay £145 but on the whole prices are £120 plus. It’s worth hanging on for the cheap ones though and looking every day at all the agents

They’re looking at a 6 bed house for next year, if that’s not clear! It’s frustrating as their landlord has said they can stay on and pay £80 next year too 😬

@mumsneedwine Thank you - sounds lovely.

Thank you @Africa2go @crazycrofter @blametheparents Thank you for your feedback. I have asked DD to ensure she has noted exactly what bills are included - I assume that they will have key meters for electricity/gas so they don't rack up huge bills, even though they will probably be paying more for their energy? (And I have reminded her that she will be cooking next year - and therefore have to factor in food bills - catered halls have spoiled her!)

Really interesting that Y2/3 costs don’t drop that much for Notts, I assumed they would. Going to be an expensive time with her brother also at Uni for 2 years whilst she is. 😩

@blametheparents good point about visiting friends at other unis and the geographical outlier Exeter. Although quite a few of her friends v interested in Bath so that wouldn’t be too much of a schlep. DS certainly meets up with friends at different unis in the northern half of the country. Distance wise from home all three are about the same for us.

@GrangeFill I feel your pain...we are going to have 3 at uni for one year 😱

I think when I was at Exeter (many moons ago!) our second year house was about £65 and my very lovely final year house £75 a week. Plus I ran a car and don't really remember struggling hugely....things are a bit different nowadays!

Hi, DS2 was at Nottingham and stayed on for MA, he stayed on to work. Lived in Lenton theMeadows and Beeston and has bought in Lenton Abbey. He was in catered, en suite in Cavendish but it was tired and run down even back then.
DS said that The Council is cracking down on HMO and is licensing properties with more than 2or 3 unrelated residents and trying to manage the numbers in some areas, which hopefully will improve quality but will probably increase costs.
Have been out in the evening with him in both Beeston and city centre and feel perfectly safe.

Oh that is very interesting re HMO in Notts. It’s a big issue where DS goes to uni, and has reduced larger house shares hugely. I wonder if that’s happening in Birmingham as well?

Possibly. I know that when the friends that he shared with for his MA wanted to move on, they ended up not finding a house share for 4 people, but two lots of two people. In DS's case they shared a three bed house and were able to have an office when they were WFH and also had lots of guests staying over . In retrospect it wasn't a bad thing but both of them were earning. When they moved out the rent was £695/month, when it was re-let it was £850/month.
The other thing, which I suspect is not unique to Nottingham, is that a lot of student lets are in older houses, often Victorian or Edwardian terraces, and they are very badly insulated. DS had a house on Castle Boulavard with a cellar and it was very cold. Mind you, DS1 shared a listed Georgian house in Southampton and that was an ice box. (Wish he had told us aboutit before they signed up to it!!)
DS2 had good experience with Nottingham Lettings- they seemed to have reasonable quality properties but looking at their website prices vary from about £60 per week to £155. Not sure if that includes bills.

Daft question but are all student houses let in 52 week tenancies?!