Accommodations at Exeter for insurance

[Justlurkingmostly]

How have people have fared for Halls at Exeter if they’ve gone there via an insurance or clearing offer please? Looking ahead, DD2 loved Exeter and I’m fairly certain she’ll either firm or insure it, but am wondering if the latter how the accommodation has been this year. Thanks.

@Justlurkingmostly
Don't have a direct answer for you but see
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/specificsites/accommodation/docs/Application_ratios_as_at_31_July_2025_with_YOY_comparison.pdf
Insurance and Clearing are going to get allocated the ones at the bottom of the list at best, if not Partner accom.

The above came from the green box on https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/accommodation/applyingandpaying/
And there is a very relevant bit in the Firm and Insurance Offer applicant section, about re-instating the application if only Insured.

Actually, forget that last part - it's if you have both Firm and Insurance (two courses at Exeter).

^^thanks yes we’ve read the official line but am wondering if anyone’s YP are going there this year as insurance and where they actually are ending up halls wise

DS and I were looking at accommodation at Exeter just before clearing opened. He's doing a Masters, but we looked at under and post grad. I have to say accommodation was pretty thin on the ground, we were surprised that a lot was taken. He managed to get post grad accommodation but via a third party, not Exeter Uni.

DD is at Exeter going in to her 2nd year. By all
accounts this year has been really bad with even lots of firm candidates not being offered accommodation from the university and having to source private. This is due to one of the large halls on campus being closed due to renovation. They are in the process of building West Park so hopefully come 2026 there won’t be the same issues as this year.

But even so it’s best to expect that if you haven’t firmed Exeter that you very well may not get campus accommodation. Exeter is a small city and everywhere is in walking distance so not necessarily as bad as it seems.

@Rollergirl11 Exeter’s accommodation shortage won’t be sorted in time for 2026. Their latest capital works update has pushed back delivery of the Birks Grange redevelopment (450 beds) to September 2027, and West Park (1,399 beds) to September 2028.

@WIWIKAAyou might have a view worth sharing. £10,000 plus out of the blue I think you said.

My DS currently has Exeter in mind as Insurance as it is one lower than his other offers. We are realistic that he won't get on campus accommodation if he ends up going this Sepetember. What/where are the options where insurance/clearing people ended up last year and how did it work out?

If the private places aren't too far from thr campus (Streatham) he is fine with walking/cycling. I'd be concerned that he'd miss out on the social side though, and friends for second year houses. He's very interested in socialising and naking friends and isnt a lone wolf type like some are. How did it work out in practice?

Also interested to hear this as trying to decide whether to firm or insure here. It’s between Exeter and Durham for my ds. My concern is that if he firms just on the basis of accommodation and gets off campus anyway then worrying about it/choosing on that basis seems a bit pointless. That said he loved it when he went and may prefer it over Durham which he hasn’t been to yet, offer holder day next month.

@Rumplestiltz DD had the exact same dilemma 2 years ago. It was between Durham and Exeter. Exeter was the lower offer so everyone kept telling her to firm Durham and insure Exeter. But she was concerned about accommodation and she actually preferred the course at Exeter anyway. She ended up getting her first choice accommodation.

However she had friends all over the place last year and lots were off campus. Everywhere is in walking distance so it really doesn’t matter,

It is very easy to get fixated on campus accommodation but the reality is that it’s only the first year of their degree that they are there. They will make friends through their courses, societies etc so being off campus won’t hinder them from being sociable and making friends.

DD is loving her time at Exeter. Having said that I am sure she would have enjoyed Durham if she had gone there too. But for DD it the difference between a 3 hour journey vs a 5 hour journey. Durham felt just that little bit too far away.

Thank you both, great to hear thoughts on this. My ds has the same dilemma, choosing between Exeter and Bath but Exeter is one grade lower (still waiting to hear from Durham). He loved both at open day. We will see how land lies after Bath OHD but he really likes Exeter. Seems a bit silly to only insure it and then end up there anyway when he really likes it. Will see how land lies after Bath OHD I guess.

Similar dilemma for my DS but choosing between Exeter and Warwick. Same offers, but Exeter more likely to admit with a dropped grade, so would make a better insurance. But Warwick apparently better for insurance accommodation. We are also waiting for OHDs to decide.

My son had the same - could not decide between Bath and Exeter and ended up waiting until the last day to choose, because this was the A level exam period he had a better idea of how he was going to do in his exams. He ended up choosing exeter as he was worried about not getting the grades for Bath and didn't want to get off campus accommodation at exeter as an insurance. Ironically he ended up having the grades for Bath but does not regret choosing exeter and is having a great time.
We have two kids at exeter since so many kids are off campus due to the building works I don't think its affected them socialising.
Also, you will be surprised about how many kids pull out of uni once they start and if you go on waitlist with the accommodation team its likely a place on campus will come up. I think uni also keeps some disabled accomodation on campus back and if this is not used they release it beginning of term to no disabled students - just my observation no info from uni to say its true!)

Thank you, that's really good to hear. I think looking at the private accomodation options, they are all quite near to the campus so hopefully it wouldn't be too isolating - my other child had friends join through inusrance options at Southampton, Manchester etc and were other side of the city.

I did ask the accomodation people at Exeter OHD about wiait listing - start off in private accomodation and wiatlist for a space coming up on campus - but they said the private provider contract makes you sign up from September to September for a 51 week contract! Which does seem to be the case looking at some of them. So presumably you'd get stuck paying dual rent for at least some of that, if not all of it (not possible). Also, my concern there is that how do they then get a house for year 2 with people that have been in halls as they will all be on standard 40 week contracts Septemebr - June and, at least where my older child is, they have to pay for there house form June to June. Again, I can't pay double rent over the summer when he won't even be there - it's bad enough payingt once over the summer to reserve a house ...