Coming to the UK? Need a place to stay? Then it’s time to think about how you are going to find a home that’s right for you. Before you start your search, make sure that you know what your budget is; how many bedrooms you need, and what area you want to live in. 

The UK property market is at your fingertips  

Start searching now by visiting one of the many property websites available online. Have a look at the "Find a.." tab for a selection of  websites. If you are a family looking to buy, a student looking for long term rental or simply coming over to travel around for a few months, then there is a website dedicated to you.

There are some websites that cover the whole country and link you to local estate agent’s own websites. Whether you are looking to buy or rent, these sites are great for families and individuals making long-term moves. You can browse houses and apartments in your area and even see the interiors and book viewings before you arrive. 

Property for Students

There are websites dedicated to people who are coming to the UK to study. These websites link you to landlords and letting agents who rent accommodation exclusively to students, so you can find yourself a room in a house with other people just like you, great for cheap, long-term, flats and houses.

There are also sites that are specific to London and are social networking sites, where you can find many people advertising their spare rooms for rent. There are some social networking sites listed in our "Find a.." section. This is great for finding accommodation and meeting new people, but make sure that you are careful when visiting the house for the first time as this website is not regulated. Its advisable to either go with someone else or at least let a friend know where you are going.

There are sites that are dedicated to you if you are looking for a place to stay for a short time. There is one that is translated into 10 different languages and lists hostels, B&Bs, and also has lots of jobs in pubs and hotels that include accommodation. 

Already in the UK and looking for accommodation?  

As well as looking online, you can visit one of the many Estate Agents (our local experts that you find along our high streets), pop in and register with them, but make sure that you read about them in this section first.

You can also find accommodation yourself by looking in the local papers when you arrive in the UK. These are always full of adverts for both sales and rentals, so take the time to buy them and have a look through. When you are in the newsagents buying the papers you should also look at the local advertisements that people place in the newsagent’s window, lots of people choose to advertise their spare rooms this way, as well as on the message boards of the local library.

There is also a nationwide free classified ads paper that will give you probably the largest amount of property for rent, all listed in separate price ranges. But once again be careful, anybody is allowed to advertise here so make sure you are safe when viewing a room or flat.

By John Hillman

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USEFUL WORDS

property market = the number and type of houses available to buy / rent at the moment
budget = the amount of money that you have available to spend
rent = to pay money to someone else to live in their house or flat
long / short-term move = to move somewhere for a short or longer period of time
small / classified ad(vertisement)s = the section in a newspaper with small notices grouped according to their subject e.g. flats to rent
spare room = a room in someone’s house or flat which is available for rent
view a property = to have a look at a room / flat / house to see if you would like to live there

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Raise / Rise / Arise

Raise refers to the action of someone or something lifting, increasing or moving something else in an upward direction:
The Bank of England is going to raise mortgage interest rates next month

Rise only refers to the movement itself:
Rates are predicted to rise by 0.25%

Because raise and rise refer to an action done to something or someone else they always have a direct object:
Rates will raise next year
They will raise rates next year
They will rise rates next year
Fares will rise next year

In formal English arise is sometimes used to refer to problems or difficulties occurring:
A lack of available properties is an issue which can arise in some areas

Arise does not have an object:
Let’s hope nobody arises that issue
Let’s hope that issue doesn’t arise

Note that these verbs have different forms: