SaTH Accommodation Guide

Accommodation Guide Preparing to look for your first home in the UK

Contents

As you are aware, the Trust is happy to support you with providing your temporary accommodation for your initial 3 months with us. After this period, you will need to move into your new permanent accommodation. We recommend looking for your permanent accommodation at least 1 month before your 3 months is due to come to an end however, the Onboarding Team will support you with this.

This document highlights some key points to consider in the meantime.

Page 3 Different types of properties Page 5 Safety tips for house hunting Page 6 What to expect when applying to rent a new property Page 7 How much will the rent be?

Page 8 Local letting agencies / accommodation services Page 9 Moving day Page 10 Where to buy furniture from?

Page 11 Things to consider when moving into a new house Page 12 Expenses to consider when renting a property Page 13 Additional local services

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Different Types of Property

When you are searching for your permanent accommodation, you may come across a number of descriptions of different properties. Below is a breakdown of what each description means and a diagram of what a typical house would look like for each description.

Mid-Terrace

The term ‘mid-terrace’ is used to describe a house which is situated in the middle of a row of similar looking houses.

An ‘end-terrace’ property is situated on a

End Terrace

similar row of houses as described I ‘Mid-Terrace’ The difference with an end-terrace property is that this house is the very last one of that row meaning it

Shared Accomodation / HMO

shares one wall with another house.

Shared accommodation or a HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) is one house which is shared by multiple residents - and could be in the form of any of the houses pictured in this section.

Usually, the terms of this arrangement consist of a private bedroom and ‘common areas’ meaning that the living area and kitchen would be used by everyone living in the house.

Some HMO’s have private bathrooms for each resident, others will have communal facilities.

Please note: Any more than 3 unrelated people who wish to live together would have to do so within a HMO. It is important to ensure that the HMO you would like to live in holds a license with your local council. If it does not hold a HMO license, the Landlord would be liable for any fines related and the health and safety of the tenants would be at risk.

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Semi-Detached

Different Types of Property

A semi-detached house is often one which shares one wall with the house next to it. These houses are in pairs and would usually mirror each other in shape and size.

Bungalow

A bungalow is a one-story property.

They can vary in size however, all rooms are on one level. Some bungalows are detached, others are semi-detached.

Flat/Apartment

A flat is normally set on one floor, as part of a larger building consisting of multiple flats. These properties include a kitchen, bathroom, living area and bedroom(s). Usually, there will be one communal garden which all residents would share.

Detached

As you can see from the image (left), a detached house is one that stands alone with no other house/property attached to it.

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Safety Tips for House Hunting

It is really important to stay safe and be careful when you are in the process of looking for your new home. Below is a list of some top tips from www.spareroom.co.uk  Never sign or pay for anything before viewing the property/room  Only contact reputable advertisers, if you’re not sure do a quick Google search to see if they are legitimate  Find out the exact address of the property you will be viewing to do some background research and to also tell someone where you will be and at what time put you in a safer  Try to take someone with you to the viewing, this will . situation  Double check the property is secure and that you are happy with the safety of the surrounding streets  If you are looking at a HMO or house/flat share it is a good idea to ask to meet the resident(s) already living there as this gives you a sense of their character  Always ask to see a copy of the Tenancy Agreement before signing or paying for anything  Use a free online sort-code checker before making any payments by bank transfer – this will show you who the account is registered with  If you are dealing with an agent, check them out online and call their main number to make sure they are a legitimate employee

DEPOSIT PROTECTION SCHEME When you rent a house, most lettings agents and landlords require something called a ‘deposit’ (more information can be found on the next page). Your landlord must put your deposit in a government-backed tenancy deposit scheme (TDP).

Ask which DPS (Deposit Protection Scheme) the landlord / agent is using.

This is a legal requirement that ensures your money is protected in a separate scheme, ready to be returned at the end of your tenancy (the amount returned will depend on the Terms & Conditions of your Tenancy Agreement and the condition the property is left in)

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What to expect when applying to rent a new property

DEPOSITS Holding deposit – This is a small payment that a landlord or agent will ask from you in order to reserve the property you would like. A holding deposit will generally be equal to one weeks rent. It is important to note however, that a holding deposit can only last 15 days, unless you agree another deadline in writing. As per the example below, in this scenario a holding deposit would be £137.

Upfront deposit – You will be asked to pay a deposit upfront which is normally a lump sum that will be held in a Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS). It is important to check that the deposit you are being asked to pay does not exceed the value of 5 weeks’ worth of rent. Below is an example of how a deposit would be calculated for illustrative purposes; A house which costs £595 pcm (per calendar month) - Weekly rent figure £137 - Deposit will be 5 x £137 - Deposit upfront would be £685

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REFERENCES When you apply for a property, the landlord or agent will request references to support your affordability of the property and in some cases to build a clearer picture on the characteristics of the tenant(s). You will usually have to give references from the previous landlord/host/agency that you resided with for your first 3 months with the Trust and also provide a reference from your employer to confirm your employment status. In this instance, you could provide details for Kayleigh Williams, Overseas Team Administration Lead, sath.internationalnurses@nhs.net.

The landlord or agent will normally ask for these details from yourself and will then contact the referees themselves. If you are asked for a bank statement as proof of earnings, make sure to cover over your account details for security reasons.

CREDIT CHECKS When you find the property you would like to apply for, and f you are going through an Estate Agents, you will be informed that a credit check will be run on your application. An agent or a landlord will run a credit check to obtain information from public registers such as the electoral roll, the Individual Insolvency Register and The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. They will be able to confirm a tenant’s name, address and any history of insolvency or CCJ’s (County Court Judgements). They cannot access information on credit agreements, credit limits or repayments.

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How much will the rent be?

One of the main things to consider when looking for a new property is to make sure you have set out a clear budget on what you can afford to spend on rent per month.

Prices can vary considerably in both Shrewsbury and Telford, this depends on the number of bedrooms, the location, quality of the property and distance from local amenities (desirable facilities such as parks, shops, doctor’s surgery, post office etc.)

Below is a sample of what prices to expect for different types of property (this information has been taken from what is available on the market as of May 2020).

Number of Bedrooms

Shrewsbury price range per month

Telford price range per month

1 Bedroom property (Usually a flat / apartment)

£365 - £750

£375 - £570

2 Bedroom property

£525 - £950

£460 - £875

3 Bedroom property

£600 - £1,300

£500 - £1,027

4 Bedroom property

£775 - £2,300

£699 - £1,600

1 Room (part of house share – would come with communal facilities such as kitchen, living area, bathroom. In some cases, bills would be included within the higher priced rooms)

£290 - £670

£240 - £650

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Local Letting Agencies / Accommodation

Looking for your new property can seem a little overwhelming with the number of properties out there on the market, therefore it’s good to have a starting point of what it is you are looking for, in your preferred location and most importantly, within your budget.

Using a local letting agency can help sift through all properties on the market to match your specific criteria – this makes house hunting so much easier! Below is a list of estate agents / housing services and where you can find them.

TELFORD AREA

SHREWSBURY AREA

Coleman Estates 25 Church St, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1DG Tel: 01952 244990

Monks Estate & Letting Agents 10A Shoplatch, Shrewsbury SY1 1HL Tel: 01743 361422

Your Move Estate Agents 56 Market St, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1DT Tel: 01952 641242

Miller Evans 4 Barker St, Shrewsbury SY1 1QJ Tel: 01743 236800]

DB Roberts Property Centre 30 Market St, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1DT Tel: 01952 256272

Roger Parry & Partners 165 Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8LG Tel: 01743 343343

Mannleys Sales & Lettings 23a Market St, Wellington, Telford TF1 1DT Tel: 01952 245064

Belvoir Estate Agent 23 Swan Hill. Shrewsbury SY1 1NF Tel: 01743 242000

Julia Weston Sales & Lettings 43 Market St, Wellington, Telford TF1 1DT Tel: 01952 246622

The Wrekin Housing Trust 11 Bellstone, Shrewsbury SY1 1HU Tel: 01952 217100

Alternatively, if you cannot get out and about to your local estate agent branch you can always use resources such as www.rightmove.co.uk or www.onthemarket.com where you can search their websites by filtering to your own criteria in order to only see the properties which are suitable for you.

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Moving Day

When the day arrives for you to move into your new home, you may want to consider how you are going to get there. Booking a taxi would be the most convenient option especially if you are transporting your personal belongings.

Tip: If you and other house mates are moving to a similar area or house-sharing in your new property, you could consider splitting the taxi fee. Below, you will find some contact details for Taxi companies for both Shrewsbury and Telford.

Taxi Company and Number

Do they have an app available?

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury Taxis,01743 242424

Yes



GoCarz Taxis,Shrewsbury Number 01743 441144,Telford Number 01952 501050

Yes



ABC Cars , 01743 545454

No



Diamond Cars, 01952 222222

Yes

Telford





THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO BUY FOR YOUR NEW HOME How exciting! After you have found your new home and have signed your tenancy agreement, you may be thinking of buying a few item’s to cover the basics and to add a personal touch. You may want to consider buying the following to start with.

BASIC ESSENTIALS Crockery (pots, pans, plates,



Bed frame & mattress

drinkware)



Duvet, pillow & bed linen



Cutlery & utensils



Bath/face towels



Kitchen towels



Clothing storage drawers/wardrobe



Washing up liquid



Sofa/chair for living area



Washing machine (alternatively, use of



Vacuum cleaner



a local Laundrette service

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Where to Buy Furniture From

Buying new furniture can be expensive, so it might be an idea to consider less expensive ways of making your new house a home. There are a wealth of high street and online services where you can source affordable second hand furniture.

If you have a Facebook account, it is a good idea to join pages such as “Swap, Buy or Sell Telford” or “Shrewsbury Buy Sell or Swap”. It is also worth looking on the Facebook ‘Market Place’ for your area as you will come across a wide range of second hand products at affordable prices. Alternatively, there are some local shops where you can buy affordable TELFORD AREA

SHREWSBURY AREA

Gary Telford Sales (Second hand furniture & white goods) Road Point House, Health Hill Island, Dawley, TF4 2RJ

Argos (Retail shop) Meole Brace Retail Park, Unit 7, Hereford Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 9NB

Furniture Junction (Second hand furniture shop) 106 Watling St, Wellington, Telford, TF1 2NH Sayce’s Secondhand Corner (Second hand furniture shop) 2 Lion St, Telford, TF2 6AQ Wilkinsons (Retail Shop) Market St, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1DT Argos (Retail shop) Bridge Retail Park, 7 Colliers Way, Overdale, Telford, TF3 4PB B&M Bargains (Retail shop) New St, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1LU

B&M Bargains (Retail shop) Lancaster Retail Park, Brixton Way, SY1 3AZ Home Bargains (Retail shop) Located within the Darwin Shopping Centre, Raven Meadows, Shrewsbury, SY1 1PL Home Bargains (Retail shop) 172 Abbey Foregate , Shrewsbury , SY2 6AL Hope House Shrewsbury Furniture (Charity shop) Lancaster Retail Park, Unit 3, Shrewsbury, SY1 3AZ Severn Hospice Furniture (Charity shop) 57 Ennerdale Road, Shrewsbury, SY1 3LD

Home Bargains (Retail shop) Wrekin Retail Park, Telford, TF1 2NL

Shrewsbury Furniture Scheme (Charity shop) 25 Castle Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1D

Home Bargains (Retail shop) Turreff Avenue, Donnington, Telford, TF2 8EA

Wilkinsons (Retail shop) Located within Pride Hill Shopping Centre

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Things to consider when moving into a new house

When it comes to setting a budget of how much you can afford to spend on rent, it is also essential to include costs involved in running a household.

These are classed as utility bills which can cover electricity, gas and water/sewage.

Additional utilities which are common within households include internet, TV and phone services (though not essential).

GAS AND ELECTRICITY When you move into a property, it will already have an electricity and gas supply. You will be required to register with an energy provider and supply the meter readings of the property (these are usually provided by the landlord/agent).

Below are some examples of energy providers however, there are plenty on the market so do make sure you make some comparisons to find the best deal. A really useful website to use is www.uswitch.com.

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Things to consider when moving into a new house

COUNCIL TAX Council tax is another expenditure which needs to be taken into account when looking for a property as the cost of council tax can differ from one property to the next. It is a fee that your local council charges you for the local services it provides such as rubbish collection and libraries. This is normally paid in 10 monthly instalments followed by two months of not making payments.

The cost of council tax is determined based on the value of the property and is categorised into alphabetical ‘Bands’. Usually, it is stated within the property advert which council tax band applies to that property, you will then be able to use websites such as www.telford.gov.uk and www.shropshire.gov.uk to determine the cost. Also, you will be required to recycle waste appropriately and both websites provide clear information about what type of bin is used for different types of recycling.

UPDATING YOUR ADDRESS When moving from your old property to your new property, you want this to happen as smoothly as possible. Therefore, it is important to consider the following when you move into your new home; 

Contact your bank and inform them of your new address



inform your GP / Dentist that you have changed address



Provide the Trust with your forwarding address to ensure any mail gets delivered to you at your new address



Inform you Line Manager that your address has changed, to ensure that you receive any payslips.

It is advised to inform all above parties of your new address as soon as possible, this can either be as soon as you have signed your Tenancy Agreement or on the 1st day of your Tenancy.

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Additional Local Services

Once you have settled into your new home, you may want to know what local services you have around you.

Some services include a library, laundrette, post office and a Citizens Advice Bureaux. A Citizens Advice Bureax is a service which provides free, confidential information to assist with money advice, legal, consumer and other concerns. Below is a list of where to find some of these services;

Local Service

Shrewsbury

Telford

Library

Shrewsbury Health Library

Wellington Library

Located within The Royal

Wellington

Shrewsbury Hospital

Telford

Learning Centre

TF1 1LX

Mytton Oak Rod

01952 382990

SY3 8XQ 01743 492512 Post Office

Copthorne Post Office

Leegomery Post Office

(within Co-op shop)

Unit 1

Mytton Oak Road

Leegomery Centre

Shrewsbury

Telford

SY3 8UG

TF1 6XQ

0345 611 2970

0345 611 2970

Citizens Advice

15 College Hill

40 Tan Bank

Bureaux

Shrewbury

Wellington

SY1 1LY

Telford

0344 499 1100

TF1 1HW 0300 330 1165

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If there is anything you are unsure about that has not been covered within this brochure, please feel free to contact the Onboarding Specialist, Beth Williams on beth.williams10@nhs.net who will support you with any further queries. On behalf of The Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, we wish you all the best in finding the right property for you.

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