When should you book your Student Accommodation in Leicester for 2024-2025?
Reading week is a distant memory and at this point in the year your Uni housing team will be all over campus handing out flyers and posting on Instagram with one instruction: “book your student accommodation early to bag the best rooms”. But, why panic? You have only just moved into your current digs after all… In this blog we explain why your Uni is so keen for you to book early, so you can make up your own mind about when to book.
Why Should You Book Your Student Accommodation for 2024-2025 Early?
We are not going to sugar coat it, as a student in Leicester, finding the right accommodation is a top priority, you will, after all, be spending most of your time in your room. Whether you’re looking for purpose-built student accommodation in Leicester or a student room in Leicester in a shared house, one thing is certain: according to your Uni housing team, booking early for the 2024-2025 academic year is a smart move. But let’s unpack that (pardon the pun) and explore the many reasons why they claim that securing your accommodation well in advance is an essential step for a successful and stress-free university experience.
Avoid the Last-Minute Rush
One of the main advantages of booking your student accommodation early is that it means that you will avoid the last-minute “find a room” scramble. Whilst it is true that as the start of the academic year approaches, the demand for student housing increases unless you have your heart set on a specific student house that you and your mates love or you have found the studio apartment of your dreams, don’t feel too much pressure to book immediately.
Booking before the Christmas holidays is a great option if you have the time (ie. you’re not swatting for an exam or you don’t have a vital piece of coursework due) because it’s a life-admin job ticked off the list. Getting accommodation booked early means that you can relax over Christmas and not endlessly scroll through student accommodation websites, but if you can’t find the time to go student flat hunting, don’t worry, there will still be plenty of housing options available in January.
2. Expand Your Accommodation Choices
If you want THE BEST accommodation in the right area, with the right vibe then booking your student accommodation well in advance, means that you gain access to a broader range of options, because (and we don’t mean to panic you) there will be places that are fully booked before the Christmas holidays. However, Leicester offers a variety of private student accommodation, and yes, as the academic year draws near, these options become more limited, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be homeless next year!
If your personality type is “a planner”, booking early ensures that you have a wide array of accommodations to choose from, allowing you to find the perfect fit that suits your preferences, budget, and lifestyle. But if you’re not fussed about where you will live next year, booking your student accommodation can wait until next term.
3. Budget and Financial Planning
Yup, we’ve said it, the “B” word. Budgeting.
One of the key reasons that your Uni encourages you to book early is so that you can plan your finances. If you are on a tight budget, viewing student accommodation around Leicester early is a smart move. It means that you can compare pricing and amenities to suit your budget.
For example, you might be keen for a communal lounge, cinema room or games room, especially if you know that you and your flatmates are going to be spending some Friday nights to save money. Or you might need a parking space to commute to your placement, and it might work out cheaper to find student accommodation with parking than to leave it too late and have to buy a street parking permit on top of your student rent.
This proactive budgeting approach helps you manage your finances and work out exactly how much you will have left to spend each week in the next academic year.
4. Get the Best Locations
Leicester is an awesome city, and you will find that the best locations for private student accommodation in Leicester tend to fill up quickly.
If you like to roll out of bed 15 minutes before lectures at De Montfort University or The University of Leicester, The Button Factory and The Oval are the perfect places for you and it would be a smart move to secure that lye-in before the flats are fully booked.
However, if you want the buzz of living in the heart of town and being able to nip the supermarket Leicester One will be more your vibe.
It all depends on your priorities and if you do choose to book early, you increase your chances of living in the best area for your lifestyle.
5. Reduce Stress and Focus on Studies
This is the main reason that your University accommodation team are keen for you to book ASAP. They want you to have the time to focus and do well on your course!
Usually, for first and second years, the first term is a lot more chilled than the rest of the year and students will have far more free time to find the right flatmates, view student flats and houses and work out which accommodation option is best for them.
Planning and booking early reduces the pressure that last-minute housing searches can bring (imagine trying to book accommodation during exam season, what a nightmare!). With your accommodation secured, you can concentrate on your studies, extracurricular activities, hanging out with your friends and making the most of your university experience.
So there you have it, we have listed the key reasons that you are being bombarded with messages about booking your student accommodation before Christmas! Of course, with our years of student housing experience, here at Project Student we think that booking for the 2024-2025 academic year in Leicester early is a wise and proactive decision! However, don’t be pressured into making a snap decision and booking early for the sake of it.
Why not book some viewings with us this side of the Christmas holidays? We have 5 different student housing properties across Leicester ranging from bouji flats to cosy studios – come and see what is right for you.
Posted on December 20, 2023