It always seems really early in the academic year to be thinking about where you want to live next year but savvy students know that the best houses get snapped up quickly so starting early is the best option.

For first year students, many of who are just getting over the challenges of settling into student life the thought of looking for a house for Year 2 as early as November just two months after they started at university can be quite daunting.

It’s tricky when friendship groups are only just being formed to even think about who you might want to share a house with in 10 months time! Living in university halls is very different to sharing a house so it’s important to choose your housemates carefully. No matter how tricky it is don’t just think it’s something that you can put off for a couple of months otherwise you’ll find all the best houses have been snapped up by 3rd and 4th year students!

Red bedroom

Most student letting agents in the Nottingham area start to actively market their houses in November but some start even earlier. Most are pretty web savvy these days so if you are house hunting get yourself registered with them, follow them on Facebook and Twitter and keep a close eye on RightMove and StuRents – ideally set up an account and create alerts so you are automatically notified of houses that meet your criteria.

More than anything - get organised: agree on which friends you’re going to share with; agree what you’re looking for & where and agree on how much you can spend. Then be prepared to move quickly when you see something that you like! Student house hunting is not for the faint-hearted as thousands of students scramble for the best pickings.

More and more student houses are now available with all bills included which makes life easier in terms of managing your costs over the year but their headline rents will be higher – just be careful to check which bills are actually included as it will differ from house to house.

In terms of areas Lenton is always popular because of its proximity to the university, the QMC and the city centre. It also has a large number of student houses to choose from. If you are looking in Lenton please be aware that it is also a residential area and not an exclusive student enclave so be prepared to be respectful and supportive of the community that live there.

With one week to go until the madness begins it’s time to get organised. Good luck!