New adulting adventures

So. You've signed the contract and suddenly, you're a tenant for the first time in your life. You're an adult. Or one step closer to resembling something we call being an adult.

Okay, let's be honest 'you' is actually 'me'. So here's the plan. I have semi-recently moved into a new flat and it's such a big decision that can be incredibly terrifying. And I thought maybe somebody else could profit from my experiences. I would like to note that my experiences are obviously very specific and specific being a two-bedroom flat built in the 20s? 30s? in a small town in Scotland and also me being a student, having a roommate and of course being of limited financial means.

So here are some things to look out for at your viewing that I retrospectively should perhaps have paid more attention to. Some of them you might not be able to find out but it's worth giving it a try because some of these issues will really come to bother you. And even if you know they might be a problem, the *cough, cough* limited financial means might still force you to choose a less-than-perfect flat anyway.

1. (has to be) Mould.                                                                                                                        Goes without saying amirite?
2. The Condition of the building.                                                                                                First impressions matter. In what kind of state is the building? Even the front door could be an issue. Even if you live in a "safe" area, there is most definitely value in feeling that much safer. For example, our front door was broken which I was slightly annoyed but not too bothered by but then had to pass a semi-naked, passed-out guy who smelled of pee and alcohol and definitely did not live in the building on my way out the door to uni. Not my favourite experience to date.
3. Water pressure.                                                                                                                          Low water pressure is the worst. And generally, the bathroom situation is worth checking twice since you might not spend long periods of time in there, it has absolute essentials. Also, again, look out for MOLD. Time for some personal experience: we currently have a slightly leaky toilet and I've gotten used to the shower over bath but the unpractical installation and low water pressure don't make the best showering experience (which is the one reason I am actually happy to be back home for Christmas).
4. Windows                                                                                                                                      So incredibly important as I have learned. This will probably not be a big issue in most countries but in the UK, where the weather as we all know is not that great, well-insulated windows are very, very helpful and you miss them terribly if you don't have them! (I'm looking at you, single-glazed windows) 
5. The Contract.                                                                                                                        Again, this probably goes without saying since an important contract should be definitely read very very carefully, for questions such as insurance, the deposit, and your responsibilities as a tenant and the responsibilities of the landlord which brings me elegantly to my next point:
6. The Landlord                                                                                                                                  Lots of these points are of course very much connected and especially this one. By looking at what kind of condition the building is in one can learn a lot about the kind of person the landlord is and how much he cares. In our case not terribly much. This can by the way, also be a good thing because then you potentially have more freedom with decisions (although I suppose we'll see if we get our deposit back at the end of this marvellous adventure).
7. Previous tenants                                                                                                                       This is more of a helpful thing. Maybe you can get their number and perhaps they want to sell some of their furniture that they don't want to take to the next place (often the case with students) or they can tell you if they had good or bad experiences with their internet, gas or electricity provider *cue the iconic masterpiece that is Lunchmoney's Bills*
8. Neighbours                                                                                                                                You'll most likely not know beforehand what kind of people are living around but who knows maybe somebody is just having a wild party at the time of your viewing or you notice a lot of screaming kids or instruments being played very badly.
9. location, location, location!                                                                                                     How far is the nearest supermarket? How long does it take to get to the next bus/train/tram stop? What's the parking situation like if you have a car? How far is uni or work? This obviously already limited our search significantly since a nice flat really does not make up for, say, double the commute time in the mornings. Another personal experience: our flat is up a hill. This makes a difference walking up and down it every day to get to uni and doing the grocery shopping. But hey, at least it's a workout, right? Right???

I mean, look at this view!

To sum this up all neatly in a nutshell, I hope this has been at least somewhat helpful but if even one person has profited from this I'll have achieved my goal!

One thing, however, you might have noticed is that I have complained a lot. A lot. But you know what: I do love our flat. I think even if it's a little rundown, you can still make the most of it and make it cosy.