Student Houses Manchester: The Survival Guide

Starting university is a momentous occasion in your life and it can feel daunting at first. With so much to prepare for you might not know where to start or what to expect. Other questions you may be asking yourself is what you need to buy and take with you for you move in. Today we are focusing in particular on student houses Manchester. 

This guide will cover first year halls and the student houses Manchester has available for students in second and third year. Find out everything you need from kitchen essentials and general supplies to how to deal with messy flatmates and dodgy landlords. 

Surviving 1st Year Student Houses- Manchester halls

In the first section of this article we are going to be focusing on first year students. Once you’ve confirmed which University you are going to attend and have selected your student halls it all starts to feel real. I’m sure if you’re anything like me you will be having a lot of questions whirring around inside your head. I’m hoping that this article will help to clear up some of your questions and concerns and provide you with some useful tips. The first thing we are going to cover is the essentials you need starting with kitchen essentials, food and other supplies you may forget about but will definitely need at some point. 

Kitchen essentials to take to student houses Manchester

My first tip for surviving student houses Manchester is to bring the right kitchen equipment. First things first, if you manage to find your future flatmates online in student forums or in Facebook groups think strategically. In my experience, we all turned up with 5 toastie makers, plenty of pots and pans but didn’t have the essentials that are easily forgotten about like a potato peeler or a tin opener. If you plan in advance you could discuss with your flatmates-to-be what you need. Then you could each bring an item to share as a house. This saves money and means you are more likely to have everything you need. I personally liked having my own cutlery and plates just because other people aren’t as good at keeping up with washing their dirty dishes. Here is a list of kitchen essentials to bring along with you:

  • Cutlery
  • Plates and bowls
  • Wooden spoon
  • Scissors
  • Kitchen knives
  • Tin opener
  • Kitchen scales
  • Oven gloves and tea towels
  • Food containers
  • Pots, pans and a siv 
  • Chopping board
  • Grater and peeler
  • Tin foil and cling film
  • Measuring jug
  • Roasting tray and baking tray
  • Washing up liquid & sponges
  • Glasses (plastic ones if you want to avoid breakage) and mugs

What food essentials to take with you

When you get to uni the best bet is to head over to the nearest supermarket and stock up. The problem is if you’ve done a full food shop before, you may have no idea what items to buy. We’ve put together a list of essential food staples you need food that are always good to have.

  • Dry cupboard:
    • Pasta
    • Rice
    • Lentils
    • Noodles
    • Passata, tinned tomatoes and tomato puree
    • Tinned vegetables such as peas, carrots, green beans
  • Herbs and spices:
    • Garlic 
    • Salt and pepper
    • Turmeric
    • Paprika 
    • Chilli flakes
    • Cumin 
    • Oregano 
    • Rosemary 
  • Condiments
    • Mayo
    • Salad cream
    • Ketchup and BBQ
    • Balsamic vinegar
  • Freezer
    • Chips
    • Pizza
    • Chicken nuggets
    • Onion rings
    • Ice cream
    • Frozen jacket potatoes

Other Useful Supplies For Student Houses Manchester

We have covered kitchen utensils and food because they’re the things easily forgotten about. When it comes to bathroom and bedroom supplies it really is more a matter of preference. As long as you have cosy bedding, towels, soap and shampoo, you can pretty much survive. Anything extra is more of a luxury such as ring light mirrors, fake tan and fairy lights. Here are some essentials that you might not have thought about but will be thankful to take along:

  • Washing pods
  • Colour catchers
  • Extension lead
  • Coat hangers
  • Clothes horse 
  • Desk fan
  • Batteries 
  • Earplugs and eye mask 

How to cope with flatmates in your Student houses Manchester

Next, we wanted to cover how to cope with your university flatmates. Manchester is known for its vibrant culture, varied nightlife and great transport links. This means you are going to be house sharing with other students from all walks of life and from all over the country. Everyone has been raised differently meaning you’re going to have the tidiest of people mixed with people who have never done a day’s work and have probably never washed up in their life. 

How to deal with messy flatmates:

This can make for an interesting dynamic, especially in a large shared house with communal kitchen and bathrooms. It’s always a good idea to create a bin and cleaning rota, but often it will be the same people making a mess and not cleaning up after themselves. After 3 years of house sharing I realised you either clean up after everyone else or accept the mess and learn to live with it. I opted for the latter, which is a common theme hence why student houses are known for being down right dirty.

How to settle flat fallouts:

When living with a mixture of personalities can lead to the odd fall out here and there. Although some people will manage to survive uni unscathed in relation to uni fall outs, some of you may be unlucky enough to have to deal with one. My advice is to air out any issues as soon as possible to prevent animosity and unnecessary stress. In first year halls I think some universities have students in second year who come round every term to sort any issues. It’s best to try and invite a mediator around if talking through issues to prevent anything getting out of hand. If you are really unhappy in your student flat it may be worth contacting your accommodation and seeing what they can do to help, such as moving flats. 

2nd and 3rd year tips for surviving student houses Manchester

student houses manchester

In regards to second and third years surviving student houses Manchester, let’s assume you will be living in and around the Fallowfield area. Fallowfield is a student hub and you really do grow to love the place. The highlights of the area include platt fields park, the friendship inn and the big sainsburys. When it comes to nightlife, there aren’t many ‘club’ like places, but thankfully with buses running regularly 24 hours a day, you can just hop on any bus and be in town in less than half an hour for as cheap as £1.50. The next thing to expect is first of all, it’s quite different to student halls. Be prepared to face dodgy landlords and red brick houses that on the outside are gorgeous but on the inside haven’t been redecorated for the last 10 years. Again, you will end up making your student house a home and often fall in love with the place.

Here’s some tips for surviving student houses Manchester, Fallowfield.

  • Take pictures as soon as you move in showing any existing damage
  • When it comes to deciding rooms, draw names out of a hat to make it fair
  • Choose the right area of Fallowfield for you- for example the streets between dominos and platt fields park are known for being lively and noisy at all hours.
  • If offered an inclusive bills package for an extra cost, consider sorting bills yourself as it will probably save you money.

Bonus student tips for surviving Fallowfield

  • The buses ‘142’ and ‘143’ only cost £1.50 each way whereas the other buses to town cost £2.50 each way.
  • Haus does an amazing breakfast, Friendship inn does the best pub quiz and 256 has the best beer garden.
  • If you have any issues with landlords, contact acorn for advice.

Overview of student houses Manchester 

We hope this survival guide to the student houses Manchester has provided you with some useful tips for your university preparations. If existing students have any extra tips please share them with us and for other students. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Good luck and don’t forget to Enjoy Manchester! For more information regarding student accommodation at Manchester or nightclubs in Manchester to celebrate, head over to our blog.

About the author
Craig Johnson

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