AFSEXPRESST H E O N L Y P L A C E T O F I N D S T U D E N T A C C O M M O D A T I O N

In this issue we chat to the Ordinary Boys about their lives on and off the stage, what we can expect from them and their new material and their take on Uni life. Make sure you make all of the right decisions and follow our guide to finding the perfect place to live on pages 14 and 15.

Photograph courtesy of Sheffield City Council

AFS Express is packed full of properties available for 2015/16 and includes a selection of www.accommodationforstudents.com’s best letting agents, landlords and halls of residents.

T H E S P E E D Y W A Y

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Pad 3 - 10 Stafford Rd, Sheffield, S2 2SE **Stop Press! – Stunning luxurious shower room added Summer 2014, to complement existing main bathroom. A great addition to an already amazing house for 5 people** Huge, modern property provided over 4 floors located within 1/2 mile of SHU City Campus. Outstanding, very large, contemporary kitchen with dining area. Superb restyled large separate lounge featuring new contemporary furniture & massive 42" Samsung LCD HD TV, perfect for the Sky channels. Gorgeous main bathroom with contemporary white suite & sandstone tiling. 5 bedrooms decorated to a high standard featuring stylish furniture. Includes Sky TV. Provided with DVD player, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, microwave, oven & hob, 2 fridge/freezers, bath & shower. Alarm system, double glazing throughout. Wood chipped rear garden.

Pad 7 - 907 Ecclesall Rd, Sheffield, S11 8TL Completely refurbished & redecorated in Summer 2012, outstanding spacious property, perfect for students/professionals, in Hunters Bar/Ecclesall Rd amongst the area’s many bars & shops, & conveniently placed for the Campuses of both Universities. Decorated to an exceptionally high standard throughout with contemporary light neutral tones, most notably in the large separate lounge featuring leather sofas & a massive 50" Samsung LCD flat panel HD TV, perfect for the Sky channels. Superb modern kitchen, large main bathroom & separate 2nd shower room. Contemporary wood laminate flooring to entrance hall & lounge. Includes Sky TV. Provided with 50" LCD flat panel HD TV, DVD player, ceramic hob, dishwasher, microwave, large fridge/freezer, 2nd freezer, washer dryer, bath, 2 showers. Alarm system, double glazing throughout. Large patio area to rear, with stylish garden table & chairs.

Pad 10 - 27 Vincent Rd, Sheffield, S7 1BW Excellently presented property located near bars & shops of Ecclesall Road conveniently placed for both Collegiate Campus & City Campus of Sheffield Hallam University. Finished in contemporary neutral colours throughout. Superb modern fitted kitchen & separate lounge with brand new Ikea sofas. An excellent bathroom, redecorated in Summer 2014 to a very high standard, complete this great property.  Includes Sky TV. Provided with large widescreen TV, DVD player, dishwasher, microwave, large fridge/freezer, 2nd freezer, washer dryer, bath, & shower.    Alarm system & brand new security lighting system, uPVC double glazing throughout. Rear pebbled area with contemporary garden table & chairs.

Pad 12 - 5 Alderson Place, Sheffield, S2 4UG Exceptional, refurbished & completely redecorated property located in the very popular Highfields/Sharrow area, a few minutes walk from the City centre shops, & conveniently placed for both City Campus & Collegiate Campus of SHU. Decorated to a very high standard in contemporary neutral colours throughout. Stunning open plan living area comprising very large contemporary kitchen & lounge area featuring wall mounted LCD TV screen, brand new Ikea sofas, wood laminate flooring throughout. Superb Bathroom. Combination of further wood laminate flooring & carpets to bedrooms. Includes Sky TV. Provided with LCD TV screen, DVD player, microwave, large fridge/freezer, washer dryer, bath & shower. Alarm system, double glazing throughout. Rear patio area with garden table & chairs.

Pad 13 - 74 Hunter Hill Rd, Sheffield, S11 8UE Stunning, beautifully presented property, perfect for students/young professionals, located in Hunters Bar/Ecclesall Road amongst the area’s many bars & shops, close to the city centre & very conveniently placed for the Campuses of both Universities. Outstanding kitchen, stunning bathroom with heated towel rail, separate lounge with brand new Ikea sofas, high quality carpets throughout & completely redecorated to an exceptional professional standard throughout resulting in a beautifully presented property. Includes Sky TV. Provided with large LCD HD TV, DVD player, microwave, integrated fridge, 2nd large fridge/freezer, 2nd large freezer, washer dryer, bath & shower. Alarm system & security lighting system, uPVC double glazing throughout.  Rear patio area with contemporary garden table & chairs.

Pad 15 - 20 Wayland Rd, Sheffield, S11 8YE Outstanding spacious property, perfect for students/young professionals, located on a quiet/attractive street in Hunters Bar/Ecclesall Road near the area’s many bars & shops, close to the city centre & very conveniently placed for the Campuses of both Universities, but in particular Collegiate Crescent Campus. Excellent kitchen, stunning bathroom, contemporary separate lounge. Combination of high quality carpets & contemporary wooden flooring throughout & decorated to a high standard throughout resulting in a excellently presented property. Includes Sky TV. Provided with large LCD TV, DVD player, microwave, dishwasher, washer dryer, large fridge/freezer, 2nd large freezer, bath & shower. Alarm system & security lighting system, double glazing throughout. Superb decked area to the rear, featuring modern stylish garden table & chairs.

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Ahead of their whistle-stop tour

this winter, we were able to chat to the Ordinary Boys about their lives on and off the stage, and what we can expect from them and their new material. Sam Preston and newest member Louis Jones (formerly of Spectrals) let us in on their influences old and new, and what makes them happiest about bringing the Ordinary Boys back onto the music scene. Keep reading for their take on uni life, sweaty mosh pits, and most importantly, hummus…

Thirteen years after formation, how has

the band’s sound developed?

SAM: We have been playing music together since we were 12 years old and the new songs that we are writing are more in keeping with how we used to write, pre first album even. Maybe it’s the freedom of writing purely for fun, maybe it sometimes takes a wander off the path to realise where you feel most comfortable. Part of the reason that we are doing this new tour and record is that we rediscovered some of the bands that we used to listen to when we were teenagers and we remembered why we wanted to play music in the first place.

Louis, as a relatively new member of the band, what do you

hope to bring to the upcoming tour and

new material?LOUIS: On the November tour I want to be able to play the old songs well enough that people get the same buzz that they got from them the first time around! They are super fun songs to play and I think that comes across.

The new material is where I do my thing a bit more, I sing some parts and I’ve contributed writing, my hope is that those songs are good enough to sit with the old material and that people will be open to what we are going to sound like going forward! We had the best time together writing new songs and I think everyone at the shows is going to be able to tell!

A lot of young people start up bands whilst

at college/uni. Do you have any tips for

juggling different aspects of life with a

music career?SAM: I really regret not finishing the final year of my degree. I had put a lot of time into it but I had also put a lot of time into my band. My course was in music so it seemed counterintuitive to jeopardise one for the other. However when I was offered a record deal towards the end of my course I chose that instead. Somehow I’ve managed to make a living from music for maybe 10 years now but I know that should I want to pursue anything else I would have to go back to my studies when I could have juggled the 2 and finished the degree. University is a great time to have a band, with all the like-minded, new people that you meet and the free time that would otherwise be invested in day-time TV but it also gets very busy very suddenly as a band can. It’s just about having the balance so that you can invest in whichever snowballs first I suppose.

Will you guys maintain other

projects outside of the band now that you’ve

reformed? SAM: I write songs for pop acts (Olly Murs/John Newman et al.) and Charlie has a vintage clothes store in Falmouth. James does sound design for movies. Everyone is very busy with lives and careers and grown up things. That makes this so much more of a treat for us. It feels so good and is so positive for the music to not really have to care about what people make of it. And so far that has worked out really well and the response from the new songs has been one hundred percent positive.

What’s your favourite part of the touring

process? LOUIS: Wow, there are too many favourite bits! Doing jokes in the van, listening to music really loud in the van, eating at M&S at service stations, playing football in the venue before doors open, drinking all of the free beers and then asking for more, playing guitar really loud but nobody that can tell you off, sleeping in weird hotels, making friends with people, dancing badly at indie nights after the shows. I guess just getting away from real life for a while!

In three words, how would you

describe your show at Birthdays earlier this

year?SAM: Sweaty Mosh Hole

What’s the best part of having a fan-base like “The Ordinary

Army”?SAM: The best part is the bit where you go on telly and make a really weird third album and they still believe in you enough to make it so you can tour 5 years later and they still want to see you!

Finally, and most importantly, can your fans expect to have a drink with you guys

on this tour?SAM: Yes we always sell our t-shirts and hang out after the shows. We always have. It’s nothing ostentatious, simply it’s the most fun thing to do after a show and it certainly beats sitting in a tiny box-room eating hummus from the rider.

The Ordinary Boys spoke to AFS Student team member Lou Budd, who is a current student at Manchester University.

For tour dates, tickets, and pictures of sock puppets, see: www.facebook.com/TheOrdinaryBoysOfficial

THE ORDINARY BOYSINTERVIEW

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Finding somewhere to

live with a paint job from this century and a functioning oven seems a straightforward proposition. Unfortunately, the reality is often a blizzard of chilling decisions; frosty landlords and defrosted hopes, dreams and potato waffles. Allow us to turn up the heat on this deep freeze. Our newspaper (and our website) is a pantry packed with prestige properties and landlords from around the city, and this guide, filled with tips to help you find the right accommodation, should put a potato smile back on your face.

WHEN TO LOOKHouse hunting is competitive, and while the early bird catches the worm, good things come to those who wait. Clichés aside, it’s worth starting as early as November; you’ll encounter some naff properties, so don’t settle for the first thing you see.

There’s often pressure to secure a house by Christmas, but good properties are available in most cities until the end of May. Don’t be rushed into making decisions.

TYPES OF ACCOMMODATION

There are numerous living arrangements to consider, the five most common being: halls of residence; a house or flat share; a room in a private house; and a private flat. All have their merits, so think about what you want from your accommodation.

The most popular options are halls of residence (either uni-owned or private), and house/flat shares. Halls are a great way of adjusting to living away from home and meeting new people; while sharing a house or flat is great for those who want to live with friends. Visit www.accommodationforstudents.com for the largest selection of properties throughout the country.

There are other options though. A room in a landlord’s home is hardly the quintessential student experience, but is an option if you leave things late. Finally, a private flat is good for more reserved

students. Living on your own can be costly, and isn’t for everyone; Jeremy Kyle is far less funny on your own!

CHOOSING YOUR HOUSEMATES

Picking the right people to live with seems obvious, but it’s easy to get it wrong. Often, students will commit to living with people they’ve known for only a few months – will you still enjoy kicking about with them once their drunk anecdotes have worn thin?

Living in a house is a much more intimate experience than halls. Two words: shared bathroom. There are benefits though, and with the right housemates, you’ll have a blast - so make sure you and your housemates are compatible. Start simple: do they like things clean? Disagreements over cleaning can get ugly – and tensions will boil over faster than an ignored pan of pasta. Consider other factors too: are you all party animals, or early birds? Will a vegan housemate get upset if you cook meat in their pans? They may seem silly questions, but it’s the little things…

Finding a balance is important. All-male and all-female houses can create problems, according to Accommodation for Students (AFS) research. A mixed household may be the best balance, but this is down to personal preference - everybody should feel comfortable where they live. You should also think about budgets; if your mate Tarquin has a wallet exploding with fifties, and you have to count your pennies for a pint, then problems could ensue.

Make sure the housemate with the lowest budget can afford the property too.

Finally, if you’ve found the right place but have an extra bedroom, you can pay the deposit and advertise the spare room on www.accommodationforstudents.com. AFS has a section for this; students looking for somewhere to live can request a room.

THE BUDGETMoney is central to choosing a place, and there are numerous costs to consider. Rent is your main expense, and rates vary throughout the country. A survey conducted by AFS shows the average student rental rates are £79.27 per week in 2013/4. The average rent in Sheffield is £73, significantly below the national average.

While halls include utility bills (gas, electricity and water) in the price, most house shares don’t; www.glide.uk.com is helpful as it allows tenants to pay individually, so don’t worry if one housemate doesn’t pay up. While full-time students are exempt from paying Council Tax (visit your uni’s Accommodation Office for an exemption certificate), part-time students do have to pay, so bear this in mind.

Unfortunately, students can be an easy target for burglars, so contents insurance is worth considering. There are various options, including Endsleigh (www.endsleigh.co.uk), who have student-specific plans. Finally, you’ll need a TV license to watch TV or stream live programming. This costs £145.50 per year (www.tvlicensing.co.uk/

check-if-you-need-one/topics/tv-licence-types-and-costs-top2/), but the cost is less daunting when divided between housemates.

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE

LANDLORDEven if you’ve found a property that looks great, there are other factors to consider in the future. Be prepared and make sure to ask a few questions to a prospective landlord.

How long has the property been on the market? If the place has been listed for a while, there could be underlying issues. However, you may be able to negotiate the rent if the property is struggling to move.

How much is the deposit, and what’s the length of contract? Generally, the deposit is one month’s rent plus £200, and the contract is usually 12 months, with half rent over the summer. In non-student areas, it may be easier to negotiate shorter terms.

Is there a break clause in the tenancy agreement? This allows either party to give two months’ notice to end the tenancy after six months.

Is the property accredited? The AFS/Unipol code is a national accreditation scheme for landlords, and has a number of standards that must be achieved in order to gain accreditation. These are assessed through a robust property inspection, so it is well worth asking.

STUDENTS' GUIDE TO FINDING THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATION

A F S E X P R E S S | Finding the right accommodation

A F S E X P R E S S | Sheffield 2014/15

CITY CENTREProximity wise, living in the city centre is beneficial for both Uni-versity of Sheffield and Hallam stu-dents looking for an easy journey into campus. Living in the centre is ideal for students craving longer lie-ins and easy access to the local nightlife, although most will opt to live further afield.

Students who decide to move to the centre will have more eateries than they’re ever likely to need through-out their university days practically on their doorstep. For fans of burg-ers your best bet is the Harley which serves up a frequently updated menu of puntastically titled burgers. The highlight is the ‘Return of the Mac’, a burger featuring not only the UK’s first patty made entirely out of bacon but also a hearty portion of mac and cheese i.e meaty carby heaven. If meat isn’t your thing how-ever, the Blue Moon Cafe offers the most comprehensive vegetarian and vegan menu in the city centre. The restaurant delivers a serene hippy vibe and the food is honest and well portioned, with a large selection of cakes and delicious coffee.

Other excellent choices include: Smoke BBQ for decadent cuisine

from the deep South, Cubana for tapas and Tamper coffee on West Street, which is widely acknowl-edged to be the number one desti-nation for Sheffield based caffeine fiends.

ECCLESALL ROAD

With an average rent of £74, living on ‘Eccy’ Road can, for some, be the perfect compromise between a de-cent price and excellent amenities. In particular, Hallam students who decide to live here will benefit from the close proximity of the area to many of their University buildings.

‘Eccy’ Road’s Fancie is the perfect place for a girlie lunchtime meet up and is the home of the most delicious cupcakes in Sheffield. For those with less of a sweet tooth, there is an ex-tensive breakfast and lunch menu, with an option to order half-sized portions of main meals which works well for student budgeting.

This area is also a great place to go to with visiting families, with res-taurants like Nonna’s Italian or the Graze Inn serving incredible food (the gnocchi at Nonna’s is the best I’ve

ever had) but being slightly costly for a student budget.

This area won’t be your first choice for a big night out, but it does have numerous bars if you fancy a so-phisticated pre-drinks session. Most offer happy hour deals of some de-scription- it might be an idea to plan a mini bar crawl of the area to pick your favourite early on!

CROOKES MOOR / CROOKES

This area is the most popular loca-tion for University of Sheffield stu-dents moving out of first year halls and, unsurprisingly, the further away from Uni you live the lower the average rent - falling from £70 in Crookesmoor to £63 in Crook-es. There is always a manic rush for houses in the first term but there is plenty of student housing in the area so there’s no need for panic - don’t let a hasty choice make you miss your dream house!

Food-wise, the New York Deli is sit-uated at the top of Crookesmoor and can provide you with all you need on a hangover morning: paninis, bagels, amazing hash browns and a random selection of American

imports including marshmallow fluff and jellybeans. Nextdoor is the Rajput - one of the best Indian res-taurants in Sheffield. Although they don’t deliver, there is an option to pick up. It is well worth the walk.

As far as pubs go, the Hallamshire House is the best of a good bunch and is packed with comfy arm chairs, has a great pub quiz and of-fers a wide variety of beer on tap.

BROOMHILL At £71 a week, rent is the Broomhill area is very reasonable and often seems to be the first port of call for students wanting to rent in particu-larly large groups. Food shopping in Broomhill has been made cheap-er through a new Sainsburys local moving in (you’ll find one every 10 meters or so in Sheffield!). Learn to love Fruit Appeal though - every-one that works there is incredibly friendly and your money will go a lot further there!

Broomhill is the home of the Not-tingham House, which is the place to go for comfort food near to halls. Their pies are amazing and are matched only by the Old House, which is far further into town.

Eating an Indian at Balti King after a night out is a rite of passage for Shef-field students and it will often be ram-packed and rowdy between the hours of two and four am. If you’re looking for a quicker fix however then Broomhill Friery is the way to go. It’s owned by the minor local celebrity Dan Bean (cousin of Sean Bean), who never fails to capitalise on his family ties - if you want a Bo-romir burger or a portion of ‘Lord of the onion rings’ (and who wouldn’t..) you’ll be in the right place.

The area may not be a clubbers dream, but it’s heaven for those that love a pub quiz, with the York, Fox and Duck and Notty House all have weekly competitions.

TENANCY AGREEMENT OVERVIEW

Budget sorted? Check. Property found? Check. Pestered the landlord? Check. We’re nearly there - just need to sign the contract! As with any document that requires a daubed name at the bottom, it’s important to know what you’re signing.

The contract, known more formally as an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Agreement, generally lasts 6 months to 3 years; however, a 12-month agreement is common, as landlords want to fill their properties over the summer.

You can renew your tenancy at any point for the following year, and landlords are likely to ask a few months before the end of your contract. Rolling month-to-month contracts exist, but for students a renewal is likely to be for another 12 months. Remember, a landlord is obliged to provide two months’ notice if they want to terminate an AST. This can be done at any time, but cannot be dated to expire before the end of the fixed term. It’s a good idea to get your agreement checked before you sign it; often, your University Housing Office will do this for you.

DEPOSITSThere are two types of deposits: a holding deposit, which reserves the property and is normally non-refundable; and a dilapidation deposit, which is held by the landlord throughout the tenancy. This money will be used at the end of the tenancy for maintenance, repairs and cleaning. So scrub your oven, alright?

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme protects deposits, meaning the landlord must return the deposit, or pass it to an authorised scheme to register a dispute. These schemes provide a free dispute resolution service, but if the landlord or tenant(s) don’t agree, the dispute will go to court. Landlords must tell their tenants within 30 days of moving in with which scheme the deposit has been registered.

Finding the right accommodation is important, so remember to start as early as you can, stay calm and most of all, enjoy!

SHEFFIELD CITY GUIDE

A F S E X P R E S S | Finding the right accommodation

A F S E X P R E S S | Sheffield 2014/15

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How will you replace your phone if it gets damaged, lost or stolen?

*Price based on insuring a laptop up to the value of £500, an iPhone 4s and a bike up to £200 for a student living on campus. **If your item is lost, stolen or unrepairable we’ll replace it within 24 hours – 1 working day of your claim being approved.Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This can be checked on the Financial Services Register by visiting their website at www.fca.org.uk/register. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited, Company No. 856706 registered in England at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire GL51 4UE.

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Your tech is a link to your whole way of life, so what would you do if it gets lost, damaged or stolen? Luckily you can insure your stuff, including your bike, from £10.77 a month.* And, we’ll even replace them in just 24 hours of your claim being approved.** Now there’s something no student should be without.

For lifestyle tips and tricks from the No. 1 student insurance provider visit hub.endsleigh.co.uk/protect

Protect your possessions and always remember to Check, Lock, Leave.

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