Let’s talk finances
Start your property search by working out how much you can afford to spend on rent each month, don’t forget to factor in living costs such as council tax, utility bills, travel and food so you have a good overall view of the costs involved.
Our referencing team will assess your affordability to rent a property based on your annual salary, if you are self-employed, retired or a student, we might ask for other supporting evidence such as annual tax returns, details of savings or you might be asked to pay rent upfront.
When you register with us, we will ask you a series of qualifying questions to establish your suitability to rent a property with us, don’t be put off, this is as much to save you wasting time on the wrong property as to reassure our landlords that we are choosing their future tenants carefully.
Location
Knowing where you want to live is the next thing to consider, it might be that you’re new to the area or want to be close to the best schools, do feel nervous about walking home after a night shift at the local hospital, do you want to be near the best parks or shops and restaurants. We’ve been living in Taunton and the surrounding areas for over 20 years, so ask us anything you like, as locals, we’ll give you honest advice about the best areas to suit you as well as give you details of all our favourite places.
Your wish list
First of all think about the size of the property, how many bedrooms do you need? What about living space, will you need room to work from home? Is parking important?
Next comes your ‘wish list’, is outside space important, will a balcony do? How close is the property to a busy road? What appliances do you have currently and what do you need? Are you looking for characterful and quirky or neutral and modern?
We all start with a list of wants and needs when it comes to choosing our next home, but don’t forget to be flexible, every home search needs a little compromise.
Now the fun part
Once you’ve established your search criteria, you can start to look at the properties, this can be done virtually or in person. Virtual viewings are convenient, meaning that you can compare a number of properties all at the same time. A top tip is to try and visit the area at different times of day and on different days and don’t forget to take a look at the next door’s garden, this way you’ll get a real feel for the neighbourhood.
However, if you’re travelling from out of the area to view properties, we always recommend that you talk to us before making travel arrangements. Rental properties move quickly and we don’t want you to waste time and be disappointed.
Submitting an application
Once you’ve found the perfect home, let us know straight away. One of the team will guide you through the online application, it’s an easy 5 step process and can all be completed from the comfort of your own home. It’s important that you are honest and factual in your application as it could result in your application failing at a later stage and your holding deposit being retained, if this isn’t the case.
Now is also a good time to mention any special requests, so that the landlord can consider these as part of your offer.
If the landlord accepts your offer, you will be asked to pay a holding deposit, which is equivalent to one week’s rent and takes the property off the market while you’re going through referencing.
A helping hand
Our team will be on hand to help with any questions during the application process, you’ll also have access to our Move Made Easy service, which will find you the best deals and set up your utility accounts, council tax, even broadband and contents insurance. There are so many things to consider when you move, we try to help to ease the strain.
As soon as your references have been successfully completed, our team will prepare the property for your move and send your tenancy agreement for signing. You will be asked to pay the balance of the agreed rent and the deposit, (which is usually equal to five week’s rent) and set up the standing order for your future rent payments.
Moving day
There’s lots to remember, it pays to make a list when you start the process. Here’s a couple of things to include:
- Booking a removal firm
- Getting a supply of boxes
- Redirecting your post
- Changing your address with your bank and the DVLA
- Gather a box with ‘essentials’ (kettle, cups, cleaning products, first aid box, bank cards), on moving day
Finally don’t rush, moving is stressful with lots to do,if you’re staying local and moving from one rental property to another, we recommend that you try to do this over a couple of days, allowing you time to unpack at your new home, whilst cleaning and preparing to hand back the old one.
Settling in
Once you’ve completed the move, it’s time to relax and enjoy your new surroundings. If your property is managed by us, we’ll give you a dedicated consultant to be your point of contact as well as access to our online support so you can reach us 24/7 to deal with any emergencies. You’ll get regular updates about the area and exciting news about events and things going on, you’ll also get access to some great local discounts and deals just because you are part of the eden may family.