A University Experience: Chapter 2 - Properties

Introduction

Hello and welcome back!

Last time, I spoke about my reasoning for going off to university and the fact I had 2 hits when it came to my applications. I didn't say anything about my interview or enrolment processes. I guess my reason for this is everything moves so quickly in a short space of time. I didn't go for an open day, because I was a 6 hour journey away from campus. I'd spend more time on a train than anything else. So I had an online interview with the course lead. I thought it would be mostly questions for me and my capabilities, only I think he was giving more of a sales pitch as I was. After this conversation and after I signed contracts and sorted out finances... That is when I started looking into properties.

Daniel House

When you're looking for somewhere to live, be it your first home or the next chapter in your life, you have a rough idea of what you're looking for.

I was looking for somewhere that I didn't have to share a loo with strangers, decent Wi-Fi, bills included and the kind of place that I could listen to music or play games into the early hours... I wanted to do my own thing and control when I see people.

Or in other words, I can cope with company after I've had that first coffee.

So that meant that I was looking for a 1 bed flat in Liverpool that had everything included. I wasn't fussed about it being furnished or empty, I could always take things with me or buy bits while I'm up there. One thing that covid was good for was saving. It made some choices easier when looking at moving.

I found this place across the road from my university called Daniel House. That should have been a really big red flag, it has the same name as my Dad.

This flat was on the 5th floor and was honestly a perfect fit. It had a bed, wardrobe, sofa, oven with an induction top to it and fridge already there.

I went up there to see it with my Mum and we actually had a really great time of it. We looked around a handful of places I had noted down and then we still had time to walk around town and make our way over to the Cavern Club before heading home.

Right after touring Daniel House, I put my name down for it and signed the yearly contract on the ride home. I figured that it was right by the uni and I could use it as a hangout for mates on my course.

The above picture was taken right after I got the keys to the place. I got the phone call around 9am saying I could pick them up anytime and I jumped at the opportunity. I was there that afternoon. After this picture, I needed to get a full set of bedding for the other room. I must have looked nuts, 2 pillows, a duvet and bedsheets in hand walking down the road. I didn't care, I had my first home and I was about to personalise it and make it mine.

Everything was adding up, I was pretty excited at the thought of moving out of home. Moving to Liverpool just wasn't real in my head. My Dad and I packed my stuff into a van and the 3 of us (Mum, Dad and myself) went on a 6 hour drive up to Liverpool.

Parents being parents, they decided that my freezer compartment wasn't big enough. It was one of those little letterbox ones you find in small fridges. So while my mum cleaned her way around the kitchen / lounge area, my Dad and I went to Birkenhead in search of a chest freezer. What we came back with was this waist high 99L freezer.

I thought it was too big, but in actual fact it was perfect. It was jammed full of food at one point because I would cook meals for 2 and then freeze half to have later. That way, I could make the most of 2 for 1 deals. The freezer became a table to eat off while I was sat at my computer.

I still have it, I brought it home with me. That freezer was definitely one of my better purchases.

I sorted myself out a couple of months before my course started, so I could get to know the area and settle into a job. I highly recommend doing this. Moving in early was the best possible decision I could have made. If I didn't the following would have happened while I'm trying to concentrate on university assignments and a career change.

The Landlord

So I had moved in, arranged my flat just the way I wanted it and then I reached out to my landlord to get the Wi-Fi password. Radio silence.

I went down to the concierge to see if they knew anything, it wasn't really their area but they tried to help. Then they warned me that my landlord hadn't paid their fees. This meant any packages I order online or even takeaways would be turned away at the door. When you move into a new place, you're always ordering new bits and pieces that will make your life a little easier. Especially if you're just starting out. There were more issues, like one of my windows was broken before moving in. Though what I've noted here was my main concern.

I thought that if I wasn't hearing from the landlord that I should reach out to the estate agent as they were holding onto my deposit. They tried to reach out on my behalf and eventually (about 3 weeks later) we heard back.

As it turns out, my landlord hadn't paid these fees because he felt that the agreed upon rental fees I was paying didn't cover it. This was the amount that he had set in place, signed on the dotted line to agree to and we both had accepted the terms. At this point, I was freaking out. I remember a conversation with the estate agent where I turned around and said "I'm an IT student, what am I supposed to do without Wi-Fi? Live out of an internet café". Two weeks on from this chat, the landlord reached out to me directly. It was the first time I had actually spoken to this guy and I'd been living in the place for 5 maybe 6 weeks.

He tells me that he wants to abandon the estate agent and go solo, meaning that he would get more control over pricing and rules. Tried to play it off that the estate agent had been mucking him around. Due the the legalities of it all, the estate agent would still hold the deposit until the contract is up, but everything else would be down to him to organise. After what I had experienced of him as a landlord, that was a scary thought. The estate agent was my safety net in this scenario. I insisted that he only contact me via email so I would have a written copy of any contact that we had. I even included the estate agent in every email sent between us, against both of their wishes. My reasoning for this was I didn't want him trying to grab my deposit. Here's where things got interesting. The landlord said to me that he was switching to a different estate agent, keeping the same terms as our current contract and was willing to fix all issues that I was having. This offer just came out of the blue. Then as a sweetener, he gave me an opportunity to drop out. The landlord didn't like it very much when I thanked him and took the get out clause that he had just provided me with. I got messages like "I didn't expect you to actually take it" and "I only said that as a courtesy". Now, the interesting thing about this offer that he had overlooked was that our contract says that I need to pay the remained of the year upfront if I initiate the termination of the contract. It said nothing about me paying a penny if he offers first. He was mad at me, but I was out of a tricky situation with my deposit returned to me.

One week to go...

It was one week before I started university, I had paid for the flat for a month in advance so I had a roof over my head for a bit. Not that I wanted to stay there long. My Uncle and Nan were coming up to see me and planned it so we could see Peter Donegan playing the Cavern Club. We wanted to go because Peter is Lonnie Donegan's son and was likely to be playing some skiffle. Peter cancelled last minute and we ended up seeing the Cavern Club Beatles instead. Beatles music in the Cavern, couldn't complain. After the nightmare I'd just been through at Daniel House, this was a much needed break from the craziness that was my life. Just before my family visited, I found a room in a student hall that I could move into for the year. It was further away from the university and interestingly, the same price as my flat.

The halls were based behind the Liverpool Philharmonic. My room faced out over Myrtle Street and what would a university experience be without a nightclub across the road.

Who needs sleep?

I shared the kitchen area with 3 others and had my own ensuite. Most importantly, I had Wi-Fi. It felt like a weight had been lifted. There was even a Co-op downstairs if we ran out of essentials. I put it to the test a few times. Things like can I go down and buy a pint of milk before the kettle finishes boiling? Yes, yes I can. I borrowed my Uncle and Nan to help me shift essentials over to the halls in their suitcases. After that, we relaxed and did a fair bit of touristing. Going to the Beatles Story Museum on Albert Dock and we went on a Magical Mystery Tour which is a must for anyone planning a visit.

The bulky stuff would have to be shifted in a van. So my Dad flew up on a Saturday morning and crashed with me for a night. We hired a van on Saturday and shifted everything out of Daniel House.

Needless to say, my room in halls was much smaller than a 1 bed flat. So not everything would fit into the new accommodation. We put the chest freezer, office chair and kitchen supplies into the lift and took those into my room. Everything else stayed in the van and my Dad drove it for 6 hours back home as I prepped for university the following week.

That first week of university, I doubt I was much of a conversationalist. I was so emotionally and physically drained. I remember putting my headphones on and listening to one of my favourite playlists on that first day. By the end of my time in Liverpool, I was friends with quite a few on that course and would sometimes nudge them to try and stop them watching cat videos. You know who you are!

Student Halls

Walking into my new accommodation for the first time, I noticed that the floor was sticky. Not like something was spilled, this was nightclub sticky. I remember chatting to my roommates for the first time and they were saying about getting down on their hands and knees to clean the floor in their room with anti-bacterial wipes. Fortunately, I owned a broom, mop and bucket from having my own place for a few months.

I went over that floor twice with the mop. Once to get rid of the crap that was there, and once more to actually clean it. My roommates were all studying marine biology and I felt a bit awkward at first because I wasn't. That was until they asked what I was studying. I almost converted them to being game designers simply because they didn't realise it was an option. I think that was the first time I thought to myself "Yeah, what I'm doing is pretty cool". I had a couple of willing game testers at my disposal and all it would cost is a pint down the pub to say thanks. Their attitude was that I was providing them with a distraction from their dissertation on zebra fish. I wouldn't have had any of this if I stayed on my own.

Thanks for reading this far, I really appreciate it! Please feel free to look at another blog post or maybe some of my 3D work.