Packing your bags and heading off to uni is one of those key life moments, when you feel you’re stepping into proper adulthood. But it’s only once you graduate that you realise you’re out there as vulnerable as a newborn, taking on the big, wide, world.
Once you’re armed with your degree, it’s time to enter the workforce army, find a home – maybe even a new city – and likely some flatmates. You’re entering Generation Rent and all the stress that goes with it. But, worry not! We’ll help you avoid falling into the millennial burnout trap by giving you all the apps and sites you could need to go from graduate to bossing life goals and making that big house move smoothly.
New job. Check. Now, new home
Hopefully, you’ve found your vocation. But now you need to find your happy place, a secure sanctuary to rest your head. If you’re keen to avoid having to deal with letting agents, OpenRent should be your first port of call as they only feature properties advertised directly by landlords, and you’ll only ever see properties that are available right now.
Avasa is a bespoke property finding service that enables you to search according to multiple parameters, such as your commute time and whether you need a local gym, or according to your lifestyle; it’ll even help you find a new area to live in. If time is precious, you can pay for Avasa’s Sherpa service: it’s like having your very own butler to act as your local area expert and do all the legwork – sourcing properties, arranging viewings and even negotiating rent for you when you find your dream pad.
If you’re looking for a room to rent in a shared home, Badi will help you find one. It lists rooms in all major cities worldwide, which is superb if you’re making a move abroad. IdealFlatmate is like a dating site for finding roommates – go through their multiple-choice questions, and it’ll supposedly find you the perfect, like-minded co-habiter. If you’d prefer not to put all your eggs in one basket, check out the behemoth SpareRoom, which covers finding flatshares and flatmates.
You’ve found your sanctuary. Moving time
Before you start packing, download Sortly. Although it’s good for creating a visual inventory of where you’re packing your stuff, it’s worth downloading just for the in-app moving check list, which is broken down by what you should be doing week-by-week in the run up to the big move. Alternatively, find some movers to do it all for you – including the packing! At Buzzmove.com you’re just a few simple questions away from a selection of quotes from fully insured moving companies.
If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, hire a van either by the hour or by the day from Hertz 24/7 and move yourself. Your new roommates can help you unload.
Is it going to be a bit of a squeeze getting all your stuff into your new pad? Drop the excess at Big Yellow who will not only undercut any other storage quotes you’ve had, but also recommend removal firms and offer discounts on van hire.
You’re in. Now what?
It’s time to burn some money, and make your space feel like home. Even though you might not have your wifi sorted yet, with the mobile network VOXI you’ll get endless data usage on social apps without eating your data. That means unlimited access to chat, swipe, snap and post – all without worrying over data usage or bill shocks, just for being social.
With VOXI, you can endlessly scroll through Insta for design inspo, until you’ve mentally kitted out your castle. Once you have, check out Ikea Place, a clever AR app that enables you to virtually place a piece of Ikea furniture in your home, to see what it looks like and, more importantly, that it’ll fit the space. Wayfair is another good shout for homewares; it features clickable room inspo pics, taking you directly to purchase.
And once your purchases make their way to you, don’t sweat the flat-pack. Taskrabbit will find you a handyperson who can build that Swedish sideboard faster than you can post it on Insta. It can track down cleaners, gardeners and delivery people, too.
Love thy neighbour
Get to know your neighbourhood with AroundMe, which gives you the lowdown on where to find all the local essentials – from GPs, mini-marts and take-aways to, perhaps most importantly, your new watering hole. As you ease into living with your housemates, settle back, relax, reward yourself for making it, and have Deliveroo bring you delicious dinner delights at the touch of a button. Or use your VOXI mobile plan to announce endless house parties on Facebook. You’ve earned them.
Discover the endless possibilities of life with VOXI, the mobile network with endless social media data and no contract
