Searching for a new place to make your next home can be exciting but also stressful. There are many factors to take into consideration, including your financial situation, if the property is suitable for any pets you may own or hope to own in the near future, the location, how many rooms you need, the list goes on!

To help take stress out of the equation and to get you started on your house hunt, we’ve spoken to renters in Victoria on their recent journeys and pulled together some top tips to help you get ready to find your next place.

Living situation

If you’ve already got your housemates sorted, great! Moving in by yourself and excited, also great! Flying solo but prefer to have company? We’ve got you. There are plenty of people in the same boat as you so you don’t need to panic! First up, ask your friends and family if anyone would like to move in with you, you never know who might be on the same page as you but too nervous to ask. If not, check out your local Facebook group for housemate / flatmate finders. Many places are fully established and all you need to do is bring yourself and your bedroom furniture!

Budgeting

Get your finances together and work out how much money you can afford to put towards your weekly rental amount. Make sure to factor in bills such as wifi, electricity, gas, all that fun essential stuff you’ll need to keep your house functioning. Don’t forget all of the other outgoings too such as food, nights out, online shopping addictions, and some fun money of course. Give yourself a bit of wriggle room and try to be as honest and open with yourself as possible, as you would hate to get caught out.

Wish list

Pull together a list of all the things you would like to have in your house. Categorise from high to low priority, it's very rare you will be able to get everything you want in a new pad. So if a pool is the only thing missing off your wish list, you might have to be willing to compromise!

Pets

Have a furry, feathered or scaly friend? Check to make sure the property you’re looking at is pet friendly and the owners are happy to accept pets. For more tips on pets in rental properties, check out our blog here.

Get in front of the competition

Once you know what type of place you’re looking for and where, put yourself out there. Email or phone a couple of real estate agents or agencies in the area you are interested in and let them know what you’re chasing! The perfect property for you could be just about to hit the market!

Create a Sorted Apply profile

Sorted is the fastest and easiest way to find and apply for rental properties. Create a profile and re-use it to apply for as many properties as you like. Download the app to get instant status updates on your applications or make changes to already submitted applications, get notifications on similar available properties and easily apply with co-applicants! If you need help with an application our friendly, local Melbourne support team are ready to help you out with your queries through our online chat function.

Good luck with your house hunt 🤞