Running a home

Bigger utility bills for things like gas and electricity have been regularly hitting the news. Whether you are looking to get a place of your own, or already have one, you'll need to try and keep living costs down wherever you can. As well as covering all the bills, you need to consider insuring your stuff in case of theft or damage. Moving in or out also costs money, so be prepared.

These articles provide help and information on:

renting your own place
the cost of running a home
insuring your stuff
moving in and moving on

Quick intro

Moving into rented accommodation
You will usually have to pay a month's rent in advance and a deposit. Deposits are often around one or two months' rent. So if the rent is £500, you may have to put down £1,500 before you've even moved in. You also need to check what's included in the rent. Are any bills included, for example the water or council tax? Make sure you know what white goods (fridge, washing machine etc) come with the property, and what furniture. Will you need to buy any of these? Also find out if the phone line is connected. If not, how much will it cost to get connected?

Costs of running a home
You should total up all predictable bills before you move in to make sure you can afford them:

Water bills - also find out if you have a water meter
Council tax - you can apply for a discount if you live alone
Gas and electricity - always shop around for these; there are comparison websites that can help you. Take readings from meters when you first move in and phone them in to the supplier so you are not charged for what the last tenant used
Phone and broadband - again shop around for these
Digital TV - particularly if you live somewhere without Freeview
Insurance

You can plan how and when to pay, as well as what you'll be paying for. Setting up monthly direct debits may help you to budget. Most utility suppliers allow you to do this.

Insuring your stuff
While we hope they don't, nasty things can happen. Pipes can leak and homes get burgled. Consider insuring your stuff. You might not think you have much, but furniture, curtains, and even clothes and CDs can add up to a surprising cost if you have to replace them. If you are renting, you're likely to need a 'contents' policy. Shop around and check what each insurer does and doesn't cover. Before you sign up, consider:

what they will replace for you and to what standard, for example 'new for old'
what circumstances are covered
how you might want to deal with the company; for example, some might only take enquiries online.

Find out more

We've put together a short list of resources you may find useful. This is a cross-section to start you off, but you may want to do some more research. Some of these resources are on other websites, so you need to be aware that that CFEB is not responsible for content you find on these websites.

Users can rate articles with between one and five stars; this is not a CFEB rating. But we have marked the articles 1-3, based on how detailed they are. If you are looking for a very quick introduction, look for level 1; if you are ready to find out more, go for a 3.

Tabbed overlay unsupported

Your browser does not support tabbed overlays. Each external site will open up in a new window.