(I’m a newly graduated university student looking for my own place to live so I don’t have to move back to my hometown. I go to one of the local letting agencies, all of which are within a minute walk of each other. The first place has a young woman there to talk to; she already looks disinterested in me.)
Worker: “How can I help?”
Me: “I’m looking for a place to rent. My budget is allowing for between £250-350 a month for the rent alone. I don’t really mind about the place itself or how many rooms or anything, just so long as it can fit within that budget.”
Worker: *scoffs* “Okay, well I’ll look up those details for you now.”
(She looks up the information…)
Worker: “Right, so, I’ve found a flat that’s £500 a month. This looks pretty decent right?”
Me: “I guess it does, but like I said, my budget would only allow a maximum of £350. I couldn’t afford that right now.”
Worker: “Okay, well, here’s a place that is £350.” *gives info on it*
Me: “Yeah, that seems okay; when would I be able to view it?”
Worker: “We can book you in for a viewing next Monday at 11:30 am. Would that be okay?”
Me: “Yeah, that’ll be fine.”
Worker: “You’ll need to phone us on that day, a half hour before, to confirm that you can make the appointment.”
Me: “Oh… Um, sorry, but that will be a little awkward for me. I’m on a PAYG phone and have no credit at the minute, and I’m not paid until the end of the month. Would no one here be able to phone me instead?”
Worker: *scoffs again* “Um, no, we don’t do that here. If you can’t phone us to confirm, then we can’t book a viewing for you.”
(I just left, choosing not to call her some choice words. I walked literally down the road to the next agency, and I was welcomed quite warmly by a nice elderly lady who actually listens to my price limit at the start. She made a point of only looking in the “nice area of town,” because I certainly look like a “nice lad.” I know it was kind of cheap flattery, but it wasn’t a swindle, it was honestly further into the less rough areas of town. She even made a point of calling the landlord right then and organising a viewing just two hours after my meeting with her. A week later, and I was all signed up at a studio flat at £285 a month, well within my budget. Honestly, it was no wonder that the first place I went to was empty, but the second place with the nice lady already had two couples talking to other advisers.)
Read the next Homeownership roundup story!
