Fall 2015 : House hunting

We have contacted a few agents prior to our departure and arranged a few viewing session once we arrived in Manchester (to rent a house here, you need to arrange for a viewing session with the agent or the owner, go through thorough checklist, submit some documents, sign the agreement and pay the deposit – then only you could move in). Most of the house were taken hours before we had a chance to view it.

Not settling down in a proper house in a foreign land, with 4 kids who supposed to start their school is not an ideal start for my study - which happen to start the following week. But we were being really positive in getting THE house. The best has yet to come. 

I keep looking for rented house online everyday.Although it is too much to ask, but I need a house with a large backyard, three bedrooms, comfortable kitchen and preferably two restrooms. My husband wants the one with a bit of buffer zone between our house door and the public walkway, for privacy and safety purposes.

This is how some housing areas in Manchester looks like.

(Photo from here)

I prefer to live in the south, to be closer to the university so I could walk or cycle to campus. I need  to treat my study as work, meaning, I will go to the campus everyday, from 8am to 5pm, regardless if I have class or not, just to make sure I am not losing the momentum (for both study and work). Many people recommend me to live with the Malaysian community in the north.

BUT IT IS FAR.

And we don’t come this far to live with Malaysians, no offence. I want my family to experience living with the locals.

I did asked for someone’s help to view the house before we arrive in Manchester, to save time, so we could just go sign the agreement and move in. A guy agreed to help. A few days before we depart, he suddenly has ‘other commitments’, ‘very busy’ and suddenly feel the house is ‘too far away’ and he need to cover high cost of petrol – although it was agreed for us to pay his journey to and fro ;p

Well, it is not nice to do that to others. I told my husband that I rather not join the ‘community’ because the first impression reallllly counts. And I promised myself to help any new student from Malaysia to view the property they wish to rent before they come here. I truly understand the struggle (well, I did, last week - one PhD student managed to seal the deal with the owner. Alhamdulillah)

Somehow, on the fourth day of the house-hunting, my sister suggested me to check out an FB page and (long story short) a few hours later I was contacted by a guy (he became my husband’s close friend now), who has rented a house the previous week, but decided to move to the other part of Manchester. We met him at the house in the next two hours – buffer zone – checked, 3 bedrooms – checked, two restrooms – checked, large backyard – checked, comfortable kitchen – checked. And it is fully furnished! (well, except for missing dining chairs)

It is perfect. We take the key and decided to move in the first thing tomorrow. We spend the whole night, eating dinner and packing our stuff happily in The Milan.

Allah answered our parents' prayers. Alhamdulillah.