{Ask Mary} Rental Costs and Transportation

 

Teri asked:: "I want to rent, not buy. Doesn't have to be a huge place, 2 bedrooms/2 bath and welcomes a small dog. What does this cost?

The cost of a flat depends on where it is you want to live. East, West, North, South are all different. They also offer different accommodation. I'll tell you that you probably won't find a place with 2 bathroom's without it being a much bigger property. Most people only have 1 bathroom here. But you'll just have to look.

Bedroom's tend to be on the smaller side as well as every other room. Closet space is limited and you will have a washer in the kitchen. You may or may not have a tumble dryer. I tend to really like smaller spaces. Always have. So I don't have a problem with any of these things but I know that it can be an adjustment for some expats are they are used to much bigger homes and have a lot of things.

Pets aren't usually a problem here it is something you'll need to discuss with your landlord. Scotland is for dog lovers I'll say that. They run free off their leash  at the park and the beach. Some walk around town not leashed and we've never ever had a problem with them bothering us. They tend to be very well behaved.

Most places here in Scotland you can just do a search online and see what you're looking for, call about it and get it. But here in Aberdeen is oh so very different. The real estate market is so healthy and growing that there are not enough places to meet demand. You will need an estate agent. They will help you find a property.

 

You can search for accommodation and get more general idea of cost and what you'll get on these sites::

www.rightmove.co.uk

www.s1homes.com

www.lettingweb.com

Some terminology that will be helpful in your search::

PCM = Per Calendar Month {pcw=per calendar week}

Cloakroom = Hall Closet or sometimes a half bath. The cloakroom denotes a small room off of the main reception hall. Which can be used for anything. Some people just have it as a closet and it you're lucky it will be a half bathroom.

Double Glazing = Double Paned Windows

Fitted Kitchen = refers to the furniture that is in the kitchen. There are two ways of furnishing your kitchen with cupboards, tables, countertops, appliances. You can either have them standing on their own or you have them fitted or screwed to the wall, floor, etc. A fitted kitchen has everything fitting perfectly with the measurements of the kitchen. It is custom to the space and not independent.

Terri also asked:: "Can I live in the country as long as I can get public transportation into the city?"

You can live where ever you want. We have really good public transit here and you can get into town without too much trouble. One thing to be aware of though is that you might need to take more than one bus/train to get into the city from the country. That takes time. A 30 min drive might end up to be 2+ hours on the bus {one way}. In harsh weather buses are known to skip stops to make sure they are back at the bus depot on time. Those country stops get forgotten. Not to mention you don't have a bus coming every 15 min. You might only have 2 or 3 per day and if you miss it...well, you can't go out that day.

When searching for a property I would most definitely make sure that you are on a good bus line. Buy yourself a monthly pass. Which might require you to buy more than one monthly pass to cover the bus system in the village you live and the one in the city. Just be aware of what you're really getting. The rental costs will be cheaper but you'll make up that cost in bus fare, council tax and isolation.

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If you have any questions you'd like answered please don't hesitate to ask!

marydebastos {at} gmail {dot}