This section contains four posts relating to:

• Renting a property
• Living outside St Andrews
• Buying a property
• Finding Temporary Accommodation

Scroll down to read information about each of these topics

Renting a property within St Andrews can be difficult. While there are many rented flats, the demand for these is high, and the rent can be expensive compared to surrounding areas. Students tend to search for rented properties for the next academic year from December onwards, with some of the properties available only for 9, 10 or 11 month leases. It can be more difficult to find a property to rent within St Andrews if you’re looking to move in after September. To get more of an idea of the rental market for students, have a look at the guide produced by the Students’ Association: ‘How to Rent’.

To find a property to rent, within or around St Andrews, try using the searches available on the websites of different estate agents:
http://www.rollos.co.uk/Home
http://www.mddcproperty.co.uk/propertiesforsale.cfm?SL=L
http://standrewsletting.com/rental/
http://www.paganosborne.com/property/
http://www.evebrown.co.uk/index.php/component/misterestate/category/showCE/1.html
http://www.bradburne.co.uk/prop_list/2/5
http://www.albastandrews.com/
http://www.delmor.co.uk/
http://www.standys.co.uk/properties.html

You can also seach properties from many estate agents here: http://www.s1rental.com/ or here: http://www.findaproperty.com/.

At times private landlords may advertise properties through the University website’s private landlord search: http://www.standrewsstudentpad.co.uk/

Or through websites such as Gumtree: http://www.gumtree.com/edinburgh

There is also useful guide to renting available here: http://www.s1rental.com/renting/guide/

If you are renting a property unfurnished, the University offers a free furniture exchange for staff. Items like tables, chairs, storage units etc are often listed. Have a look at what’s on offer here: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/tech/estates/waste/Furnitureexchange/

Students are often advertising items for sale too, especially when they’re packing up at the end of term. The student ‘for sale’ board is here: http://www.thesinner.net/mb/viewforum.php?f=12

Not all staff who work at the University live in St Andrews. In fact, many travel to work from towns and villages all over Fife, Tayside and even further afield.

You can find information about local towns at the following sites:

http://www.eastneukwide.co.uk/tourist/

http://www.explore-st-andrews.com/regions.aspx

http://www.fife.gov.uk/yourtown/

Crossing the river Tay, you could consider the city of Dundee, or explore towns in Tayside through the following websites:

http://www.any-village.com/UK/Scotland/Tayside/

http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/

http://www.dundee.com/

While it provides a longer commute, some staff travel from as far afield as Edinburgh. There is a wealth of information available about housing in Edinburgh here: http://www.edinburgh-inspiringcapital.com/live/edinburgh_housing.aspx.

The main provider of public transport in the area is Stagecoach, and you can find out about bus routes and timetables through their website: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/. Trains arrive at Leuchars, from where you can take a bus to St Andrews – timetables available at http://www.scotrail.co.uk/content/timetables-connections.

The house-buying system is different in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK. The Scottish Government has produced a fact-sheet about house-buying in Scotland. You can look at it here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158820/0043125.pdf

Additional information on house-buying in Scotland can be found here: http://www.espc.com/universalpages/guidetobuyingaproperty.html

If you’re looking for somewhere to rent, or short-term accommodation, in or around St Andrews, there are a number of options to try.

You can search a database of private landlords here: http://www.standrewsstudentpad.co.uk/

The main property and letting agents in St Andrews are listed here: http://www.ukpropertyshop.co.uk/s/Fife/letting_agents_St_Andrews.shtml

You can search local Bed and Breakfast facilities here: http://www.standrewsbandbs.co.uk/

Students and post-grads often advertise for flatmates here: http://www.thesinner.net/mb/viewforum.php?f=11&sid=9c93037301d226e3a4871c470fe949fc

Sometimes staff will list property for rent in the staff newsletter personal ads: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/newsletter/view_ads.html

Two popular online listing sites in the UK are gumtree http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/rent/st%20andrews and craigslist http://edinburgh.craigslist.co.uk You can search within these sites for properties to rent/buy.

If you are arriving over summer, you could stay in University accommodation. See the website here: http://www.discoverstandrews.com/

Finally, for a list of hotels and guesthouses, try here: http://www.stayinstandrews.co.uk/