Prepare Now for the Big Move-In.
Exams are approaching for six-formers up-and-down the country and in just a few months time they will be off on a new life, away from home, a different city, new friends and for the majority it will be the first time that they will be living away from home, their parents and the comfort that brings.
It can be a daunting time for teenagers having to look after themselves and with accommodation playing a huge factor it is important that they receive care and guidance. Offering accommodation for students isn’t like housing for any other group, they require a more hands on approach, especially in the early days, one wrong move could ruin the whole experience for them.
How do you make sure that you are on the right track with the big move-in?
- Prepare
It might be sunny outside but that doesn’t mean you can take a summer holiday! Start to prepare now and you can relax once you have your new residents in and settled. September might seem a long time away but there is plenty of work to squeeze in starting with your current tenants moving out next month and the big clean up!
Once exams are over and the results roll in the students begin to get accepted into university and apply for accommodation. It is important that you know what you are doing.
- Plan
Be ready. This is important as it is easy to slip up and it can be damaging for all parties involved. The move-in might be weeks away but this is where the chaos kicks in. Suddenly you will find yourself inundated with tenant applications, these must be dealt with quickly, in an organised fashion and responded to. If one goes missing or mixed up then that student could find themselves without accommodation, not a position that sounds comforting in an already unsettling situation.
- Be Organised
Have a system in place. You have so many rooms to fill, make sure that they aren’t double-booked as that can cause problems down the line. You don’t want to leave any of these vacant either, remember, this is a business after all. You want to be maxing out your possible revenue income.
- Put Yourself In Their Position
Remember being 18? You probably thought you knew everything but in reality you knew very little. These teenagers need to be treated like adults but offer care and support to the ones who need it.
- Work as a Team
There is no ‘I’ in team but there is in time and that is something that you are short of. It is all about the big move-in in September, make sure all your staff know their roles, from the admin side to front of house, the telephone team and those on-site to ensure that everything all runs smoothly, make it a team effort, a missing link could have a big effect.
Although there is more to managing student accommodation than just moving them in but the next nine months will be a breeze if you can manage this stage without errors.
To find out more about how Decorus for Sage, the only property management software with a true 2-way integration to Sage can help boost efficiency please complete our contact form or call 0114 2307305.
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