International students have many accommodation options available to them including home share, private leasing, short-stay accommodation, and on-campus options. There are pros and cons to each of these options. Home share arrangements often come with horror stories of unclean bathrooms and food being stolen by roommates. Private leasing can be expensive, as it usually does not include furniture or white goods, and commonly imposes a 12-month minimum contractual requirement. Short stay accommodation is fully furnished and much more expensive, it cannot always be confirmed for extended periods of time, or at short notice. On-campus options often have a reputation as being party houses, which are not conducive to effective study, and tend to negatively impact a student’s self-care.
The Cost-Effective Value of Homestay in Australia
Homestay arrangements in Australia always include utilities such as gas, water, electricity and of course the rent and internet are also covered. This gives the student peace of mind that no additional costs will be incurred.
But there are also often unconsidered costs such as garment laundering, home cleaning, and maintenance. Without access to a home washing machine, students would need to use a coin Laundromat which can be both expensive and time-consuming. Cleaning of a home residence often consumes 15+ hours per week, according to a recent study of Homemakers.
Time Efficiency
Food shopping, meal preparation and clean up waste valuable time. Time is also spent in reporting and attending to repairs, or challenges, such as those which may occur with Internet services. All these time-consuming and stressful activities, are tended to by the host when you participate in a Homestay in Australia.
Invaluable English Exposure
Students are able to constantly practice their English interactions and conversation skills. Hosts provide gentle correction and are an easily accessible and quick resource for English related questions on grammar or spelling. This rich interaction would have otherwise incurred additional time and expense via language classes or, self-education.
Best Choice For A Homestay in Australia
Homestay in Australia is a wise choice when all cost and time considerations are taken into account. While obvious expenses such as utilities and services can be cost calculated, it’s the value of the additional support, interaction, and integration, which make this truly the best value accommodation option.