University halls are the exception. If your university offers a guaranteed room for first-year international students, take it. Everything else should wait until you can see the room.
Two weeks of temporary accommodation costs less than a year in a badly chosen flat. Use that window to check the commute at 8am, not on a map.
Watch for deposit scams: no legitimate landlord asks for a full year of rent by wire before you arrive. Pay through the university housing office or a regulated deposit scheme.
