Misc housing questions and housing with pets??

Hi all

My husband and I are going to be relocating to the UK during the summer of 2010. I know it is a long time away but we are trying to think proactively. We do not want a flat or to share a house/flat with others so we are considering a townhouse or duplex (I think they call them either a semi-detached or terraced house?) to rent. Ultimately we would like to buy eventually but I don't even have a clue how to apply for a loan in the UK so we will rent first.

We have 2 dogs and I noticed that a lot of places do not list if pets are ok or not....should we assume that pets are ok unless other wise listed??? Is there a good website to look for places to rent?? What is a good rent for 2 people (I will be a student so I can not work full time etc)? In the USA we rent a small house for about $700 USD and I do not know what the average cost of renting a house in the UK would cost. We will not have a car for a while so parking is not a must have....we do want something in a safe neighborhood and maybe a little garden in the back for our dogs and maybe a fireplace. How much are utilities on average??? Who do we call?? What is the application process like for renting??

We are looking around the Bristol area since I will be attending the University of Bristol. We would like someplace that is in the Bristol area or close to public transit so I can take a bus etc to the Uni if need be. Am I asking too much in a place???  Please PM me any suggestions you might have!!!! Thanks!!!!

townhouse = terraced house
duplex = semi-detached house

Don't assume that pets will be allowed if it's not stated- it's quite often the opposite, actually.  Always ask about pets upfront, if there's any room to negotiate you want to know first thing before you go to see a lovely house that won't allow your dogs.

Average cost of a house- that depends.  There are several threads on this forum where people have stated how much they rent for in different parts of the country, so maybe have a search for those.  Very generally, outside of London (London rents are an entirely different world), an average rent for a 2 bed terrace would be something like £550-650/month although it can be more or it can be less. Semi detached houses are usually more expensive than terraces.

For two people, budget roughly £200/month for council tax & utilities on top of your rent, depending on whether you want cable/broadband, etc.

There are lots and lots of threads here that address all these questions, btw.  Have a read through the housing forum.