Property Search Tips?

Thanks for the clarification, Poppy.  Yeah, 6 months would be a more acceptable deposit so I could then buy furniture etc and again is something I'm considering.  I think that would still require a guarantor as well though, to ensure their rent security for at least 12 months tenancy.

I'm well aware that part of my difficulty this time is having a very tight area radius and specific criteria.  I can find plenty of flats (although whether they'd be more inclined to accept benefits I don't know) but really need somewhere with it's own non-communal entrance and some private outdoor space which is generally going to mean a house.