[QWERTYOP]

Thanks! Ah that's a lot less often than I was expecting concerning substrate changing. Is there a general rule of thumb or telltale sign(s) for when I'll need to do this? Or is it purely a case of when it starts to smell? Is there a point where it would get unhealthy for the hamster for example? I'd plan on being very regular with my spot cleaning. Something I got very used to with my bearded dragon.

I suppose the biggest major concern I have left is temperatures. I note from research that hamsters are used to relatively warm temps in their natural habitat. Not a major issue during the day because I like to keep the living room warm for me! But I'm concerned about the night time. As you'll know, it typically gets very cold quite a lot at night here! Is that going to be a major issue or are they OK with that?

In terms of hides & toys etc, I was told a good way to go for Syrians was to buy things marketed for rats because Syrians get large for hamsters. Is this a good way to go? I'm just going to find it difficult at first because obviously I plan to buy hides and toys etc before the hamster itself, and may even be doing so online where it might be even more difficult to judge if it's the correct size.