House sharing at 40

My self and dh rented our own house for years but now have gone to a house share we haven't encountered any issues in looking for a house share taking couples ours is £500 a month it isn't en-suite but we live with our landlord so Its him his wife us and only one other person

Are there any housing co-ops near you? They are generally house shares that often have a mix of older people (30s+). You'll be a tenant of the co-op but have no landlord to deal with, as you run the house together through consensus decision making (usually a monthly meeting).

Which means the rent will be reasonable for the area and won't go up unless it has to, and you all agree on how much, and there's no threat of being kicked out just because an owner decides to sell up.

Usually there's a big communal garden too, and you can generally have pets as well, if everyone who lives there agrees.

I'd advise anyone who houseshares to give it a go if they can.

OP is in Ireland afaik so that won't be of use unfortunately 🙁

Cohabitas is a website specialising in older house sharers. Spare room.co.U.K. Is good if you are accurate in your description. There is also a scheme where you can share with an elderly person for reduced rent in exchange for a few hours company or help around the house.

https://www.askaboutmoney.com/threads/irish-times-banning-of-bedsits-set-in-train-housing-disaster.226295/. OK, just answered my own question.

Can’t even express how ridiculous it is that Ireland has a housing crisis. For well known (tragic) historical reasons, Ireland is incredibly underpopulated for its size, with a tiny population and lots of highly habitable land. And yet, a housing crisis. From what I have read, Ireland made the mistake of copying the worst aspects of English planning law, and this is the result.

Why no bedsits in Ireland?

True. My mum was married at 19, and my dad lodged on a farm, so house share, job with room thrown in. Neither could have afforded to rent a place alone that’s for sure. I earn a fair bit much than my parents combined, I earn more than all my friends, but rent and that makes me feel like a failure. Difference is I’m in the South East, they are up North in a cheap area. Even if I go back there when youngest is 18 I will be paying a mortgage until retirement which is frustrating. But alas. Got a lot to be grateful for, roof over my head and I don’t need to worry about day to day expenses.

My dp lived in a houseshare before he met me were living in housing association now and its costing a fortune cause its a new build its £700 a month we're looking to swap for something much more affordable after Christmas hoping to get the rent down by a fair bit we did consider houseshare but for couples its literally none existence to get into them

Have you applied for universal credit ? You can claim even if you are working and they can put toward your rent
there are plenty of online calculators which will tell you an idea of what you may be entitled to so before you move do check it out

If I was alone Id consider house sharing just because I don't like living alone. Another person even in another room would be reassuring somehow.

I'm currently in a 6 person HMO. I'm early 40s.

Pay a bit extra for ensuite. Its a must.

Do not worry about who your sharing with as during the 3 years I've been here most people move on within 6 months.

The main reasons people move on other than a change of circumstances with something like there job is a lack of heating , very little storage in the shared fridge and the kitchen not being dirty but also not being the way they like to live. By this I mean people leave the cooker not clean, or the drainage board full of there shiny clean plates all day so no one else can use the sink.

The biggest complaint is always the tumble dryer not being cleaned after use.

Even if you think you have found a perfect house with great occupants things change very quickly. Someone will move in who constantly shouts down there phone, leaves the kitchen dirty, smells of cigarettes/cannabis or likes noisy sex.

Nothing to be embarrassed about.

Do what's best for your situation, always.

They've gotten rid of bedsits in Ireland!

When I was mid twenties, I thought how awful it would be to live in a houseshare with strangers, but then I started looking at the bedsits I could afford on my own and a houseshare suddenly seemed like an amazing option in comparison! I needn't have worried - I had a great time!

I lived with a 40+yo when I was 28 or 29, living in London. A friend in his 30s lived with 3 others, 2 of whom were in their 40s and the other not far off. I think it is super common in London and I assume in other expensive areas. If you don't want to live in a flat share, what are your other options? Can you move further out of town/city? Can you live with family? Will you look at bedsits?

Fair play to you, that's crazy money!

It's becoming very normal. People can't afford to live alone.

I have had to rent out a room as my morthage went up by £400 so its now £1100 so i cant pay that plus all my bills on my own. Im 41. In september a really nice lady moved in. I earn above average but costs have gone up so my circumstances have changed. My son who is 14 still lives at home as well. So far its all been fine. I think less and less people will be able to afford to live alone now.

I wouldn't say it's that uncommon now tbh, house prices being what they are. My H was living at home when i met him, it genuinely didn't cross my mind to judge him for it. Renting can be a bit bleurgh, but it can be magnificent! A couple of my best friends were my fellow rentees. I moved in with them randomly, approx 22 years ago. They flew in from a different country for my wedding, surprised me as i was walking in (it was all organised with my mum and brother). Bit of waffle there, apologies, but renting can be great! And H had been renting in his late thirties too.

Fgs don't feel embarrassed. You're making a rational decision due to a tricky situation.

I have a couple of friends who live in shared accommodation who are older. One is in his sixties and has been in houseshares for twenty years. He's never made a lot of money and he lives in London so house sharing is preferable to him rather than awful bedsits or being a lodger (which he has also done - too restrictive).

The absolute crucial thing is who you share with - it needs to be people who are a similar age I think - there's a lot of drama in younger houseshares and not always a great deal of cleaning. Agree that your own bathroom or at least a house with more than one bathroom is preferable. Some shares are really well organised which makes for less tension overall.

Loved that programme. I wouldn't have minded house sharing with Ben.😃

I haven't done it but a friend's brother rents out rooms on an "over 40 house shares" site. That is definitely where I would be looking - I couldn't share with energetic young whippersnappers.

I currently live in a HMO I have shared with a 40 year old and it was hell in my opinion. But only because they used to complain if we made noise on the evenings or weekends, because because they wanted to sleep expected not to go out at all.

So do think if your lifestyle matches with the people you'll be sharing with.

How long have you been living alone op?

Tbf your parents generation lived with parents until they got married. It’s a relatively new phenomenon to live alone in your early 20’s. And an expensive one! More people should share a house. Think of the money they’d save.