To live alone or in a professional houseshare?

[googleismyfriend]

Tell me what you would do in my position...
Salary: 20k ish
Age: early 20s

Pros of professional houseshare:

• cheaper
• will be less lonely
• safer to live in a professional houseshare as a lone female

Cons:

• will be moving in with strangers

Pros of living alone:

• don't have to deal with potential messy people
• don't have to deal with potential noisy people
• DP can come round on weekends more comfortably - don't know if housemates would be annoyed if a DP stayed over every other weekend

Cons:

• much more expensive
• need to save for a property
• might get lonely
• might feel on edge being alone

What would you do??

The problem is not knowing whether potential housemates will be druggies/messy/noisy- I might not even get the chance to meet them beforehand if it's done through an estate agency

Absolutely, 100% DO NOT do a house share where you don't get to meet the people you're sharing with first.

I've been advocating for a houseshare upthread, but I didn't realise this is what you were considering.

You are putting yourself in a very vulnerable position if you move into a house with people you've never even met, they could be anyone.

Plus, think about it - they've never met you either. If you move into a house like that, the estate agent could move any old person in with you, you'd have no control over it.

That's nuts. Don't do it!

It's not the normal way people find houseshares. I've never done it through an agency so I don't know what's usually with an agent, but like another poster said, sign up with Spare Room, go meet them and see if you actually want to live with the people you meet.

Unless you are absolutely desperate to find a room asap, don't rush it.
Try to find a place you feel you want to live. Don't ignore any doubts . your instincts.

On the legal side of things, there's two arrangements for a shared house. If it's individual tenancies, you'll only ever be liable for your own rent, but you have very little control on who else moves in. I moved into a shared house on an individual tenancy and shortly afterwards another tenant moved in and promptly caused trouble. If it's a joint tenancy you potentially have more control over who moves in, but if one person doesn't pay their share of the rent the landlord can demand it from the rest of you. Joint tenancy is more suitable for people who are already friends or colleagues I'd say - I'd be wary of entering one with strangers.

And yeah, "professionals" just means anyone who works.

Given the choice, I'd have my own place.

PS: Also, if you're a non-student moving into a house where everyone else are students, you'll be liable to pay 75% of the council tax bill for the whole house, so keep that in mind when comparing rents.

Just wanted to comment on the safety bit in your list - living alone as a woman is not a risk!

I would always choose to live alone if I could afford it (and have done so for nearly 20 years). Unless you have an option of something where you have an en suite room and share some communal areas only? A friend of mine lives in a warehouse conversion and her room is huge so it feels more like a studio flat, and they only share a kitchen and living room and the outside areas.

If it's individual tenancies, you'll only ever be liable for your own rent, but you have very little control on who else moves in.

A good landlord will get prospective new tenants to meet existing ones, to make sure it's not a major clash, but they don't have to do this, nor do they have to pay attention if existing tenants said, "God, no!"

If you rent individually, you should have a separate lock for your room, which is good if you go away for the weekend or something.

20 years on, I'm still friends with a handful of people I was in different houseshares with, been bridesmaid for one of them. I'm also still friends with some of my then-boyfriend's housemates. If you get on well, it's a really great experience.

I would look for a house share where you have an en suite. It gives you that little bit of convenience, whilst reducing your rent a bit.

Save money now, you'll be much better off in the long run with some savings behind you and the opportunity to get on a housing ladder sooner.

So finding a houseshare via spareroom seems to be the consensus?

Can I ask, on a salary of 20k how much you would be willing to pay on rent each month? (Bearing in mind I need to save for a property)

Just wanted to comment on the safety bit in your list - living alone as a woman is not a risk

Yes, wanted to say this too. Have lived alone for 25 years, perfectly fine.

Also slightly bemused at using an estate agent to look for a house-share. I'd be look at spareroom.co.uk

Look on gumtree too.

I've usually spent about a third of my net income on rent & bills, so I guess that would be about £400 a month for you?

Houseshares can be great or hellish. If you get to know some people via a Facebook group or similar (Homes for Queers is a great FB group, but there must be many others), then you can all look together (and if you are still getting on after that experience, you'll probably be OK). You'll have your own room and times when it's only you in the house if there's only 3 of you, but especially in a new city, it's really nice to have other humans around just to say hello.

Definitely house share especially if you're moving to a new city which it sounds like you might be. I've got so many friends from house shares in my 20s.

I'd also say that I'm an ambivert and wouldn't want to share with more than 2 others - gives a good balance of people to hang out with and enough chance that you'll have an evening to yourself on occasion!

I’m in the minority but I would say live alone rather than be in a house share. If you can afford it, it will be much more peaceful and it means no worries about your friends visiting or DP staying at weekends. You have the bathroom and kitchen to yourself so no hanging around waiting for the loo or shower. You can prepare food whenever you want. Nobody else’s manky washing up will be left around and you can relax much more after a hard day at work.

Definitely house share especially if you're moving to a new city which it sounds like you might be.

I'm moving back to the city that I was in for uni. It will have been a year since I graduated when I move back

I’ve lived in a house share post uni. I mean recommend it over living alone at least at first.

But dont move into one where an agent just gets you, go via spare room or similar. I used easy roommate which is now roomgo (can’t think why they changed the name).
You want to be able to meet your potential housemates and find out how they live in the house.

No point finding out afterwards that they’re not your type of people nor you not theirs

When I was housesharing I only went for those that had no overnight guests policies. Really don't care for adding another person to the mix, no matter if it's 'just' every other weekend or whatever.

Try a house share, if you don't like it look for a place in your own. Its worth trying.

If you went to university and lived in halls/ flat share did you like it? If not you probably won't like a house share now professionals or not.

DS went the lone route as soon as he left uni, despite the extra costs and even though he didn't mind flat shares at uni, he hasn't regretted it. He is now in his 2nd flat as moved location. He liked the peace and freedom. His girlfriend recently moved in and is able to share costs so has the best of both worlds.

Nephews have gone down the flat sharing route and are equally happy but both are sharing with people they already knew.

When I was housesharing I only went for those that had no overnight guests policies. Really don't care for adding another person to the mix, no matter if it's 'just' every other weekend or whatever.

The important thing is the set up suits you.

The OP needs the opposite, for example, so her DP can stay.

Different housewares have different rules / ways of working.