Graduate enjoying first job but struggling to find affordable rented accommodation. Any suggestions of where else to look other than spare rooms, open rent or right move?

[Pistachiomonster]

Young person has found first graduate role 1-2 1/2 hours from home. They are enjoying the job but not the accommodation.

It is a nice room with ensuite, sink and small fridge but only one small Velux window as in attic area. Its in a large 8 bed HMO in a not nice area, they only occasionally see someone in passing in the HMO every few days, they aren’t using the kitchen as the others don’t keep it clean and it smells (so they are spending money eating out and to get away from the accommodation), the accommodation isn’t in the nicest or safest areas (so this will be unsustainable when the nights draw in due to the cost and safety). The washer and tumbler are kept in a dark damp basement (which looks grim).

Is there anywhere else to look for accommodation. They aren’t on a high starting salary and can’t afford to buy or rent a flat on own yet as the rent plus bills is too high. Tried spare rooms, open rent and right move. Are we missing anything or anywhere?

There's bound to be places

What area, what budget?

I would have thought spare rooms ? I often see rooms advertised around me and some are beyond grim but most are really nice and v reasonable ?

Could they try lodging with a family?

If the company has a grad scheme ask others on the grad scheme they may have spare rooms in their house/know of some. Houses where everyone works together are more sociable (even if singing together)

some companies have internal notice boards - he could put up a room wanted advert. Someone may be happy to take him in as a lodger.

Local shop windows in my area are full of notices advertising spare rooms so she / he might find something that way. Although I would try to take someone else when going to look at places.

Really you’re not going to find something under market value without a catch.

Ask everyone he/she meets. Ask at work, ask colleagues, if they’re involved in a hobby or church ask people there if they’ve heard of any spare rooms.

This - my niece shares with four other new starters at her job.

Try Facebook groups for flats. My estate always has people offering and asking for rooms.

Local Facebook groups? Ones not particularly about rent are less scammy.

I’m in the same position with DS. He wants to be with people but obviously people are problematic to live with.

Friends of friends?

Work colleagues?

If they can’t find anything on Spare Room then they are severely limited in some way.

Is it the cost or the location?

The place they work is a very small place it isn’t a large employer with a large grad scheme at the place of work they are one of four people in totality.

I have asked them to ask around at work look in shop windows, facebook etc.

The place they have is on sparerooms paying about £650 a month (the problems all the other properties in the area are also large HMO’s run by the likes of Gallacom, Easy Let, HMO Guys, Purple something or other etc). The places are dressed for photos so all look nice on photos but you don’t get to meet or to know anything about who you are sharing with, the kitchens smell and aren’t very clean, the hall carpets are old awful and filthy many of them have grim washing room facilities the same as what they currently have.

Depending on the area, could she / he look a bit further out & compromise on a longer commute?

Because they have only been there less than a month they don’t yet have any friends in the area. We/they were hoping they might meet and get along with some others in the HMO. But they aren’t seeing anyone. They have a house COHO chat which one individual seems to monopolise complaining about everything and every one. Since they moved in less than a month ago two people were moving out soon the day they moved in and another two out of the eight are also moving out.

So they’ve been there less than a month… have they chatted to new team mates? Maybe asked if anyone knows of anywhere to rent? It’s not going to land in their lap, they need to be pro-active.

Also, you haven’t answered about the area. People here might know are specific info to help.

Why dont they ask the people moving out where they are moving to ? And how they found it

How many HMOs has your YP viewed? DD currently lives in a HMO. It's not the friendliest of places, but it doesn't have the issues you describe re messy kitchen and worn out furnishings.

They viewed about four or five properties before deciding on this one.

They said they literally haven’t seen anyone. The day they looked around they saw an older man in the kitchen cooking lunch (but they haven’t seen him again since moving in). They met another girl similar age in the corridor one morning as they were both rushing out to work said hi but that was it. They saw the lad in 30’s who monopolises the COHO chat in the kitchen on the second night in the accommodation. They said hi to him and he walked out of the kitchen without speaking to them. They haven’t seen him again. But they have heard him gaming when they are trying to get to sleep as they are on the floor below them.

I suggested that but they don’t see anyone.

They are currently living in Bury its within a 20 minute drive to work.

Local Facebook groups? I’ve got a young lady coming to view a room tomorrow, I wasn’t actually looking to rent a room but she was desperate to find somewhere as is teaching at local school and can’t find an affordable rental (my kids are adult left home) we can offer space on a month to month basis until she finds her feet - she wants to buy really but the job offer was too late to get anywhere

The ‘theys’ are a bit confusing in that post, but you said ‘another girl’ so assuming your graduate is a woman, maybe if she sees the other one again she could suggest meeting for a coffee or a drink? If neither of them likes the HMO maybe they could even end up looking for somewhere together.

This person moved out on Friday whilst young person was at work.

Any other suggestions of where to look when the company is tiny less than a handful of people and they don’t know anyone else apart from the people they work with and they are all older and settled.

Have tried Right Move, Zoopla, Open Rent, all the estate agents and tried asking anonymously on two local facebook groups. All their seems to be is more HMO’s or one or two bed unfurnished houses or flats priced at well over £800 per month plus bills.

Have they posted in the group chat introducing themselves, asking about the loacal area, if anyone fancies a drink etc.

How much are they earning? Can they afford to rent privately (even if it takes a large chunk of salary) or is it completely unachievable?