To spend half of my wages on rent? Silly idea?

[singlesoda]

I graduated uni last year and finally secured myself a full time salary. My mum is driving me insane and I can't imagine living here any longer than I need to.

I've been looking at getting a room in a shared house of other young professionals but that's easily £600pcm with bills.

But i've just seen a flat that i've fallen in love and it's not much more than renting a room. But it's half my monthly wages without bills. Am I insane to even consider this?

I could stay at home but i'm gay and I have Christian parents. I'm bored playing the straight girl and being lectured on the daily about my life decisions.

p.s I'm extremely privileged that I won't have to save for deposit (to buy a house) as I inherited a small percentage of a house but unable to access it for a couple of years. Right now I want somewhere to live that isn't a dive, be able to eat food and still have some form of a social life.

Run your outgoings through Martin Lewis' Budget Planner and see if you can get by, and if you can, do it. It's worth the expense to have your own place, especially if your parents are hindering your love life!

FWIW I have a shared ownership flat (mortgage on 35% of it, rent on the other 65%), and it costs me just over half my wages.

My living standards dropped significantly after graduation OP!

I went from having loans, grants and a part-time job, to having a low-paid full time starter job and beginning to save for a deposit. At least you’ll get your lump sum soon-ish so it’s not forever?

It might just be do-able. Just. I think I would try to find something a little cheaper, or share but I understand your need to move out of the parental home, if only to be rid of the lectures.

Personally, I wouldn't.

Living independently is not the same as living as a student. Your bills add up fast - council tax, gas, electric, water, internet, TV license, phone contract, car insurance, petrol, MOT, contents insurance...

Then you need to add on food, paying to park anywhere, clothes, shoes, toiletries - you'll need appropriate clothes for work, for example.

Do you need furniture? Or if the flat is furnished, what about crockery, bedding, towels, appliances like a vacuum cleaner or a microwave, kettle, toaster etc.

I would take the house share until you've saved up a decent cushion to fall back on just in case.

really appreciate all the feedback. It's just deflating reaching the adult world, that essentially I maybe living back in similar housing as a student. I feel like I work hard, I don't want to come back at the end of the day to have to clean out someones pubes before I have a bath.

Is it that bad? I lived in shared housing till I was 30. I had a fabulous social life and lived in some really nice places. I made some great friends.

I'd be even less inclined to fork out what will probably be at least 60% of salary for housing and bills if I were working such long hours that it'd basically just be a place to sleep and fuck.

I’d do it. And have done it. It’s amazing. You’re broke but you learn to cope and I loved living on my own. In London my rent was always around half what I earned so really not a shocker

Yes it should be doable. Over £400 a month for -
Water
Gas Electric
Food and everything else.

There are families out there that have less than £400 a month for the above.

Tbh, I think as so many young people need to live in houseshares these days, that there are some really lovely ones to be found.

I wouldn't want to spend half my wages on rent and then need to pay Council Tax, water, gas, electric, TV license, TV/internet subscription, phone bill, transport, food, cleaning materials, toiletries, clothing and anything else on top. But there are many people who do it and manage fine- some as they have no other option, some as living alone is worth it. It's all about what you are comfortable with.

In your shoes I'd look for a decent houseshare, but I'm not you. If you can find a landlord happy to rent to you on your income, and you've worked out a realistic budget that you can stick to, and you'd rather pay the extras in rent and bills than use the money for other things, go for it.

I've lived in a few houseshares at uni, the first one was great apart from the one housemate who knocked on the bathroom door to remind me to do my washing up. I had literally left a bowl, a spoon and a mug in the sink as I wanted to get in the bathroom while it was free. But he had ASD so while it was understandable it wasn't a great way to live.

My second house share the housemates put a flat out ban on other people using the shower. My partner at the time was staying over as we had both stayed out until the early hours and she was just going to borrow some of my clothes to pop to her 9am lecture. But nope, not once was she quickly allowed to jump in the shower so we'd shower together as that wasn't using extra water.

The third was great- lived with a great bunch of friends but the house stunk of weed as one housemate would have the cheeky joint in his room at night. Was friends so didn't want to cause friction.

I've looked at a couple of houseshares already but my office is half an hour away from the city i'd ideally live in. The small town i'll be working in has none apart from accepting lodgers but there's the most beautiful flat in a recently converted Georgian manor house. The flat is flooded with light, is fully furnished and is literally on the highstreet. It's a two minute walk to the train station so I can be in London to see my friends in 45minutes, in my home city in 30, and the other city I train in/socialise in 25. Oh, and it's a 5 minute cycle ride to my office. I'd love to have my nieces and nephews stay, which I wouldn't feel comfortable with living with others.

I think i'm going to drop the estate agents a message, explain my situation and see how the landlord feels. I have three good references and my net salary is over 30x the rent. Also being a landlord myself usually goes down well too.

Thank you for all your opinions, i'm going to put the ball in the landlords court and see what happens. You never know, it may already be gone as it's so beautiful.

Do it! I think it's quite common to spend half your wages on rent if you're not an especially high earner. There may be the odd few days of beans on toast but freedom is worth so much more!

Try for a a houseshare. It will be a lot more fun and social.

I’d go for it