Houseshares have to be better than this, right?

[Cremeegg30]

Does anybody live in a semi-decent houseshare?

Since October I've lived here to save money due to having some debts to pay etc.
Finally getting into a better financial position now and working 2 jobs. I'm on a good wage now and could afford to rent my own place, but I would like to buy a place and don't want to keep flitting between places so I am a bit torn.

Anyway the house.. it's totally my fault for moving here, it was cheap, no deposit, flexible contract etc.

I viewed it virtually due to covid and also as I was abroad.
I pay £375 per month for a room including all bills.
For starters somebody has engraved something phallic into our front door and the landlord hasn't bothered to do anything about it.
We had a cleaner who wasn't exactly the most competent but she hasn't been since before Christmas. The agency have ignored the several messages I've sent to ask when and if she's returning.

There was a huge hole/leak in the ceiling when I moved in, which I was told would be getting fixed. It was finally done so last week, after 4 months here.

1 oven and limited cupboard space for 6 people. I have 1 shelf in the fridge but people still dump their stuff onto it.

Toilet is sometimes left pretty dirty. People also don't use air freshener so sometimes when you walk past the loos which you have to to get to the kitchen you get vile odours. Live with 5 men and one urinates without closing the door.

My room is right next to somebody else's so I previously had a couple having loud sex at 3am, now I have somebody who sounds like he's throwing things against the wall every time he opens his wardrobe etc.. I'm sure it's not him, just the walls are paper thin. The night he moved in I didn't know anybody had, heard a huge bang from the initially empty room from next door and thought something had collapsed in there.

The whole house just smells bad. The internet is dire despite me reporting it, when I moved in my drawers were broken and I couldn't actually close my window as a tree had grown over it. I had to cut away at the tree to be able to close it.

The street is filled with litter. I honestly think I've chosen the worst street in the town. All in all it's a depressing place to live and doesn't feel like home.

The landlord clearly doesn't want to spend a penny on the house and it shows.

I have a house deposit, a 15-20% one at that but atm my credit rating isn't high enough, though it's going up.

Not sure what to do, it could be 6 months or more before I can get a mortgage. Don't want to move again then move yet again.

Any advice welcomed.

Thanks, you are right. Back then my budget was under £400 per month and even getting en suite rooms is hard for that price up here.
I had a little studio until September but almost 600 per month and I had to leave due to my debts.
Might try to stay in the new place a year, then if I keep going as I am should have a high credit score next year.

(hint- renting doesn't improve your score)

£375 including bills?

You really can’t expect anything decent for that.

Yes for sure, I've just been rejected by a bank for even a 40,000 mortgage with a 20% deposit. I've been getting agreements in principle but not sure I'd be likely for even a high interest mortgage?

@Cremeegg30

I think I will, sounds silly but I'm embarrassed to be moving yet again for what could be another few months.

Embarrassed why? Who exactly will care? Find a decent place on spareroom.com and GTFO! 6 months or potentially more (house buying rarely goes exactly to plan so it mighy end up taking longer) is a long time to be living in such a shit hole. I've lived in a few house shares and they've been pleasant, you just need to be a bit more choosy. Maybe try to find one where the owner/landlord actually lives there too as they tend to be quite strict on keeping things clean when they live there themselves.

@BubblyBarbara

I know it’s not very cool to say but I would find a sexual partner to shack up with even if temporarily

WTAF. I don’t even know where to start with this.

Yeah I was in a couple like that when I was younger. It's grim!

I found that the fewer people who shared the better. Move and try a place with just one or maybe two other people. My best one was with just one other female.

That said, I had a lovely clean student flat with 3 guys. I think I got very lucky there though and it's not the norm!

At the moment 'poor' scote will not gove you mortagage at all.

I would look around at different share, less people and move. I had 1 crappy one and left after few months then had a lovely one with just 2 others. My maximum would be 4 per kitchen.
You can find great sharehouses but the cheapest options are usually not that.

Don't keep applying for mortgages as rejections will affect your credit scores. You need to sort out your debts first then speak to a reputable mortgage broker. There are many on the Forum bit of the Money Saving Expert website.

I lived in a house share 15-16 years ago now like yours - couldn’t wait to move it was so so so depressing. Please just move.

I wish I hadn’t stayed as long as I had - I remember my now FIL helped me move and they now understood why I came to their house every weekend just to get away.

Go on money saving expert. Lots of advice about bettering credit score

Thanks everyone really appreciate your kind and understanding replies.
I don't know why I feel embarrassed I shouldn't, just as I'm 30 now and friends all seem to be settled in long-term places and I keep flitting between houseshares, though I shouldn't care I know. I was in my previous one for over a year anyway.
As I said if i move before buying something I'll try to stay for a year.

Score is luckily going up every month but still on poor.

Thanks everyone gonna get on spare room now !

I've lived in a few houseshares and my best friend is still living in one.

Huge tip - female only.

Females can obviously be annoying or dirty ETC but after two times living with men I was sick of dirty kitchens and piss. Female only much better.

Think I would stuck it out for 6 months. It will fly by.

Nah, mate. Don't be embarrassed!
Sharedhouse is fully acceptable way to live.
Many of us were there. If anything that's how many of my friends afforded house deposits!

Chill, find nicer one and it will be ok.

Don't know where you are OP so can't comment on what you're likely to get for the money but I'd second the suggestion of looking to be a lodger rather than being in a big houseshare. Before moving in with me DP used to have 2 lodgers at his house and because he was living there too he was very picky about who they were and that the place was kept keep clean and well maintained.

If you are trying to build up your credit score a previous poster was right - you need to research how to do this as almost certainly renting won't be helping with that. If you are disciplined, one of the best things to do is to get a credit card, spend a little each month and without fail pay it off in full each month. Building a good credit score is an active thing not a passive one if you want to do it quickly. Last time I looked the Money Saving Expert site had good advice on this but there is lots of advice online.

I've had some lovely houseshares as has my DD. They're not all as bad as yours sounds. I'd start looking for something nicer.

On Monday morning, phone a mortgage broker who deals with bad credit ratings
London & Country (L&C) have a specialist division that do this

Sign up to ClearScore and CreditKarma before you call them so you can have a totally honest conversation with them about how long it’s going to take you to be in a position to take on a mortgage.

If it’s 6 months, I would tough it out where you are. Moving around is only going to make your credit rating even worse.

Put your money and energy into house hunting and planning your new pad

Experian has a credit score builder they're advertising. I have no clue how it works, as I've not looked, but it'll be worth you looking to see what it offers / suggests.

I've lived with some shocking people in house share situations. The worst were women, actually (bullying, not piss!).

I'd definitely move to somewhere nicer and take action to improve your credit score so you can buy sooner rather than later.

With regards a mortgage, go to a whole of market broker who will know what's available in your circumstances. Don't just scattergun apply yourself.

Find one with a live in landlord. They will care less about your credit score - bring payslips instead. They will also care more about the house.

Also I’d say 3 max housemates and try, if you can, to move off the bottom rung costs wise and save a little less or take a single room in a more expensive well maintained houseshare.

You have a poor credit score from a lack of history? If someone does try and credit check explaining this should work - especially when you meet the landperson.

@Sparechange

On Monday morning, phone a mortgage broker who deals with bad credit ratings London & Country (L&C) have a specialist division that do this

Sign up to ClearScore and CreditKarma before you call them so you can have a totally honest conversation with them about how long it’s going to take you to be in a position to take on a mortgage.

If it’s 6 months, I would tough it out where you are. Moving around is only going to make your credit rating even worse.

Put your money and energy into house hunting and planning your new pad

I don't know how helpful they can be now. I know someone who was refused for mortgage because of default of £50 put on file by energy company by mistake. They had to rectify that. It's very, very strict now during these times. It will relax again soon though

Oh yosh op that sounds horrific! There are some lovely places out there i promise. I recomend you get onto spareroom.com and start looking for another houseshare

Ive recently moved into one and its much lovely and better than my previous place as a lodger. I pay 450pm and for that, i get a massive double room with lots of stoage space and an en suite. It isnt the best area but nor is it the worst and ive not met anyone dodgy on my walks and havent heard too many sirens or noise at night

I love it. Therea 6 pf us here- a police officer, a PT, a support worker, an insurance salesperson and a chef as well as me (probation officer). The landlady comes around once a week to clean communal areas and check that everything is ok. Its lovely and quiet as mostly people keep to themselves which is great. 2 fridges, 2 coolees etc and i have 3 cupboards - 2 for food and one dor any personal crockery as i have a double toom.

Moving isnt the wprst thing and personally i thonk itd be better to move and then move 1 last time than stay somewhere youre unhappy. It aounds like a proper 'student'type place not somewhere with wofking professonsls. There are decent ones out there you just have to look and i would really make sure of face to face viewings.

I live in a nice flatshare with considerate flatmates. Move.

I agree with move and look for female-only.

My last houseshare, I had an en-suite, which made it much more tolerable.

I'd second the lodger suggestion. A few friends have lodgers, single women with their own homes who wanted company as much as money to help with doing up second hand houses.
They care about keeping the house clean, getting on with their lodger and I don't think even asked for credit scores as it is very easy to evict a lodger so no need. (I know this isn't ideal from your perspective)
I also had a friend who lodged with an elderly lady for years. She had dinners cooked for her half the time!
That's not workable if you are a partier but if your working two jobs and saving so much it sounds unlikely.