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Original poster

need a lodger! tips?

9 replies

persephonesnape · 30/01/2011 08:56

My lovely roommate has found love (git!)and is moving on. I need to find a replacement, or I won't make rent. :( he's agreed to pay the rent (£500) until the end of our lease (15th March) although i think it's highly unlikely he'll be paying his share of the council tax and utilities,so i need to move pretty sharpish.

I'm advertising on spare room, but no interested people yet - could you have a look at my ad and tell me if we look like weirdos, or if there's anything else i should be doing? any other ideas for websites/marketing tips/general ideas? ideally I'd like someone working in London who goes back home at weekends, so we can have a bit of space, but i'm generally OK with someone there-all-the-time...

ad here!

thank you in advance for any comments/suggestions.

OP posts:

BoBoo · 30/01/2011 09:24

I think it seems a huge amount of money for a room in Bromley in a house with a family in it. I've never rented a room with a family and don't know anyone that has so would imagine your market is reasonable limited. You say in OP that the rent is £500 so that means you're charging £250 a month for bills? I'm sure that would cover bills for the whole family and then some. I would consider lowering the price if you could afford to. Have a look on Rightmove and see what else you could rent for that kind of money - you could certainly get a one-bedroom flat like this or this or this house share is £200 cheaper than you're asking.

Is there a curtain or a blind in the bedroom? It doesn't look like there is from the photo.

I think you sound like a lovely family, so for me it would come down to the money.

Original poster

persephonesnape · 30/01/2011 09:31

yeah, i'm possibly a little greedy/cautious with the bills side of it- the council tax and water are huge..I'll need to have another look at the actual outgoings and maybe advertise it as £500, not including bills, but say it's expected that they pay half of council tax and a share of water/utilities and broadband.

thanks for that! :)

OP posts:

Original poster

persephonesnape · 30/01/2011 09:47

mmmm...revised down to £690. slightly more competitive?

OP posts:

HollyBollyBooBoo · 30/01/2011 15:37

Am genuinely stunned at amount you're asking for! Why would they pay half of the council tax when there are 3 of you (have I read that correctly you and your 2 boys?) and 1 lodger? Especially if you do get someone there weekdays only then you're taking the mick.

The way you talk about politics would be a real turn off for me 'No Tories' is incredibly rude, I'd be thinking, are they going to be rude to any of my friends who I bring round who may happen to be Tories? Are they just as intolerant to other races and religions? I'd think you were very narrow minded.

Minor point but in the details on 'current household' it says aged 16-40 but then in the detail you say your boys are younger than 16. Not important but just minor detail.

dinkystinky · 30/01/2011 15:41

Try advertising on gumtree also.

My sister has a lodger who is weekday only - he pays £600 a month (but in zone 2 on tube, lots of buses etc) which covers rent and utilities and council tax. She found him via word of mouth through friends who work in the art world (as she does too).

Original poster

persephonesnape · 30/01/2011 16:24

i can't get lower than 16 years old on the drop-down menu with the website.

frankly, i'm asking someone to live with my family for a bit. i'm not going to manage to get on with someone that votes tory - because i tend to think they will just maybe have opinions that i disagree with on a fairly serious level. clearly, if i'm a lefty, atheist, green, gay-friendly household, i'm hardly likely to be intolerant of other races and yes, as an atheist, I'm intolerant of fundamentalists of all religions thinking they can have an opinion on what i can and can't do with my body. we wouldn't get on, i think it's fair to point that out.

the total rent is £1500 pcm. I pay 2/3rds of the total rent. I'm asking for half of the council tax, as it's only paid by adults and a proportion of other bills.

thanks dinkystinky, will try gumtree.

OP posts:

lalalonglegs · 30/01/2011 16:54

I agree that it seems a lot - will lodger be sharing bathroom? Sharing with two kids would be an issue and, also, I don't know if most lodgers want to be part of the family which is sort of how you are portraying it.

The "No Tories" thing wouldn't bother me (I'd not want them either), I think it's meant half jokingly but, sorry, describing your sons as odd might worry some people.

AlpinePony · 30/01/2011 17:35

Tbh way overpriced. :( www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-28283524.html

It is a very socialist viewpoint that you wish for someone else to pick up the tab for you! Bon chance!

risingstar · 30/01/2011 22:16

think i would be tempted to look at bills again- take the view that an adult lodger means you lose 25% discount and reflect this.

i would also be slightly concerned about your 15 yr old daughter potentially moving back? would make me think that this is a short term arrangement. i would not mention it tbh.

nothing wrong with saying no tories, couldnt agree more. however, i would play down the quirky weird kids angle. it could mean different things to different people.i would think that you would get mote footfall if you just stated kids ages and left it at that.

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