What would you do?

krooton

krooton

krooton

Caporegime
Joined
9 May 2004
Posts
28,754
Location
Leafy outskirts of London
UPDATED AS STILL LOOKING

For those who are still in a position of needing to rent, what would you do presented with the following choice of house-shares?

Property 1:

Pros:
Really lovely housemates, they have been friends for a few years, so house feels really homely, we chatted over a cup of tea.
3 minute walk to station.
Big room, house in good nick in general.

Cons:
Single shared bathroom for all 4 housemates.
Upper range of my budget given it isn't even en suite, £1010 factoring in my travel.




Property 2:

Pros:
STUPIDLY cheap, I'm talking £750 including my travel!
Big enough for my stuff.
Not above or next to any other bedroom in the house, so I can't annoy anyone if watching a movie or something, and they can't annoy me.
Right next to the bathroom, so almost like having an en suite.
Friendly housemates.

Cons:
5 other housemates might make fridge space an issue?
Commute time 10 minutes longer than property 1 each way.
House isn't in the greatest nick, but perfectly liveable.
Right next to bathroom, which is used by 3 other housemates, though only 1 gets up earlier than me.
Room comes without a bed, so I would need to buy one.
Smaller than bedroom in Property 1.
10 minute walk to station.
Boiler in cupboard (Again! Wtf!)


 
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My initial impression was property two, but I wouldn't want to add to that commute really. Although, I'd say there really isn't much in 1 hour 15 vs. 1 hour 30ish when you're dealing with a commute.

I don't think the en-suite thing really counts as a con, so on balance two still wins out. If the commute is too much of an issue, move again.

Also, perspective is needed on the computer desk... are there alternatives? Do you have a huge desk at the moment, or is the room just small?
 
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For me, the housemates make the house, and so I would go for number 2. Same principle as work - the colleagues who I work with is what makes the job.

I had a bedsit with a boiler cupboard for 3 years. I can confirm that I didn't hear it, but your woes will come from summer time where your room will become overly warm. No central heating needed, but of course, the boiler will need to stay warm at times for hot water and that's not nice in the summer :(

So for you OP, it boils down (pun intended!) to whether you're hot-bloodied or not.
 
Nix said:
My initial impression was property two, but I wouldn't want to add to that commute really. Although, I'd say there really isn't much in 1 hour 15 vs. 1 hour 30ish when you're dealing with a commute.

I don't think the en-suite thing really counts as a con, so on balance two still wins out. If the commute is too much of an issue, move again.

Also, perspective is needed on the computer desk... are there alternatives? Do you have a huge desk at the moment, or is the room just small?
Click to expand...

It's a public transport commute, against the grain of normal commute flow, and I have done longer in the past. It lets me get through tv shows or comics on my tablet.

Fairly big desk due to 27" monitor and slide out keyboard tray. I'm not even sure my monitor would fit in the fitted desk in Property 1. Updated OP with pics.

Monserrat said:
For me, the housemates make the house, and so I would go for number 2. Same principle as work - the colleagues who I work with is what makes the job.

I had a bedsit with a boiler cupboard for 3 years. I can confirm that I didn't hear it, but your woes will come from summer time where your room will become overly warm. No central heating needed, but of course, the boiler will need to stay warm at times for hot water and that's not nice in the summer :(

So for you OP, it boils down (pun intended!) to whether you're hot-bloodied or not.
Click to expand...

I am very hot bloodied, haha, but 2 windows and gated community far from any main roads means I could actually have my windows open at night!
 
You've effectively lost half of the room to the slant of the ceiling mate. You'll feel cramped in there after a while, although it does very nicely decorated.
 
Option 2. Better housemates and also save £100 per month too. No brainer really other than the added commute time but I'd rather that and enjoy my home life too then save 10 minutes a day and potentially not enjoy being at home as much.
 
It's 10/20 minutes each way, so either save 20 minutes, or add 40 minutes per day. ;)

That said, I am leaning towards 2 as well, the extra 100 month will make saving for a deposit that much quicker.
 
I'm thinking option 2 also, however you need to make sure that boiler isn't something that will get on your moobs.
 
Definitely 2 as long as, as others have said, the boiler isn't an annoyance.

I'd say that you're saving £100 for nicer housemates and only having to add 30 - 40 mins a day onto the journey. Plus there's no sloping ceiling.
 
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