The sinking feeling in my stomach kicked in, as I moved the mouse and clicked on yet another room-for-rent reject. I'd spent about two hours browsing online for a room available in a 'normal' house share and had no joy whatsoever. It wasn't a shortage of rooms that was the problem, or that I had minimised my search to one specific area of London. There was an abundance of adverts and I was looking within a four mile radius of my original chosen postal area, but in each case, something just wasn't right - whether that be scrolling down and seeing 'this is an alcohol free house', or a guy asking for £1 a month rent in exchange for two hours of 'housework' a day.
I can understand that some people may be living on the breadline and just having a roof over their heads is the main thing, but why so many of these sorts of properties available, on what appears to be perfectly reputable websites?
I'm also the first to admit that I'm a tad fussy when it comes to home comforts and living environments, but I'm not looking for student digs now. I have a decent job and am in my mid twenties. I need something - as my friend Shell and I always say - shit, but good. I realise the extent to what I can afford isn't going to get me The Crowne Plaza, so it's without hesitation that I look for an already existing shared house with all-inclusive bills and have little expectations when it comes to size and decor. It's also mostly about the people you live with, wanting to make new friends and share with people that aren't going to steal your laptop and iphone while you're out or asleep.
I suppose you never know what people are like until you meet them, but I've already had bad experiences. One texted me two minutes before I was due to view a property, with the line 'the room has gone', and didn't pick up the phone when I then tried to call him. The others - two girls around my age - who came from a great flat, old build, spacious, massive double room and all the added extras like Broadband, turned out to be two-faced. They were really enthusiastic when I met them, giving off those 'you're in' vibes, and telling me they'd phone me in the next couple of days to let me know if I'd got the room. Did I hear anything? No.
They say moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do in life, and it's up there with getting divorced. I thought this just applied when you're on the property ladder, buying your own place, but now I'm rethinking. Is it too much to ask to find somewhere liveable, sharing with like-minded young professionals?
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