I saw my first properly large double room today. I love it. As in really love it. It can actually fit all my clothes and books and things!
first reaction
But the experience of walking into a room where 5 people were sitting around a table, with a chair very blatantly set up on the other side of it…. My, that was scary. An audition! It’s like inadvertently walking onto the set of the X factor and realising that you only remember the words to “happy birthday” (Mr. President)… Will they like me? Do i like them? Where is the room? Why are we doing a “Hello my name is… and I do…” before I’ve even seen the room I may be renting for nearly half my monthly income?
auditioning
So it went well. They played the game, i saw the room, discovered i love it, despite the slight shiver of horror that crept up my spine at the idea that the house will have five people – yes, five – sharing the one bathroom. I played the game too. Told them about me. Two were techies so I played the “oh i have a raspberry pi” card… It wasn’t hard. They’ll “let me know” by tomorrow evening.
looking for more…. savings
Meanwhile, I will be going to go see four other flats. Three are much too expensive. In reality, the new rent + transport even for those will still be a couple of hundred pounds cheaper than my current rent + transport. But given i will be compromising on space and privacy, I would prefer a larger saving instead of a smaller one.
my bathroom is bigger!
I saw a double room in Vauxhall today. I swear, the girl barely fit into it. There was less room to get dressed than there is room in my bathtub. And the room itself was most likely about the same size as my bathroom in Woking. Take a shrunken-looking double bed, and measure 40cm on three sides of it. That was the room. Those 2.5hrs to/from Vauxhall were a mistake. D’oh!
sharing
I also have the option of a room where i would fit but my books would not, sharing a flat with two girls who barely have any kitchen cabinet space left. I’d suggest they pull the microwave out from the closet, but then they’d run out of counter space instead. Why’s that a problem, you ask? Well. I cook and have been known to bake. Oops.
Or, i could room with three properly grown men and have my own miniature bathroom. What’s the catch? Well. The room is crammed with furniture, would never fit a bookcase, and half of it is missing half the ceiling… It’s in the attic! Plus I’d be sharing with three grown men. The flat is amazingly tidy, but still. I’d be the one woman in there, mediterranean and cooking. Hmm… At least there is an amazing kitchen in there! If it were closer to the tube, and £200 cheaper, I’d be pouncing on it in a second!
end of day status
At the end of the day, i am immensely grateful to the amazing man i’m dating who welcomed me home after this surprisingly exhausting day – i’m sure i’ve walked more when shopping but damn i’m tired! – and has just made me dinner. I am waiting to hear from the four people in the one-bathroom houseshare where my room would be awesome. They’ve taken the advert down, and i really hope that tomorrow they tell me i can move in!!
UPDATE (27-Jan-2013, 18:30)
I could not hear my phone for a bit and when i looked i had a message which read “would love to give you the room” followed by another, less than an hour later, reading “so sorry we got our wires crossed”. So i am still looking for flats. Lucky number ten?