Things they don’t tell you about House-shares

As I am settling in my room, I realize there are a lot of things I should have sorted out before making my decision about the room. Here goes a list which should help people in a similar situation. This was my first time and it was ok for me to make mistakes. I hope that people search and find this blog before they make such decisions (for me it is ok to make mistake as I am not going to stay here for a long time).

Before deciding on a house-share, the following questions should be asked (more questions if there is a letting agency involved and the owner does not stay in the same house).

1. Is the rent inclusive of all bills? Typical extra bills in England are Council Tax (high), water charges, electricity, gas and Internet. Though Internet is cheap but most of them have minimum twelve months contract which some people avoid. These bills can add up to about £150.
2. Is the electricity and gas pre-paid? The problem with pre-paid is that you can cross your limit and you will be left in darkness and/or without heating. This is a huge problem when the owner does not stay in the same house (added problem when the letting agent does not pick up the call).
3. How heat-proof the house is? It can get quite cold anywhere in Britain, and this will add to the energy bills (if not included). The main problems to check are wet patches on walls, and double-glazed windows. While double-glazed windows are a good thing, wet patches are not.
4. How many house-mates versus bathrooms? Sometimes, the old houses will have four people sharing one bathroom, which can be a huge problem. Ideally, there should be one bathroom/shower/toilet per two people.
5. How big is the kitchen? Of course four people in one small kitchen are too much, but if there are more professionals in the house, the cooking will be minimum. Also fridge/freezer space is to be noted.
6. Who is responsible for cleaning of the common areas? This is another important factor in case the house-mates are not that clean. Some landlords employ a cleaner for this, which is a good idea.

Now, about my house-share, total six rooms are there, so six people will stay. Two of the rooms have en-suite bathroom, and there are two more bathrooms to be shared by the rest four. I have a big front room which has a double bed, a fridge (without freezer) and a closet for clothes. There is a sink and some table top inside the room which makes cleaning utensils easy (inside your room). The kitchen has two sinks and two ovens, so that is convenient too. But this has resulted in less storage space in the kitchen.  There is a two-door side-by-side refrigerator in the kitchen; I use the freezer there which has lot of space. The shower/toilet in the ground floor is mostly used by me as I am the only person living in the ground floor. Overall, it is not very bad house-share at all.

Well, I had considered most of the facts as above, except the pre-paid electricity/gas thing. The additional thing you have to consider, before deciding on a house-share, is that while empty rooms can give you the opportunity to be like yourself, but it might take some effort and money to convert a house into a home.

P.S. If you are going to stay with your boyfriend/girlfriend, you should tell upfront, most house-shares allow that. If the boyfriend/girlfriend visits less frequently, it is ok not to tell (if there is a letting agency involved).