posted
So I have a very lovely studio apartment. It has no real stove/oven but it does have a sink and i have a hot plate/ toaster oven contraption. The apartment is 400 square feet. I live in it w/ my little white cat and generally we're pretty happy there. I pay 400 dollars a month + the dsl/phone bill which is now aroudn 65-70. I have a separate enterance and I basically live off the side of this old farm house.
My friends found this 2 or 3 bedroom place that is 1200 a month. It's a 2-3 because it has a large masters bedroom downstairs. And upstairs there is a medium sized bedroom and one small bedroom. There is one bathroom and it has a nice kitchen w/ a little nook and a living room.
2 of my friends are looking at the place and they'd like me to be a thrid. The new place is very cute and really neat. It's off the side of an old farmhouse too. I've been living alone for the last two years. Part of me really misses a kitchen. But I'm also a) not sure if I'd be able to fit my stuff all in the small bedroom. b) if I'd like living with people again.
I get a little lonely in my place but sometimes it's nice to know that you have your private space. *shrug* So I'm really torn. I like the house I like my current place. I just don't know what other factors to consider.
Oh my friends would like to get a dog. Just another thing to throw into the equation. And yes I would like to keep my kitty.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Well here's what I do when there are two decisions I am deciding between (I am sure you have heard this before, but it works for me anyway).
Get a coin, and assign staying as tails, and leaving as heads. Flip it so that you don't see the result. Then think, which one am I hoping for?
If this doesn't work, look at the coin's result, and if you are happy with the result, that's your choice, and if you are dissapointed, then go with the other one.
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Would your rent be less, since you'd have the smaller bedroom? Or would it be evenly split between the three of you. That would be a deciding factor for me. When I can't choose between two things which are essentially equal (or if not equal than at least balanced), I let price break the tie.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
The negatives here sound very concrete, and the positives don't. Basically, the only reasons you've listed to move are that your friends want you to, the new place is cute, and you get a little lonely sometimes. But you sound like you like where you're living now, and have no real reason to leave.
I can tell you that when I went back to having a roommate after getting used to living alone, I hated it. Also, you already have your cat... I wouldn't consider moving somewhere with another animal unless the animals could meet first and I could find out how they got along. Since your friend doesn't have the dog yet, you can't do that. What if they get the dog after you've all moved in, and your cat is terrified and can't adjust? Or if the dog can't adjust, and barks and chases her all the time?
Unless the new place is a lot cheaper, and like El JT said you should be paying a smaller share if you were getting a really little room, I wouldn't even consider it.
posted
Agreed, if you're moving from a place where you have everything to yourself, to a place where you're going to have to share facilities and you will be getting the smallest room - then I'd say it would have to be significantly cheaper before I'd consider it.
Another thing - are you bound by a lease agreement where you are? Would you lose a deposit for breaking the lease?
I'd stay, but then I'm biased - I don't remember what it's like to live along anymore and I cherish any quiet alone time I have to myself. You can always visit your friends when you feel lonely, but if you crave some peace and solitude it's a lot harder to get when you have roommates.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
You seem to have a pretty good idea of the pros and cons -- but have you actually sat down with a piece of paper and written "pros" on one side, and "cons" on the other, and noted down everything you could think of affecting each decision? (besides posting it here!)
Sometimes when you do that, it makes the best decision easier and more obvious...
posted
Other than the kitchen problem and the small living space for the cat. My place has a lot of pros like free cable/ utilities. And my landlords give me free food from their garden share and take care of the cat when I go on vacation.
I guess the reason I was thinking of moving was that it's a little bit closer to school. If I was living in the smallest bedroom I think that I would be paying less in rent. But I suspect that once everything adds up it might not be that much less than the 470 I basically pay now.
I think one of the primary reasons i'm looking for another place is that I really am tired of not having a kitchen. But I'm trying to be realistic and decide how much I miss it.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Wow, free cable/utilities sounds very good. So it does seem like your monthly bill would be about the same.
I just want to add a little about the living with roommates vs. alone part of the decision. I'm the kinda person who avoids confrontation and keeps a lot of feeling inside, so this might not apply. I don't think it's such a big deal to live with other people, since you would have your own room. And also about the space issue, there is probably some in the living room or wherever, if you want more space in your own room. Anyway, what was I saying.. yeah, you'd have your own room. That would be private enough for me. If you need to be by yourself, there's a room for that. unless you like being by yourself outside of your bedroom? And I actually don't find it all that hard to ask my housemates to turn their music down when I need to work, despite my non-confrontational nature.
So, let us know how it goes? I was wondering about whether you'd hafta lose out on a deposit for where you're at now too. And your friends wouldn't mind taking care of your cat for you when you're out right? O, one other thing that might be influencing how I feel is that I don't live with friends. I think of them more as acquaintances.
Posts: 1056 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
I vowed my senior year of college that my next roommate comes with a ring. So until then, it’s only me and the pets! Fun!
Posts: 2845 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Sarah, You live amidst transients. Think about your two friends. You like them. One moves out, and you are either: a. stuck with more rent, or b. stuck with a roommate you don't like.
As you know, you are always welcome to boil corn here.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
I made a decision. We went and talked to the woman today. She's a little more organized and um together than I'm used to w/ my current situation. We decided the house is just not big enough for three people. The small room is 9 ft by 9 ft. We sorta measured furniture and yeah, that's just not going to work.
So we sent her this email. I don't think she'll take it but we'll see what she says.
Email:
Hi,
So we talked about it after our conversation and we all really like the house. We did some measuring of beds and dressers and desks and the small bedroom, if it's 9 feet by 9 feet, will definitely not be large enough for a twin bed, dresser, and desk. Unless that room size is not correct we can't do three. Let us know if you find out that the room has a larger size.
Friend1 and I know that this probably isn't a realistic request by any stretch of the imagination but we're willing to take it for sure if the rent is $1000 a month. We wouldn't need the porch painted, and some of the other repairs that you discussed. Basically we'd take it as is no repairs, barring flooding or sudden weird electrical problems, on June 18th if you wanted. We'd also not expect storage space in the garage.
We'll totally understand if you say no. We'd be really excited if you said yes.
Thanks for spending so much time with us today.
Sarah, Friend2, and Friend1
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that Sarah is one of my favourite Hatrack semi-regulars (like myself).
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
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posted
Yeah this decision feels right. I know she's goign to say no, but if she did say yes I definately wouldn't mind having the place. All my weird reservations are gone if we got that deal. It seems like if you're hesitating and overthinking things it might just be a sign something isn't right.
posted
Esta undecision me molesta! If you don't want me, set me free, Si no me quieres, librame. Exactly who’m I’m supposed to be Diga me que tengo ser Don’t you know which clothes even fit me? ¡§saves que robas me querda? Come on and let me know Me tienes que desir Should I cool it or should I blow? ¡§me debo ir o quedarme?
Sorry, but I read the thread title and this song sprang into my head.
Posts: 514 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
So I made a decision. Basically we got her to take our deal although for 1075 a month. It works out to be 537.50 or something a month for rent. We're hoping that our friends will get hte adjoining house. Then we can split internet/cable bill with them since there's a basement that runs below the two subsections.
We get the place June 18. This was an unexpected change in my life. My head's still spinning.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
I guess I am all confused. I thought your 2 friends wanted a third roommate, then y'all decided there was only room for two? I assumed that meant you were keeping your own place and your 2 friends were going to split the place, if the landlord agreed. But now it sounds like you are moving in with one friend, but are hoping some other friends can move next door? How many friends are you talking about? How'd you original three friends decide which two got the space?
I don't get it, but I'm glad you're happy.
Posts: 1990 | Registered: Feb 2001
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Oh, so basically here's how the whole situation went. Originally Friend1 and I had talked about living together. She found this place and said, "it sounds like a bit much but it also says it has 3 rooms so it could be actually a three bedroom. Why don't we go check it out." So the three of us went and we discovered that it was pretty cool. So Friend 2 decided she'd be willing to try to go for it. Then Friend2 wasn't able to find a person to take her current place. She also wasn't going ot be here most of the summer and isn't sure what she's thinking about grad school.
When we found out the small room was SUPER small we all sat down and talked about all the options. So it was immediately decided that for 3 people it *just* wasn't an option. Then it was well do Friend1 and Friend2 want the place at 1200. They could both cerainly afford it. (Friend2 is paying 800 or so for her current place). However since she can't justify paying for 2 places she said that she didn't want it if it was just 2 people.
So then it came down to did Friend1 and I want it. I decided I didn't want to pay 600 a month. So we made that offer from my previous post. The woman basically took it and so now Friend1 and I have a new place. I get the medium sized bedroom next to the tiny room. We'll turn the tiny room into a study area/sewing room. And if we decide at the end of the summer we'll decide if we want to find a third. At that point we figure we'll know how stuff fits in the place and such.
Now for the other friends. This place is basically on the side of a large farm house. 4 of our friends tried to get the place last year but it got grabbed before they could get it. So they're looking for a place again and want to get this one. It's totally separate from our deal. It'd be nice to have neighbors we like but our getting this place is definately a separate issue from their getting the place they want. It might just mean we could save a little cash as well. Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
*laugh* Yeah lots of different things have been happening lately. I'm having a hard time keeping it straight. I'm just glad the whole thing's decided at this point actually. Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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