Sub-letting a one bedroom apartment using a bunk bed

[TopHatFox]

I was thinking that using a bunk bed to sub-let a small space could be an excellent way to reduce monthly rent without using up too much space; the bunk bed would be capitalizing vertical space, which wouldn't be used otherwise.

With a minimalist sub lessee, this could be an easy way to cut rent from 400 a month to 200, or a savings of 2400 a year. I think 200 a month for rent even beats van living in monthly spending.

[arrrrgon]

Plus you could have movie marathons while you both wear footie pajamas

It would be kinda like college in all seriousness though.

[jacob]

Iff you can live with the snoring or other "personal habits" ...
Or just go all the way ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel

Going vertical is a good space saver. I'd rather store someone's excess stuff for $50/month than sharing snore-space.

This is probably not something you'd wanna do in the long run (except with a SO) but in the short run, it might make for some interesting stories.

[TopHatFox]

Iff you can live with the snoring or other "personal habits" ...
Or just go all the way ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel

Going vertical is a good space saver. I'd rather store someone's excess stuff for $50/month than sharing snore-space.

This is probably not something you'd wanna do in the long run (except with a SO) but in the short run, it might make for some interesting stories.

Hm, I was also thinking of renting out space for excess stuff--maybe I can do the bunk bed and excess stuff trick to almost eliminate rent.

How much space would I need to charge someone $50 to store their excess stuff? I can maybe clear half a pantry if I convince my roommates to ditch some of their unused stuff.

[jacob]

Ha! The going rate is about $2/sqft. Never say never. In the 90s I rented my 17" CRT to a fellow student for ~$8/month. Consumers are crazy.

[reepicheep]

Zalo,

The trick is to find someone like you, or at least someone you can tolerate. I shared a bunk-bed with a sibling growing up and it was fine, but she had her own room where she stored her clothes and toys (we were sharing a bunk-bed because we just wanted to). In New York for college, a lot of my friends would pack 8 people in a 1 or 2 bedroom. People slept where they could; a lot of rooms got divided with blankets.

I would consider getting a bunk-bed and sharing a studio or one bedroom apartment if it made sense for my living situation, so if it works for you I would say go for it. I don't really understand why so many adults (especially ones with significant financial challenges OR goals) seem so adverse to living with other people.

[Ydobon]

I value my privacy and can't imagine anything worse!

Sounds like a great idea if you can find someone else who would be up for it, but that might be taking the sharing thing just a bit far for anyone else who isn't on the path to ERE. It sounds like the apocryphal tales of recent migrants sleeping 8 to a room

Perhaps it would work as a means to an end, but it would be too much of a compromise for me.

[JamesR]

I value my privacy and can't imagine anything worse!

You mean you value the privacy of other people.. you don't want to hear their farts, grunts, snorts, burps, etc.

[Ydobon]

Indeed, but I'd also like to spare them my farts, grunts, snorts and burps. Those are kept for my lovely wife

[FutureNature]

I'm sharing my room to halve my rent. Doing this is pretty common in New Zealand, especially for South Americans/Indians/South East Asians staying temporarily.

You get used to it extremely quickly. The reluctance to do it -- "I can't imagine anything worse" -- is born out of the same irrationality that stops regular people from doing ERE at all. The reality of the situation is that you'll find your mental health actually improving, as you have a more stable "human base" to your life, almost like a family. If you're an introverted person, and you want them to be quiet, tell them to.

After realizing how easy this is, I'm looking at finding long-term rates at even cheaper 4-person/8-person/16-person hostel rooms. It'll require training my mind to deal with snoring and abrupt noises (which aren't currently a problem), but I'm up for the challenge. The human mind is extremely malleable and I've found the "need" for absolute privacy is an unnecessary luxury (and probably a contributor to the epidemic of loneliness 1st-world society has).

As a massive introvert, and a former privacyphile, I never plan on going back to a single room.

[TopHatFox]

I'm sharing my room to halve my rent. Doing this is pretty common in New Zealand, especially for South Americans/Indians/South East Asians staying temporarily.

You get used to it extremely quickly. The reluctance to do it -- "I can't imagine anything worse" -- is born out of the same irrationality that stops regular people from doing ERE at all. The reality of the situation is that you'll find your mental health actually improving, as you have a more stable "human base" to your life, almost like a family. If you're an introverted person, and you want them to be quiet, tell them to.

After realizing how easy this is, I'm looking at finding long-term rates at even cheaper 4-person/8-person/16-person hostel rooms. It'll require training my mind to deal with snoring and abrupt noises (which aren't currently a problem), but I'm up for the challenge. The human mind is extremely malleable and I've found the "need" for absolute privacy is an unnecessary luxury (and probably a contributor to the epidemic of loneliness 1st-world society has).

As a massive introvert, and a former privacyphile, I never plan on going back to a single room.

I think what you write was in part what I was getting at: Does living in a single have a tendency to make people more lonely or less used to social interaction in intimate space?

That said, I do like individual private space for bringing a person over to spend the night--or many nights--with. It's hard to do that without some form of private living space.

[FutureNature]

Well yeah, as I said, even as a massive introvert I've found sharing a house/room to be psychologically beneficial. It's unwise to make a blanket statement for others, but if it turned out well for someone like me...

As for "bringing a person over". If you have a housemate or two (or eight), it absolutely makes no difference. But a roommate, yeah, you do have to change a few things. From my experience, you can just go to the girl's (or guy's) place. Most people have a private room, and that isn't going to change, so it's fine to buck the trend. Regardless, there seems to be no awkwardness with cuddling and flirting. Obviously you wouldn't want to have sex right in front of the roommate, but waiting til they're gone, going to the shower, or being stealthy are all things I've had no issues with. If the relationship gets serious, well, then it looks like you'll have a sexier replacement for your roommate.