Thoughts on share-houses?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:22 am
Hey ERE-ers,
I'm 33 yo, single and have been living in various share houses for about the past decade.
I'm curious to know what my ERE comrades think about share houses.
I've lived in various types of these including:
Type 1: You rent a 2+ bed apartment then sublet the spare room(s) to person(s) of your choosing.
Type 2: You find someone who is already renting an apartment and rent one of their rooms.
Type 3: You join what is known as a 'Registered Boarding House' (in Australia, at least). These are regulated by the state, are run by an owner/manager of the building, each room has its own lock on the door (and sometimes bathroom and/or kitchenette) and they are a kind of middle-ground between separate units vs sharing. More communal than units but more private than sharing an apartment.
My experiences across all were largely positive. Most housemates I lived with were polite, respectful, good communicators and reasonably easy to live with.
Unfortunately a few bad experiences have reduced my confidence in sharing and kind of soured the overall experience.
E.g.:
* One time when I was renting an apartment and sublet some rooms, one of the housemates had his friend over and, without going into too much detail, his friend nearly got me sued (unintentionally, from ignorance/irresponsibility, but still...) thankfully I got help from a good lawyer and averted a crisis
* One time when I was renting a room in an apartment, I found the other person, while overall pleasant and easy to live with, wanted to talk endlessly with me, often pressuring me to talk when I said I was busy, so I sometimes spent hours conversing with him when I would've preferred to have some space
* Two of the Boarding Houses I lived in featured loud angry drunks, noisy heavy-smoking party goers or unpleasant argumentative characters, which was hard, especially when I needed quiet time to focus on work or get some sleep
At this point in my life, at 33, if I had my wish, I'd just live alone and have my own place.
However given the present size of my investments, and the 2% draw-down rate I wish to impose on myself, it seems like getting my own place would be almost unaffordable at present.
Maybe it's better to give up on totally retiring and instead spend a little more to get my own place, increase my drawdown rate to 3%, and work occasionally. That might make for a happier life overall.
Or maybe I should persist with the house sharing, keep my expenses to a 2% drawdown and just hope for the best? (And try to move if I encounter another unpleasant situation.)
Anyway I'm keen to hear YOUR thoughts and sharing experiences (if any).
Do you think sharing is a good idea vs. living alone? And why/why not?
What's your advice for someone my age/situation if any?
Thanks!
I'm 33 yo, single and have been living in various share houses for about the past decade.
I'm curious to know what my ERE comrades think about share houses.
I've lived in various types of these including:
Type 1: You rent a 2+ bed apartment then sublet the spare room(s) to person(s) of your choosing.
Type 2: You find someone who is already renting an apartment and rent one of their rooms.
Type 3: You join what is known as a 'Registered Boarding House' (in Australia, at least). These are regulated by the state, are run by an owner/manager of the building, each room has its own lock on the door (and sometimes bathroom and/or kitchenette) and they are a kind of middle-ground between separate units vs sharing. More communal than units but more private than sharing an apartment.
My experiences across all were largely positive. Most housemates I lived with were polite, respectful, good communicators and reasonably easy to live with.
Unfortunately a few bad experiences have reduced my confidence in sharing and kind of soured the overall experience.
E.g.:
* One time when I was renting an apartment and sublet some rooms, one of the housemates had his friend over and, without going into too much detail, his friend nearly got me sued (unintentionally, from ignorance/irresponsibility, but still...) thankfully I got help from a good lawyer and averted a crisis
* One time when I was renting a room in an apartment, I found the other person, while overall pleasant and easy to live with, wanted to talk endlessly with me, often pressuring me to talk when I said I was busy, so I sometimes spent hours conversing with him when I would've preferred to have some space
* Two of the Boarding Houses I lived in featured loud angry drunks, noisy heavy-smoking party goers or unpleasant argumentative characters, which was hard, especially when I needed quiet time to focus on work or get some sleep
At this point in my life, at 33, if I had my wish, I'd just live alone and have my own place.
However given the present size of my investments, and the 2% draw-down rate I wish to impose on myself, it seems like getting my own place would be almost unaffordable at present.
Maybe it's better to give up on totally retiring and instead spend a little more to get my own place, increase my drawdown rate to 3%, and work occasionally. That might make for a happier life overall.
Or maybe I should persist with the house sharing, keep my expenses to a 2% drawdown and just hope for the best? (And try to move if I encounter another unpleasant situation.)
Anyway I'm keen to hear YOUR thoughts and sharing experiences (if any).
Do you think sharing is a good idea vs. living alone? And why/why not?
What's your advice for someone my age/situation if any?
Thanks!