When I moved to Seattle from Phoenix, I had a plan for my living arrangements.
You see, in Phoenix, I had unfortunately become accustomed to having a rather large living space. I lived in a 3-floor townhome with a two-car garage. I also had a roommate, who was rarely around (stayed at her boyfriend's almost ALL the time), so I basically had the entire place all to myself (and the dog, of course). The property had two pools, two hot tubs, and a gym. The cost of my rent in Phoenix per month = $606. Click here to see where I lived in Phoenix.
I decided in Seattle that I wanted to follow the same path as far as renting goes. I am planning on investing in some property at some point, but obviously I wouldn't want to do that until I have gotten to know the city better.
Rather than live alone in a shoebox-sized studio or one-bedroom and pay way too much for the amount of space given, I opted to find a two-bedroom apartment that was of a decent size, decent price, and had secured parking (parking in Seattle is a nightmare, believe me) to share with a roommate. I certainly figured I would have to fit the bill for the entire apartment for the first couple of months. Well, I did find a great apartment. Lots of space, good location, and secure underground garage parking. The cost of rent in Seattle per month = $1295 + $75 parking. When a proper roommate is added into the mix, my portion of the rent will drop to $725. Not bad at all, given the area and proximity to downtown, work, and the freeway which I use to commute to go out and ride my horse. Click here to see where I live in Seattle.
The actual roommate hunt: Well, I know enough people here in Seattle that I truly hoped I would just find a friend-of-a-friend somewhere along the line that would need a place to live. BRUTAL FUCKING TRUTH: NO ONE NEEDS A PLACE TO LIVE. Everyone is deeply rooted with their current roommates, or living with their boyfriends. Blah. So, I've fit the entire rental bill for 4 months. I just can't take it anymore, I need to save some damn money (especially after the roadtrip gone financially wrong...see blog archive).
So, my friends, this situation has left me with no other option than to search for a stranger roommate. EEK! Craigslist has been my friend so far, and I've gotten numerous inquiries in the week that my room has been posted. Let me tell you one thing, people can be quite frank in these responses. I had one chick just flat out tell me that she was a slob. Do people really thing you want to live with a fucking slob? I guess she was doing me a favor by being honest.
Out of the inquiries, I've narrowed it down to about 4 folks that I actually think are worth meeting. All are female, as I haven't had the best luck with male roommates in the past. Sorry boys, but y'all are just a bunch of slobs most of the time. Most of them are fairly new to the city as well, which comforts me a little, so we can struggle with getting to know the city together maybe. Anyway, I'm meeting a couple of these ladies this weekend for coffee and a chat...safety first, so I'm meeting them in public. With all the psychos on Craigslist these days, I figure I owe it to myself to make sure that these "ladies" are really who they say they are. Last thing I need is someone going all "Son of Sam" on me.
For the record, I am going to reserve my right to be picky on the roommate selection. I've lived with many a roommate in my day. The types of roommates that suck:
1.) The non-cleaner - doesn't clean, doesn't take out the trash, leaves dirty dishes in the sink, etc.
2.) The non-bill payer - fuck this...seriously.
3.) The might-as-well-be-married gal w/ the live-in boyfriend - your boyfriend doesn't pay any fucking rent, therefore he shouldn't be LIVING here.
4.) The sex maniac/nympho - see #3 as well - I don't want to hear your business, have him stuff a damn pillow over your face or something.
5.) The borrower - let's face it, the correct name is "the taker"...and they usually take the last piece of whatever is yours - last roll of toilet paper, last bottle of water, last piece of pizza
Is it so much to ask for a clean, bill-paying, non-married w/o a live-in boyfriend, quiet, considerate, self-sufficient individual?
Feel free to add your own definition of a sucky roommate in the comments section.
So, wish me luck. Also, if you don't see a blog post from me by Tuesday, send out a search party.
Song of the day: "Silver Lining" by Rilo Kiley (fuck silver, I'm gold...anyone should want to live with me!)
2 comments:
Yes, the roommate situation is why I live in a studio. It might be a shoebox, but it's MY shoebox.
The most recent type of bad roommate I encountered (not counting my lousy husband) was a woman who treated the entire apartment (except my room) as if it was her home, and her home ONLY. For example, I had to move her laundry just to have a place to sit in the living room. She was also one of those "everything is your fault because I'M perfect") type people. Watch out for those.
i've used craigslist for my last several roommates and i actually prefer it over moving in with a friend. Although if you really want cheap rent just move back to WL. my rent is $300/month :)
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