You still didn’t find how to create passive income? So, let’s think about how to reduce your costs…
THE STORY
Looking for an apartment is one of the most tiring and time-consuming problems. In addition to it, looking for a roommate or room is not very different. Having a peaceful, clean, well-located place may be seen as the main factors to find a place. However, there are more than them these days. Do you want to wake up with sunlight? Or would you like to have a drink and look at the sunset on your terrace? Do you have enough noise isolation? This question list can be longer… On the other hand, for those looking for room or roommate, flatmates’ working hours and shower time or cooking time (especially if the kitchen is not big…) and their social life also hidden features of the apartment.
In this post, as a person who experienced for looking room and roommates, I will share my experiences and mention how I decided to renting rooms and transformed it into the systematic way without Airbnb…
In my first 4 months in Barcelona, I had to change 5 locations sometimes I was alone, sometimes having a flatmate and even sometimes flatmates using the apartment for their business (E.g. she was a masseuse and using one of the room 🙂) I was willing to rent a room instead of the apartment so that I can improve my Spanish and also save money… However, then I decided to rent an apartment. I didn’t think about it too much but I spent a lot to find the most feasible one.
Adventure Started
In 3 weeks with intensive search, I found a duplex apartment including two rooms and an office plus top floor. I transform the office into the bedroom so that I could rent it too. The top floor was transformed into a gym and meditation area… 🙂
Looking for a room/apartment is a tiring process but on the other hand, looking for a flatmate is not very easy… My initial goal before renting the big apartment, to find flatmates from my workplace. It was June and there are many newcomers in summer there. I was contacting an HR specialist who is helping the newcomers for their needs. Always updating her about the available rooms and asking for people. In my case, it was the best and safest option. In the first two weeks, we were three but one of them was for the short term. After the second short term flatmate, I understood having a short term flatmate would be tiring in the long term. Also, being short term in the house may make person live like in the hotel room, not an apartment… Cleaning, socializing would be difficult. Looking for a new flatmate again and again also will be tiring and it will probably cause extra cost… Then, I focused on finding a long term flatmate, and even though I had some short term requests, I had to reject to make it constant.
Lessons Learned
- When the deposit is received, the conditions should be clear for both sides. If this could be in a written way, it will prevent possible problems. Don’t worry, you just want to reduce the possible risks for both sides and it is not a big deal to sign a paper in the beginning even though you don’t know each other. It will make the other side feel more comfortable…
- It is important to inform your landlady that you have flatmates not giving rental service…
- Following up residential situation for the flatmates are essential. For their other paperwork, residential documents are essential and you should be able to provide it. Some apartments especially the ones on the first floor may have workplace settlement, not accommodation one…
- Cleaning the common area should be organized and nobody should feel it as a extra work. To make it easy, with a list showing the date for each person or all together in a weekend…
- Some people may not prefer to socialize with flatmates. It was strange in the beginning and a bit confusing but then you appreciate 😂
The most important thing not to forget is at the end of the day, they are your customers. You should provide customer satisfaction at the top level for your business continuity… Think like they are your babies and make the place like their home where they grew up… 😂
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