Why Flatshare?
Why House or Flatshare?
Why do people Flat or House share?
There are three primary reasons why people decide to share with other flatmates, they are:
Reduce the cost of rent or cost of living
By sharing with other flatmates you don't just save money on the obvious costs like rent, but also all the smaller bills can be split between the number of flatmates living in the house (e.g. line rental, internet, electricity, council tax). This saving can soon add up over a years worth of sharing. This is can be a big reason for sharing in big city like London where the cost of living is very high.
Find somewhere nice to live when working away from home (Monday - Friday).
Sometimes people live too far away from work to commute in a sensible time, so they opt to live away from home Monday - Friday. Some business people might opt to stay in a hotel, but more and more professionals are opting to house share during the week.
Their reason is the same as above, it can be cheaper and it also feels like a home from home rather than a lifeless stuffy hotel room.
Social reasons (Find new friends to live with)
Some people might be able to afford to live on their own but they share purely for sociable reasons. Also when moving to a new town it is a quick way to meet new people.
These people tend to be looking for friends as well has flatmates.
Live in a nicer location
By sharing rent and other household costs with other flatmates you can often live in a nicer location and house than if you rented alone.
Get on the property ladder
With house prices going through the roof in the UK (well they've already gone through the roof!), more and more people are having problems paying their mortgage. For this reason more people are taking on lodgers and sharing their house in order to help pay their mortgage and get on the property ladder.
What type of people typically Flatshare or House Share?
It can be argued that there is not a "typical" type of person who flatshares. However the majority of people who live in flat shares are unmarried adults typically between 18 and 35, although according to our listings the most common age range is 23-25 for flatmates. There will also be a complete mixture of professions ranging from investment bankers to students (very common in cities with large universities).
It is impossible to start listing all the different types of personalities that share accommodation. Therefore it is important to make sure you have a good read of potential flatmates's descriptions, if used correctly these can give great insight into a person's personality.
With the massive rise in house prices in the UK over the last 5+ years it has become more common for couples to share a room. Its also becoming more common for people to stay in shared accommodation for longer (typically while they save for a mortgage).
Other Useful Flatshare Information
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