It's always a tricky thing, the outset of finding a flatmate. Do you go with a friend of a friend? The upside of a FOAF is that they come with some degree of recommendation. Or the "well, someone knows this person" factor. The downside of a FOAF is that they may find out things about you by living with you that you may not want friends lower down on the friend food chain to know. And lets face it, I have some things about my personal life that I don't always just want anyone to just know about. Another downside of the FOAF is that if they don't work out, they are slightly harder to get rid of as you risk offending the original friend. My first flatmate Z was a FOAF and she worked out fantastically, but you can't assume they'll all be like her.
So the alternative to the FOAF is the random. Mainly found by advertising in Loot or a similar service. The plus side to a random is you have the chance to meet someone new and interesting that you would never have a chance to meet otherwise. And for me, as landlord as well as flatmate, if the random sucks, I can give them one months notice and get rid of them. Of course the downsides to a random are extensive. Psychotic killer? Manic depressive? Compulsive liar? Thief? Celine Dion listener? Randoms have a tendency to hide these things about themselves until they are living in your house and rifling through your underwear drawer when you aren't at home.
The final alternative is the flat out friend option. Which I don't usually recommend. It's been okay with C, but there have certainly been issues. And because she is my friend, I've felt less able to address them how I would have liked. Living with friends can put a huge stress on the friendship, and so needs to be thought about carefully before undertaking. I suppose what worked well with C is that I barely saw her otherwise. So we weren't inundated with each other all the time.
Along that train of thinking, I am trying to get it through S's head that it would be a good idea for him to move in. Of course, if he moves in, it's just a temporary delay in the inevitable. He's looking to buy a place himself. But since he's living with his boyfriend who he's cheating on, and is waiting to break up with said boyfriend until he moves into his own place, I thought I could offer some assistance in moving that process along. What? I'm only trying to help...... But anyway, S would be okay as he is also someone I don't see so much of. And he'll eat what I cook and do dishes which is a bonus, though his bathroom cleanliness leaves something to be desired. Well, honestly, we've already lived in the same house twice, so I know that it would be okay.
I figure if S doesn't work out, I'll start seriously looking October first, either for mid October when C actually leaves or for November first, giving me a couple weeks of 'me in my own house' time. Whichever works out. I can't imagine I'll have trouble filling the room. The price is pretty cheap and the room is a good size, bright, with a double bed, plenty of room to swing a cat, and a view of the tip of the gherkin. Who could possibly ask for anything more?
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