Batten down the hatches.....

catriona79

I have something for you Ena:

“When we make a change, it’s so easy to interpret our unsettledness as unhappiness, and our unhappiness as a result of having made the wrong decision. Our mental and emotional states fluctuate madly when we make changes in our lives, and somedays we could tightrope across Manhattan, and other days we are too weary to clean our teeth. This is normal. This is change.” -Jeanette Winterson

catriona79

And just a quick point re the locks on doors. I seem to remember that in order to avoid a tenancy relationship (where the tenant has more rights than a lodger), you can't have locks on doors.

I don't have and never have had any locks fitted, maybe I'm too trusting. But I would ask to make a copy of their passport and ask for a reference from last two landlords. Maybe also something from her work. Have you thought if you'd prefer a guy or a girl?

If you have a lodger contract (not an Assured Tenancy Agreement) - you don't need to pay tax then and also you have far more rights, including being able to terminate the lodger contract at will. Maybe it's worth checking that out.

Also, I have lodged with a girl who had a massive ginger house cat and she definitely didn't have a cat flap on her door and we just treated the cat as part of the deal. I guess people who are not at all keen on cats will not take the room anyway (or allergic), and plenty of people will be happy to have an adopted pet, I know I was, I fed him and he sent me birthday cards! :rotfl:
Sometimes it's how you market something that makes the difference. I'd also say that you don't want to live with anyone who isn't 100% on board with living with the cat. Lots of people love animals and I know I would love to join a household with a dog or a cat!


I am so pleased that you are determined and on a roll!

It is a hard decision to start sharing your home, but it's the easiest money you'll have ever earned. And it's a means to an end.

catriona79

Orange_Ena wrote: »

Over the hump now, both day wise and mood wise

Now that I've decided to get my spare room and some other bits upstairs sorted I do feel better, and I'm glad that I hung on to the money in my overpayments account. I've added a few bits and it now stands at just under £160. Even though I had the £500 bank transfer from my CC, I've decided to put the radiators on the CC now and use that cash for my new doors, to get it decorated and furnished, and a blind and/or curtains. There's 5 doors to be changed while I'm at it, and it will cost £315. Decorating will be about £200 plus paint and/or wallpaper. A cheap blind and furniture and I should just be able to do it for £660. Hopefully I'll recoup that in 2 or 3 months when this future lodger pays me. :T I'm trying to ignore the fact that my debt will be going to back up to what it was in July. Hopefully only for a short time. Speculate to accumulate and all that jazz

I've got a lot of moving to do, mainly a big ike@ exp3dit unit that'll need moving into my bedroom, and all the other junk. I think my room will be quite.....er......cosy ;):)

:)

Glad you are feeling better :j:beer::T

Agreed re hanging on to your cash. In the world of tradesmen, cash is king. You can get some discounts!

So understand the cost bedroom feel - mine is like that now! But it's not forever!

Try to keep the spends down as much as possible. Agree re keeping the carpet. There are good cheap blinds (blackout) in ikea and homebase. I got curtains for my new lodger in ikea too. £40 and blackout.

Maybe you can save yourself the £300 on the doors.

I think it will be lovely when you've done it all, you'll be pleased with how fresh and nice the house looks!

So pleased for you and good luck! If you have any questions that I can help you with, just ask!

GoingToDoIt

Hi Ena,
Glad you feel better! I did a short term rent ( I couldn't possibly comment as to whether it was an illegal sub let) as my newbuild flat was delayed. I got on famously with my landlady, then her ex dumped "their" cat on her as he was moving... She was wortied about telling me but I love cats it was brilliant! All the fun of a pet with no responsibility (I fed it but I didn't do the litter tray!) you might make a new friend, we did end up going on a few boozy nights out although equally we could go for days just days saying "hi, See you later" or " the cat's ontop of my wardrobe if your looking for her". It might be nice to come home from a rubbish day at work, to a friendly face. I don't know about the traditions but I like cleaning so I'd clean kitchen/ bathroom as well.

Orange_Ena

catriona79 wrote: »

I have something for you Ena:

“When we make a change, it’s so easy to interpret our unsettledness as unhappiness, and our unhappiness as a result of having made the wrong decision. Our mental and emotional states fluctuate madly when we make changes in our lives, and somedays we could tightrope across Manhattan, and other days we are too weary to clean our teeth. This is normal. This is change.” -Jeanette Winterson

Great quote Catriona, thanks for posting it. A change is gonna come

Orange_Ena

catriona79 wrote: »

And just a quick point re the locks on doors. I seem to remember that in order to avoid a tenancy relationship (where the tenant has more rights than a lodger), you can't have locks on doors.

I don't have and never have had any locks fitted, maybe I'm too trusting. But I would ask to make a copy of their passport and ask for a reference from last two landlords. Maybe also something from her work. Have you thought if you'd prefer a guy or a girl?

If you have a lodger contract (not an Assured Tenancy Agreement) - you don't need to pay tax then and also you have far more rights, including being able to terminate the lodger contract at will. Maybe it's worth checking that out.

Also, I have lodged with a girl who had a massive ginger house cat and she definitely didn't have a cat flap on her door and we just treated the cat as part of the deal. I guess people who are not at all keen on cats will not take the room anyway (or allergic), and plenty of people will be happy to have an adopted pet, I know I was, I fed him and he sent me birthday cards! :rotfl:
Sometimes it's how you market something that makes the difference. I'd also say that you don't want to live with anyone who isn't 100% on board with living with the cat. Lots of people love animals and I know I would love to join a household with a dog or a cat!


I am so pleased that you are determined and on a roll!

It is a hard decision to start sharing your home, but it's the easiest money you'll have ever earned. And it's a means to an end.

Thanks for this Catriona. Funnily enough I had been looking into the lock on doors thing and there seem to be mixed feelings on it. I know they'll have to be some trust but it's reassuring to be able to lock the world out too, for me and them. I think unless there's a bedsit feel to the room they are renting, i.e own bathroom, kitchenette etc, then they will be classed as a lodger not a tenant. I will look into it further but I think I'll go ahead and get the doors done but I could always 'lose' their key. Not sure about male or female, just someone decent would be good!

The cat flap in my bedroom door is just so I don't have to sleep with my door open. My cat can come and go as he pleases, plus he likes to sit with his bum in my face in the morning as if to hurry me along so he gets fed :rotfl::D I want someone that's fine with cats but I'm a little worried that my cat will prefer them to me.

Orange_Ena

catriona79 wrote: »

Glad you are feeling better :j:beer::T

Agreed re hanging on to your cash. In the world of tradesmen, cash is king. You can get some discounts!

So understand the cost bedroom feel - mine is like that now! But it's not forever!

Try to keep the spends down as much as possible. Agree re keeping the carpet. There are good cheap blinds (blackout) in ikea and homebase. I got curtains for my new lodger in ikea too. £40 and blackout.

Maybe you can save yourself the £300 on the doors.

I think it will be lovely when you've done it all, you'll be pleased with how fresh and nice the house looks!

So pleased for you and good luck! If you have any questions that I can help you with, just ask!

Thanks again. I'm really pleased with how big the spare room looks now I've de-junked it. I'll definitely be popping along to Ike@ when I'm ready. Got my eye on a wardrobe and a chest and some soft furnishings and I can get a few bits from Am@zon too. Do you provide bedding and towels for your lodgers? I'll probably have more questions! Thank you, you'll regret saying that! :rotfl::D

Orange_Ena

GoingToDoIt wrote: »

Hi Ena,
Glad you feel better! I did a short term rent ( I couldn't possibly comment as to whether it was an illegal sub let) as my newbuild flat was delayed. I got on famously with my landlady, then her ex dumped "their" cat on her as he was moving... She was wortied about telling me but I love cats it was brilliant! All the fun of a pet with no responsibility (I fed it but I didn't do the litter tray!) you might make a new friend, we did end up going on a few boozy nights out although equally we could go for days just days saying "hi, See you later" or " the cat's ontop of my wardrobe if your looking for her". It might be nice to come home from a rubbish day at work, to a friendly face. I don't know about the traditions but I like cleaning so I'd clean kitchen/ bathroom as well.

Thanks Gonna. Haha I won't tell! I think having a lodger who's good with cats will be so helpful if I go away. He's a house cat so there's no escape from him........and this is his house and I'm the servant! In an ideal world, my lodger will be a bit ocd about cleaning and has a passion for gardening. All the things I don't like doing! :rotfl:

Orange_Ena

Yay I got a badge......500 posts :T

Thursday
* £15 spent on a meal out. The service was ok so I was going to leave a £2 tip until my friend said ' how many receipts will you have to scan to get £2?' Erm........I didn't leave a tip ;)
* £15 pinec0ne money received and transferred to my overpayments account
* £1.10 sweep into my overpayments account
* £40.20 transferred to overpayments account for a professional fee that doesn't need to be paid this month. I can do the same next month. In previous years this would have been spent! With the 2 free months of council tax coming up and these professional fees savings, that'll be £230 saved over the next 3 months :money:
* Youg0v survey
* 140SB earned

Friday
* £19.39 on groceries and some cleaning bits and receipt scanned on checkoutsm@rt
* 143SB earned
* £1.71 sweep into overpayments account

Saturday
* NSD
* £1.61 sweep into overpayments account
* No time for surveys, I spent all day moving my big ike@ unit into my bedroom and cleaning the spare room. Now all my junk is in my room, I want to have another declutter!

Today
* £3.03 on some gloves from eb@y
* £7.17 in H0me Barg@ins for 2 Christmas presents and some groceries
* VO survey
* £1.97 sweep into overpayments account
* I realised my first H@lifax CC payment isn't due until after the next payday and I'd budgeted £25 so I've swept this into my overpayments account which now stands at £245.06 :T:j

This was my last free weekend for a couple of months cause I got the supermarket Christmas temp job I applied for :T:j:T:j:T:j:beer: It's 12 hours over a weekend so it will be tiring, but I'm thinking of the money and the chance to meet some new people. But mainly the money Hopefully with this income and eventually the lodger income, I can make a big dent in the debt which will release me from the shackles of the job I hate! I'm looking forward to that day very much.

Have a good week y'all.
Bye bye weekend, see you in January :rotfl:

GoingToDoIt

This was my last free weekend for a couple of months cause I got the supermarket Christmas temp job...

And first dibs on YS and reduced items!?!

Why not check out frecycle, g@mtree and shp@ck for people selling off wardrobes/furniture for the lodger's room? Might save you a few quid and there is decent stuff on there.