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Moving to new town alone - flatshare or get own place?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Right, so i've been offered a pretty good job which i couldnt really refuse.

Its about an hour and a half away from where i live at the moment so i'll have to move down there and i dont know anyone in the new town. I've been used to living away from home thanks to my time at uni, but have been at home for about a year since i left uni so it does feel a little odd this time, knowing that this is kind of the "big move" away.

I can afford to get my own little flat and i would kind of prefer this. I've had the 4 years at uni living with people in houses and flats etc and all the ups and downs that includes and im feeling now that i would like to have my own flat and space.

Buuut i'm now thinking that i dont know anyone and there might be the possibility that i don't make social friends at work as im not sure who exactly i'll be working with, age etc

So its a tough one to weigh up. Get my own place means i have my own space and can do what i want. Getting a flatshare means i get to meet someone who i can hang around with, but they could turn out to be a dick.

Thoughts anyone? What have you done in similar situations?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think a lot of it depends on what type of person you are. IE, can you put up with other peoples mess, them wanting their friends around all the time, etc. Also, it can get pretty lonely unless you're one of these who goes out all the time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well im someone who is fine in there own company. Like i dont need to be surrounded by my friends ALL the time. But like everyone else, i do like to go out with mates to the pub or on a night out.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Get a flat share with a reasonably short notice period. Get an idea of which areas of the new place you would like to live in, and then after you've got used to the area, get somewhere on your own if you still want to.

    Somewhere on your own will generally tie you into a much longer contract, whereas a houseshare you can often give a months notice on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hmm difficult one. I'm kind of the same, after uni I cant wait to have my own place but would also like to live with someone or i'd get lonely. If you think it will be quite easy to find new friends then living on your own wouldnt matter. Or like SM said you could live temporarily in a houseshare then move out on your own when you feel ready
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How well do you know the town? Do you know anyone there at all?

    If you're the sort of person who will get up and go, living alone might be OK. If you know that you'll drag yourself out to clubs and groups then living alone would be fine. But if you're the sort of person to have a pizza and slob in front of the telly after work, living alone would end up being quite isolating quite quickly.

    I'd be more tempted to go for the house-share option, but see if you can get one on a short notice period. Then you have the flexibility if you end up hating it, but it means you won't be completely alone, coming home every night to an empty house in a strange town.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well i've only been there twice, and that was for the interviews so im totally new to it and no i dont know anyone there at all.

    I've already had a look on meetup.com and there are quite a few social new in town groups which i might try out. See what they're like.

    Hmmm its a tough one really. Need to really give it a think.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd share, you can always move out if it doesn't work out.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd also go for a share as well at the beginning because you get to meet people but also if the job doesn't work out your not tied into a year long contract on a flat that you cant' get out of.

    I'd look at it as flat sharing for 6months or so with the eventual plan to rent somewhere alone.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Similar situation to you - but I've chosen my own place. Had a look at a few flat shares but knew that really I wanted to live on my own - had quite enough of flat shares at uni! It is a hard decision though - I thought maybe I should move into a flat share to meet some more people. But at the same time, I want my own space, I don't want to get into arguments about cleaning and other minor things!

    I think living on my own is going to work out fine - randomly I'm moving in right next to someone at work who also lives on their own. And lots of people at work live on their own too and love it. It's a pretty sociable place, plus am planning on joining the gym and a couple of other groups. So we'll see how it goes! If I hate living on my own, I'll look at flat sharing in a few months time. But right now I know I want to give living on my own a go.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd be more inclined to live alone too. I'm pretty sick of house sharing and cleaning up after people and arguing about bills. I've just been looking at a job 2 hours away from me and had a look at house shares and single flats. Decided not to go for it now anyway but if I had I would probably live alone. Really up to you though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hey,

    Firstly, congratulations on the job offer! This is great news for you but obviously leaves you in another dilemma; accommodation. You're not sure whether to live on your own or go into a house share.

    As the other users have said, this is all about personal preference and weighing up the cons and pros of each. Only you will really know what kind of place you want to live in so it's important for you to think about this and maybe jot some ideas down.

    You could also try viewing a few places in the area near to work to get a feel of the place and maybe talk to the current tenants.

    Another option is to live in a block of residential flats. This way you get your own space but there are still people around and your neighbours may turn into interesting friends.

    You can also do as Scary Monster says and live in a house share for a while to see how it goes. If it's not working you can then find your own place. This keeps all the options open.

    If you do find yourself living on your own at some point and just feeling a bit lonely there are some great ways to make friends. Hopefully, you'll meet people through work. You can also join clubs or groups in the local area, and you'll also get to do an activity that you enjoy!

    Another great way to meet people is by volunteering. You'll meet lots of like minded interesting people and do your bit for the local community too.

    Hopefully you'll find the right place to live soon but good luck with the new job. :)
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