[indigoblue]

Hi!
I heard yesterday that PR has been approved in principle (yay!!), its now a mad dash as I have about 4 weeks to pack up, sort my life out, get over to Christchurch and start work (gulp!).

I am going on my own and the plan is to initially rent a room for the first few months in a house share. I have been checking out the 'flatmates wanted' section on trademe.....I just wondered if anyone had any advice or experiences that might be helpful?? its all a bit daunting!

[benandclare]

Welcome along and :raebanana :raebanana for your approved in principle

Not had any experince of house/flat sharing but sure you'll get some answers soon , if you're really stumped we stayed in a converted garage for 6 weeks which would be ideal for a single person.

[indigoblue]

Thank you!!

[KerryS]

I flatted when I first arrived in NZ, and it was great fun.

Things I would make sure of when renting a room in a flatshare - how are communal things paid for (toilet paper, cleaning products etc) is there are kitty or does someone just buy when they run out?
How is cleaning done - is there a rota, or do you club together to get a cleaner?
What about having friends to stay? If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend how many nights can they stay over each week?

I found that if the house looked clean and presentable, and the people friendly, then it was probably ok for a while. And the good thing with shared places is that it is easy to move on if you don't like it.

[sweetpea]

What an adventure! I second everything KerryS said. If you think you might be staying into the winter, I would ask if/how the house is heated. Non-vented LPG space heaters are pretty common, although they give me the heebee geebees. Can the lounge be closed off so that it is adequately heated? Are your potential flatmates OK with you running a space heater in your room at night?