"All change!"

It seemed that after a rubbish start to 2010 & with a whole load of new experiences to enjoy this year, my first experience would come earlier than expected...and not one that's on my list!!

Date: Wednesday 20th January 2010

I'm at work and my Blackberry alerts me that I've received a new text message, nothing new there, until I open the message and a whole load of chaos was about to follow. It was a mispelt text from my Landlord saying that we have one month to move out, and if we want to rent any of his other rooms we need to let him know by Saturday....SATURDAY!?!?!? Are you insane?? It's only Wednesday today! To make matters worse, I arrived home that night to the other housemates gathered in the kitchen discussing our shared problem, and a few of them didn't even receive text messages..which would explain the shocked faces around the kitchen.

That night, the whole house was crammed into the lounge. Laptops all around like we were about to start a multiplayer online game, I think we know who the target would be...bloody landlord! We discussed how we were to move forward and we began our search for 6 or 7 bedroom houses. I know, it sounds insane, but we've all got along perfectly (which is quite unusual for a house this size!) and we weren't about to let this end. So I call the letting agent and arrange a viewing for us all at a 5 bed (we could easily modify a couple of the rooms to become bedrooms.) We check the place out and as nice as it was, a couple of the bathrooms linked to 2 bedrooms which caused concern for privacy etc. So that was #1 off the list.

Since then we decided we all couldn't fit in to a 5 bed and begin a revised search on 4 beds - now the difficult bit starts. I have to become the 'bad guy' and choose which housemates I'd prefer to live with and forward text messages to the relevant 'golden ticket' winners. Lucikly those that received texts where happy with the people I chose and it looked like we had found a great 4 bed in the same area as we live now, and even closer for me to walk to work. (Which would literally take me 1 min! - Hey! everyone else has cars!!)

Date: Saturday 23rd January 2010

We've seen two 4 beds today. The first one (1 min walk from work) was a no go! The bedrooms were tiny, so another house crossed off the list. Then the letting agent mentioned another house with 4 double bedrooms - ideal for everyone, as we've been quite spoilt in our 7 bed. We could've seen this house earlier in the afternoon, but one of our housemates was quite adament that watching the Chelsea football match was priority over finding a roof over his and our heads!!! What can I say, the house was incredible! All rooms a nice size, decent bedrooms, but unfurnished. No goodies, nada!! When we all left the house with smiles on our faces, it wasn't long before reality shook them straight off our faces. After calculating council tax, utility bills, affording to buy new furniture, beds etc. this was not going to work! Especially as one couple (that have barely been in the house for a month - but they clicked with everyone instantly!) are saving up to get married and couldn't stretch their budget past what they are currently paying, which could only lead to one thing - back to the drawing board!

We then looked at each other, and one of us had to say it: "Sorry guys, but it looks like we're going to have to split up even more and start looking at 2 bed houses." We all nodded our heads, realizing the reality that faced us and after dinner, I loaded my laptop and was back searching for 2 bed house-shares that myself and 1 other housemate could afford.

After an hour of searching, I came across two that looked suitable. Once again I started to tally up the council tax, utility bills, TV licence etc. and it could be covered - but that would be no broadband, no TV, and you could pretty much cancel any gigs / concerts I was interested in going to. It seemed my path was leading me back in one direction - back to the landlord!

Now, I'd never go back to my current landlord - he's not really fit to be called a landlord for a start after all the shortcuts he has taken over the past year - and that's just those we know about! Luckily I've come across a website that specialises in advertising single rooms, and it seems there's 2 in my current street! So I might be going back in to the 7 bed environment quicker than expected, but with a whole load of new housemates. Nothing is set yet, but I have e-mailed both landlords, and hope to hear from them in the next couple of days. I will miss my current housemates terribly, they're like extended family, but at the end of the day, it's what I can afford and having to face council tax, utility bills etc. on top of my old rent (which always was included with my cost) would have to be put off for a while atleast.

So it seems Experience #1 was the shock of moving in to the real world and seeing my monthly pay get swallowed up in one go from bills etc. with no fun on the side. That's something I can't leave with...there's plenty of time for that! On the positive side, it will be a whole new experience, meeting new housemates and hopefully share more great memories over the coming months!