East London Home Hunting

I'm currently based in Peckham and have been in my current place almost 5 years. The things about it that I love are

- the home-y vibe in the flat. There's four of us, and it's not a roomy place, but we make it work, and have been able to work through small conflicts as adults.

- the size of the room I have that accomodates all my stuff.

- it's well connected to other parts of London.

- the rooftop garden space which means I can have friends over for barbecues when the weather permits and I can do one of my favourite things, cooking for other people.

The main downside, though, is the noise. It's right on a very busy street. I recently found out that I'm on the spectrum, which has helped explain why I do struggle with the noise. And I've come to realise that somewhere quieter is what I need.

Thankfully, I'm not in a rush to move (though could move with a month or so notice), and so have the luxury of time in finding the "right" place.

I work as a therapist (Bethnal Green) and an indie yarn dyer (studio in Leyton), but focusing on making the therapy my full-time gig. Most of my work, therefore, is away from home, though I do some admin work from home.

I've a very busy social life, so am out an about 4 or 5 evenings a week. I tend to spend Friday & Saturday evenings at home, though, as I'm not one for crowded places.

What I need:

A good sized kitchen with storage space. I love to cook and bake (though don't always have time for it) and so have a lot of kitchen stuff - Le Creuset pans, an ice cream maker, a Kitchenaid, and other smaller gadgets/utensils.

A large double room. I've a fair bit of stuff, and am also a collector. I've a lot of yarn (I knit a lot) as well as 2 display cabinets of vintage Barbie dolls. Room for a desk/work space as well.

A quiet home - I'm an introvert, so need quiet time/space to recharge. I'm also sensitive to noise, so living on a busy street won't be something I'll want. I don't drink (living with people who do is not an issue) or use anything else (I don't want to live with heavy users). Housemates who are friendly and happy to sit down for occasional shared meals. Open and honest communication - no pass-ag notes or micromanaging each other, please.

Clean communal areas. I consistently clean up after I cook, washing my dishes and putting them away, rather than leaving piles of stuff on a draining board. House cleaning is done on a regular basis, either with a relaxed rota or a cleaner coming in.

A sex-positive home where it's cool to have hook-ups over.

What I'd love

A shared living room (currently don't have one), or a dining area. I love having friends over for dinner.

A garden. Failing that, a balcony.

I identify more as queer than gay.

I lived in San Francisco for 13 years in my 20s and 30s.

I'm relatively easy going with healthy boundaries. I don't do drama. I'm willing to own my mistakes and amend. Respectful and considerate.

Thanks for having a read

Dan