Lovely Double Room by Battersea Park

Hey, Vincent here.

My housemate Alex is moving out to live with his boyfriend, so I have a great room up for grabs. I’m looking for someone to take over his room who is social, clean and wants to enjoy this lovely home.

*About me*

I’m Vincent. I’m a 28-year-old gay guy originally from Belgium, but I’ve lived in the UK for about 10 years. I’m a civil servant, mainly working from the office in Westminster, with the occasional day from home. In my spare time I like to read a lot, love going for drinks with friends, go to gigs, go for walks into central, etc. I occasionally invite friends over for dinner or (pre)drinks, which you’re more than welcome to join. I’m quite active as well – I like going for walks in Battersea Park and try to go to the gym a few times a week. I like to keep the house as tidy as possible and would really appreciate someone who wants the same.

*Who I’m looking for*

I’m looking for an LGBTQ+ friendly housemate, someone looking for a place to settle into and call home. I’m hopeful that you will be friendly, like to meet new people and make new friends, are tidy and able to clean up after yourself without prompting. It’d be lovely to have the occasional drink, night out, chat and dinner in the evening, watch a film, but both have our own separate space and lives as well. Ideally you'd have a full-time job and mainly work outside of the house as well.

*The House*

I’m renting a beautiful and spacious ground floor garden flat on Queenstown Road (Battersea), within 5-minute walking distance from Battersea Park. This is my 7th year of living here and I very much enjoy it. There’s a really warm and cosy atmosphere in the house, on a street which leads directly to Battersea Park and the Thames. Battersea Power Station is just down the road, which has a shopping centre, riverside pubs, a cinema, bars and restaurants, and a huge M&S foodhall. There’s some really great coffee shops within 5 minutes from the flat - perfect if you’re working from home and need a quick coffee fix. Clapham Common is easy and quick to get to by foot and has great cafes and bars as well. From the house you can take a lovely riverside walk to Chelsea and King’s Road, great for shopping/lunch on the weekend.

The living room is spacious but cosy with a feature fireplace, super comfy sofa, TV with Netflix and big windows overlooking the street. There’s shelves stacked with novels which you are more than welcome to borrow!

The bedroom can come unfurnished, however my current housemate would be willing to sell his furniture to you. The room fits a double bed, chest of drawers/wardrobe, and a small desk. In the hallway you’ll have sole use of a full-height walk in closet to use as storage space for your belongings. Your room faces away from the main road and has a large window adjoining our private garden.

The kitchen/dining room has a dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, toaster, fan oven, gas hob, kettle and coffee machine, fridge freezer with individual shelves and compartments and of course individual kitchen cabinets. The kitchen is fully stocked with pots and pans, cooking utensils, crockery, etc. which you’re more than welcome to use. You'll be expected to chip in to buy household items (toilet paper, kitchen roll, batteries, cleaning supplies, washing up liquid, bin bags, etc.) as and when they run out (usually we just take turns).

The house has one shared bathroom with a toilet, a large bathtub with shower and a heated towel rack.

Last but not least, we have an amazing private garden with AstroTurf grass (no mowing!), which we use a lot in the summer to hang out and have dinners/barbecues with friends or as a house.

Just as a heads up, unfortunately there isn’t much space to bring in big items of furniture apart from your bedroom. The flat originally came unfurnished but I’ve been decorating it over the years. It pretty much has all you need now, but probably not ideal for someone hoping to bring in their own sofa or other large furniture.

*Public Transport*

Battersea Power Station (Northern Line) is a 7-minute walk from the house. This will take you to the West End or The City in less than 15 minutes.

The flat is also a 2-minute walk to Queenstown Road Station (Southwestern Railway – 8 minutes to Waterloo, stopping at Vauxhall as well), and a 5-minute walk to Battersea Park Station (Southern Railway – 8 minutes to Victoria).

Besides these stations we literally have a bus stop on our doorstep, with buses and night buses that go to all parts of London.

*Monthly Bills*

-Broadband: £18 (NOWTV)
-Council Tax: £40 (Wandsworth Council)
-Gas/Electricity: currently at £50 (EON NEXT)
-Water: £20 (Thames Water)

In total, you’d be looking at around £128 on bills. Rent and current bills per person would come to £1,200 a month. At the moment everything comes out of my account, and my housemate has a monthly standing order with me. We’ve found this the easiest way to manage rent and bills, so would be happy to do this again with you. More than happy to answer any questions on this!

*Legal Stuff* - PLEASE READ

IMPORTANT: Our current two-year contract ends on 7 September 2024. My housemate will be moving out on 1 August, meaning you will technically “sublet” his room for 1 month, before signing on as the official tenant from 7 September. The new contract will be for 2 years with a 6-month break clause. I have written agreement from the estate agent and the landlord to renew from September with a new housemate.

We currently pay £1,800/month, however our rent will go up from September to £2,150. This means you will pay £900 for rent in August, and £1,075 from September onwards. This will be locked in for two years.

Please note that because this is an official change of occupancy, you will be on a contract from September and our estate agent will have to complete the necessary referencing and Right to Rent checks, for which you will need to provide a valid identity document and proof of address. You’ll also be required to put down a deposit of £923.

If you like the sound of the flat please send me a note, tell me a little about yourself and I’ll be in touch shortly!

Vincent x