Roomate Advice?

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, here's the situation: I am not making a lot of money right now, and struggle to get 25 hours a week where I work delivering pizza. On top of that, tips are spotty at best. I have a friend of mine who is looking at coming back down to Florida, and wants to take me up on an offer to be a roommate with me. Now, I own my house, and while I may have had issues with clutter in the past, the clutter was always clean. No food left to rot, etc. around my house. This friend though is a total pig. Food left around, etc. in every place I have ever seen him live. (A friend whose mom was once his landlord said that in the 20 years she ran apartments only one person has ever left a bigger mess behind when they left.) I really need the cash, but I don't need the problems associated with cleaning up after someone to avoid ruining my house. I have also spent the last 2 months cleaning up my house and eliminating clutter, garbage, even throwing away lots of car parts I had saved over the years. (In fact, in the 13 years I have lived here, this is the cleanest and best organized I have ever had it.) I want to keep a very clean, neat and organized house now and don't want all that hard work ruined. I have told him this and outlined what I expect - no laundry on the floor, how clean I expect the bathroom to be kept, no dirty dishes left over night ( my kitchen and bathrooms have always been kept clean), etc. Should I trust him and give him a chance? I really need the cash to not only pay my normal bills but to hopefully be able to fix the back porch roof problem that has gone critical. Then again, he may not be able to find work and pay me either... so I dunno what to do. Any advice or ideas are welcome.

 

[dan2286]

I am thinking he will always be a slob even if he says he won't. I would tell him that you will let him stay there till he gets a job and back onto his feet. If he keeps up after himself, let him stay. If not, tell him he needs to find a new place.

 

[Phoenyx]

I'll put it this way. WHat do you value more, your friendship, or the extra cash he would be paying you? That just sounds like a situation that probably won't have a happy ending.

You said you own your house? How big of a yard do you have? There's always a car guy somewhere looking for a place to store a car or two. And that way no one is messing up your house. 😀

 

[KrisW]

Having a friend become a roommate is a great way to gain a renter and lose a friend.

It's a bad deal... Been there, done that.

 

[jae]

As the others have stated, unless you've seen his current living conditions and can verify he's as clean as you or even cleaner, he's still a slob. Plus you have to ask yourself if you're ready to sacrifice the friendship over maybe 1 to 3 months worth of rent (in case he is a slob and 3 months is all you can stand)? And like you said, he may not have a job so you may be putting him up and putting up with him for free. He may be gone but rats and roaches stay long after.

I like what Phoenyx stated, if you own your place rent out the garage for car storage space only. Or if you're as handy as you say, become a car handyman - there are more and more out there with cars like ours, older or newer cars, who may need work done. A few tune-ups and brake jobs and you'll have your money to fix the roof and other things.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, the back yard is taken up by a in ground swimming pool/swamp ( I gotta save up the money to buy the chemicals for that...), and the garage has a project car in it (I own 2 projects and a daily driver). Also, my neighbors are understanding, but not understanding enough to let me rent out my yard without calling the county on me. I also will not have the time to work on my own cars, let alone other people's stuff by the end of August when I go back to school for the fall semester. I am taking Chemistry I with numerical analysis and Calculus II with Analytic Geometry. I will have to talk to him tonight when I am on my free minutes. It will be at least 2 weeks until my spare bedroom is clear of Cutlass interior and stereo parts so he could move in anyhow.

My plan for the roof problem is to swap out the engine and transmission in the AMC project in the garage right now and sell it to pay for that. After that, the Cutlass can come off the road and go in the garage, saving me the $100 a month I pay to insure it (Florida insurance is OUTRAGEOUS!). I am also going to try to use the mortgage saving programs that are available right now to renegotiate my payment lower and buy a little time to let me finish school, after which I will have money to spare once I can get a real job. The sad thing is that I can't get a job that pays as well as pizza delivery right now. The hourly average fluctuates between $11-17 an hour week by week, and the most I can get doing anything else is about $10 an hour. I set things up to minimize monthly expenses, and use the good months to buy things that will make my life better in cash instead of using credit. That way, my monthly expenses stay low but my lifestyle can be improved without the increase of expenses. So, the $400 or so that I would get from renting the room could let me finish fixing up my house, and get the new kitchen and refrigerator I have been wanting. It'd be sort of a "Great Leap Forward", but without the Marxism...lol.

 

[jae]

I know the school and work drill oh too well, not enough time for either but need to do both in order to get into a better position later. My first go-round my daily drivers were my project cars so that fulfilled my wrenching needs plus when I signed up for auto-shop my shop & tool needs were answered too. And between the two jobs I had I wasn't making that much cash to have a dedicated "project" car / toy anyway. When I went back to school (4 cars and some years later) I put the '66 Impala down and concentrated on school and work, but added to that "fun" by buying a house.

In any event, you need to decide if the friendship can survive a bad hit, in case he moves in, is a slob and/or can't or won't find work. And even if he finds a gig, it may be a similar situation as you in terms of pay & hours, he may not be able to pay the $400/month. You'd be surprised how quick things can turn south when it comes to money. As the man said "Ain't no friends when it comes to ends!"

Is he the only one that can fill the roommate deal - has anyone else taken you up on the offer?

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

All of my friends have left the state, so there is no other choice. Right now, I have no one to hang out with and spend my days alone, working around the house, or sometimes hanging out with my parents. I told him what I expect, so I will see if he honors it.

 

[2000.malibu.ls]

All of my friends have left the state, so there is no other choice. Right now, I have no one to hang out with and spend my days alone, working around the house, or sometimes hanging out with my parents. I told him what I expect, so I will see if he honors it.

i'd let him rent, on one condition, if he doesnt keep it clean, he moves out, and have him sign a contract. its YOUR house and your doing HIM a favor by letting him stay there at a relatively low cost according to where you live.... houses down south are expensive....

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Believe me, what I expect WILL be in writing down to the last detail.