Shelley's room

Private Bed/Bath (unfurnisheed) in 3/2 “ Fire Swamp,“ ALL INCLUSIVE

Included: Electric, water, high speed Internet Rental period: July or August 2023 to December 2023 (with potential option to extend indefinitely)

Are you looking for a private bed/bath but aren’t quite ready to commit to a full year living with a stranger? Or are you new to the area and aren’t sure what part of town you want to live in yet? A half-year lease with option to extend indefinitely is the way to go!

A private bedroom + unshared bathroom is available in a 3/2 (the two existing roommates will share a bath) We’re pretty open-minded, with the exception of smoking: no smoking (of any kind… one of us working for Alachua County Public Schools and the other working for the CDC means there cannot be ANY recreational substances in the house, for our own peace of mind).

Rent is $950 flat per month, all inclusive (this covers any and electric, water, and wireless internet bills). First and last month’s rent plus a $150 deposit are due upon move-in.

Apartment amenities, bedroom + bathroom: The bathroom is not attached to the bedroom, but will not be used by anyone but you. The second bathroom in the apartment is being shared by the other two residents.

Home amenities, common areas: The living room, as mentioned, has a lot of house plants, mostly growing in water (soil pots can sometime attract insects, but water plants do not have this issue). The television in the living room is set up with a Chromecast + DVD/VCR (to have a VCR… so old school!) so we can watch shows together every now and then. We’re big fans of plush rugs so you can lay out on the floor to do work (this is how I tend to get my grading done). There is space for hosting the occasional board game night or dinner gathering. When the TV is not in use, we generally keep a large painting over the front of it so there is art to look at, in order to create a space that encourages conversation and quality time with one another.

Other information: The home is near downtown Gainesville, as we are both avid cyclists and try to bike as our main form of transportation (I, Shelley, haven’t owned a car for 13 years).

This is a pet-free, smoke free, and shoe-free apartment (shoes off in the front hallway to keep the floors and rugs clean). We are open to the idea of small aquarium pets (fish, snakes, lizards), but would take it on a case-by-case basis. We are not open to any furry creatures coming to live with us at this time.

I know a lot of these postings ask people to “share a little bit about yourself,” but I have always found that to be a really vague question. Instead, please include answers to the following questions in your response. (Although you are welcome to share more, if you like.) We want to make sure that you are a good fit for us, and also that we are a good fit for you! Naturally, if you respond to these questions and seem like a good fit, we will share our answers with you, as well.

Questions:

• Are you looking for a lease for the fall semester only (lease ending in December), for fall and spring semesters (lease ending in May), or longer?
• How long have you lived in Gainesville?
• What did you like/dislike about your previous living situation?
• If dishes are in the sink, how many days would you consider “too long” for them to be there?
• If dishes are in the sink, how many days would you consider “too long” for them to be there?
• In the summer, what temperature do you prefer the thermostat to be set at?
• In the winter, what temperature do you prefer the thermostat to be set at?
• What are your biggest roommate pet peeves?
• What are your roommate dealbreakers?
• What are two interesting facts about yourself?
• A friend tells you “make me something for my birthday/Christmas/etc.” What do you make?
• What is one thing (book/poem/movie/song/podcast/YouTube video) you think the entire world needs to know about? (You don’t need to provide an answer for all 6 of these categories. I guess another way to ask the question is: What is something you find yourself recommending to people all the time?

Why we are looking for a roommate: Life is meant to be enjoyed, and it is difficult to enjoy life if you have to spend a significant amount of your time at work just to be able to survive life in a capitalistic society. Living in a situation where there are multiple individuals contributing to rent means that we ALL have more time, energy, and money to spend more time with loved ones and pursue any passions that we have outside of work.

There are currently two individuals that you would be living with: I (Shelley) graduated UF several years ago and work in education, and Phil works for the CDC doing research with viruses. We stay pretty busy, with work, but also with plenty of hobbies (unicycling, slack lining, dancing, outdoor adventures). We are friends and are NOT a couple (people sometimes assume this, so it’s important to state explicitly, in order to be transparent). We believe everyone who lives in the home should have a voice in decisions, which is important when you are moving into a new living situation where there are existing roommates with an established rapport, as the “new person” can often feel like they are not truly “at home.” Phil and I each have our own space, and also enjoy spending time in our amazing living room, which is completely decked out with indoor plants and has lots of natural light, so this will not be the kind of apartment where you never see another human being (although if you are the type that prefers to keep to yourself, we will certainly not be offended!)