Spacious double room with view of Pentland hills

Shared sitting room

- The space:

I have a spacious double room available in a bright, characterful 4-bed house in Penicuik (council tax band D). It has two large windows overlooking the Pentlands (and a graveyard in the foreground), and another smaller window to the side. It has a new kingsize bed with a comfortable new mattress; a good-sized desk; a wardrobe; and two chests of drawers. It also has a built-in cupboard.

The house is in old Penicuik, just a few minutes’ walk from shops and amenities. It is detached, off-road and has gardens at the back and front (both quite unkempt at the moment!). I’m planning to build some raised beds in the back garden for growing vegetables (if you’re interested in helping with that, you’d be most welcome to!). There is a large shared, double aspect living room, which will shortly have a multi-fuel woodburner installed in it. There’s no television in the house.

There is one main bathroom, a separate smaller shower room, a spacious kitchen-dining room, a utility room, and a small conservatory. There is one small guest bedroom downstairs, which you would be welcome to use for occasional guests.

Penicuik has excellent bus links to Edinburgh city centre, but also has beautiful rolling countryside and hills on the doorstep. It's a great place to be if you like being in nature, but also want to stay connected to the city.

- About me:

Hello, I’m Annabel. I work as a social anthropologist, currently three days a week, sometimes at home, sometimes in Edinburgh. I also have a three-year-old, who lives with me part-time. I enjoy surfing (though rarely go these days because I don’t have much free time), wild swimming, foraging, and being out in nature. I love singing, especially with other people and playing the guitar (not very well). I like making pots and green woodworking, and am studying herbalism and counselling. I love laughter and absurdity, and also have a penchant for deep, exploratory conversations. I try to meditate and practise yoga every day if I can.

I am quite sociable, and am often out and about. I have friends and family to stay fairly regularly and although I need quiet and space to myself, I am looking for the house to become a more social space as time goes by. Cooking and eating together when it’s possible is very welcome, though respect for each other’s need for privacy and space would be basic.

- About you:

I’m looking for a housemate who is easy-going, free-spirited, mature, and open-minded; someone who is independent and enjoys spending time alone, but also likes to be in company, and wants to be part of a household, rather than simply being a lodger. Ideally, you would enjoy being in nature and walking in the hills and woods around here, and be actively engaged and interested in life. I’m looking for someone with some overlapping interests and flexibility, who is in paid employment and won’t be working at home all or most of the time. Crucially, you would enjoy sharing space part-time with a small child (the house is spacious - so we wouldn’t be on top of each other).

I’m looking for someone who will clean up after themselves, and keep communal spaces clean and tidy, on a regular basis – not just at the point that they become disgusting! You’d also be able to communicate with honesty, respect and open-mindedness around needs/boundaries/any issues that might come up when living in a shared space.

You would be willing to have a few conversations and meet-ups before a decision to move in, so that we know as well as it’s possible to know in advance, whether you, us, and the house are a good fit.

If you decide that this place might be for you, please get in touch, telling me a bit about yourself, the reasons you’d like to move in here and any questions you might have.

Thank you for reading this far - I look forward to hearing from you!