Sociable house, leafy street (+ bonus dog)

Lounge

Did you know that dogs can draw smells into their noses even when they’re breathing out?

We also just learnt that they have a dedicated nose recess to hold onto smells until they’re done pondering them.

Anyway, we’re Bella (Portuguese, Brazilian – a biodesigner), Matthew (Irish, British – works in climate and ecology) and Matthew (South African – a musician).

We’re sociable folks – into things like climbing, gardening, music-making, chess, pond water microscopy etc.

(We can learn more about one another when we say hello.)

Our lovely housemate, Klara, is off to travel the world, and so we’re now looking for a new housemate to take her spot.

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YOU / WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

We don't mind how old you are, though someone over 25 and/or in their 30s is probably most likely to be a good lifestyle fit.

In general, we think you'll enjoy living with us if...
• You're sociable but independent (we love hanging out with our housemates, but we also all like to work hard on things, so some weeks we might not have much time to play – though we do tend to play cards together every Monday night as a bit of a ritual)
• You don't mind there being a dog in the mix (he's called Akira and he's very gentle and slow moving these days - he's 14)
• You're all the normal things people ask for (respectful, clean, tidy).

You probably won’t enjoy living with us if:
• You’d rather be living alone and/or you’re not that interested in befriending the people you live with.
• You like a house with no visitors. Like I wrote above, we work hard, so the house is mostly calm and without visitors, but we do like a house that feels alive and active, on weekends especially, and so local friends are often knocking at the door, bringing cakes to share, or suggesting night walks etc.
• You’re a very light sleeper. It’s an old house, and like any old house, it makes noises. Everyone who’s lived here has slept fine, but no one has been a very light sleeper!

We also know that everyone tends to have different standards for cleanliness and tidiness in a house, and so to give you a rough idea of where we’re at…
• We’re not the kind of people to wipe down surfaces with chemicals every time we use them, and it’s not abnormal for us to leave washing up next to the sink when we’re in a hurry, to sort it when we get home.
• But we are the kinds of people who squeeze the kitchen sponge so it doesn’t get smelly, keep plugholes free of food and hair, and tidy up after ourselves.

If you're seeing this level of cleanliness and thinking "not for me" then no worries – best of luck with your search. Or, if that sounds about right (if you’re clasping a kitchen sponge even now, gleefully wringing it out), read on!

Ideally, though not essentially, we're also looking for someone who won't be working from home every day. We're open to discussions on that though.

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THE HOUSE:

There’s a big kitchen/dining area and a lounge split into two. Basically, there’s a lot of communal space to hang out in.

There's also a decent-sized garden that badgers wander through at night. We’re growing strawberries, redcurrants, raspberries, apples, rhubarb etc., albeit not many more of these things will be available for a little while, because nature.

The street is a very quiet one, and because of the way the house has been built, it’s pretty good at staying cold in winter.

The bedroom available is on the 1st floor and looks out over the top of the kitchen, towards the garden, so you’ll wake up to birdsong. There’s a good mattress (quite new), a mattress topper and a sturdy wooden frame. There’s also a nice antique standing lamp, a good rug, a hardwood desk, a mantelpiece and plenty of shelves and hanging space.

There are two bathrooms in the house (one has a shower, the other has a bath with shower adapter).

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BILLS

Standard bills are included:
- 1000 Mbps internet (YouFibre), with a high-quality mesh so it’s speedy everywhere, even in the garden
- Council tax
- Renewable electricity and gas (Octopus)
- Water

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COMMUNAL COSTS:

We have a very good cleaner who comes once a fortnight, and costs £17.50pp each time she comes. You won’t pay for cleaning before you move in, but you will pay for one after you move out. You also won’t pay for cleanings you don’t benefit from, e. g. if you’re on a long holiday.

We’ve automated delivery of key communal supplies (toilet paper, dishwasher tablets, cleaning products for our cleaner, hand soap), so you won’t have to worry about carrying things like that from the supermarket, or us ever running out of those things – we’ll let you know costs each month, and you can let us know if you’re unsure of anything / want to check any spending.

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DRIVING / PARKING:

This is possibly the best area in Oxford for car clubs – there are 5 car club cars within 5 minutes’ walk, so if you want to drive but don’t drive often, it will almost certainly be much cheaper to just use those.

However, if you want to bring a car, that’s fine too – you can apply to the council for a parking permit. The house can technically have two permits, and we aren’t likely to use them, so if you want one, feel free to do your own research into what that might cost.

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THE AREA:

Our (Bella and Matthew 1’s) search for a place to live went from an intercontinental one to this one specific gem-of-a-street. This has got to be one of the best places to live in the entire world (so we reckon!).

One street over is the best bakery we've ever been to (the Hamblin).

One street on the other side of us is The Kidneys and Aston's Eyot – a duo of nature reserves so rich with life – from badgers to bats – and beautiful riverside walks, it’s easy to forget you’re in central Oxford.

The Magdalen Arms and Chester Arms, each within a 1-4 minute walk, are the two best gastropubs in Oxford (Bella is campaigning – unsuccessfully – for the latter to do bread & butter pudding year-round). And then Magdalen Road, just next to us, is one of the trendiest roads in Oxford these days, with loads of great cafes, shops, restaurants, community initiatives etc.

Meanwhile, the university sports complex is just at the end of the road – with very good value access to decent facilities for badminton, squash, tennis, hockey, swimming… fencing etc.

This collection of streets – "Iffley Fields" – has one of the best closeknit neighbourly communities in Oxford. You'll feel it as you walk around and absorb how well everyone here knows one another and looks out for one another.

Needless to say, we love it here.

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Let us know if you've any other questions :)