Two rooms in communal family home in Summerhill

We have two rooms available in our beautiful house in the middle of the Summerhill conservation area in central Newcastle.

Each room is £650 per month including all bills: electricity and gas, water, council tax and internet. With rising energy costs, the rent is reviewed each spring and autumn. Our Octopus energy bill for the whole house is currently £250 a month, so the rent may go up at the next review if that rises.

Who lives here
You’d be sharing the house with me (Isa, 40) and my son Fye (1.5, turning two in February). I’m a lecturer in political geography, and Fye’s full-time occupation is playing, exploring and learning how to talk! You’ll hear a bit of German around the house, as I speak German with Fye (he understands English too, of course).

Our cat Bella is currently looking for a new home, so she may no longer be here by the time you move in.

What we enjoy
Fye and I garden together every Tuesday afternoon at our local community garden, and we both love food and cooking (Fye is very much with me on this one!). I’ve lived in shared households and communities for the past 15 years, and I’d love our home to keep that spirit.

The rooms
The two rooms were originally connected. We’ve closed and sound-insulated the door between them so they can be rented separately, but they can easily be reconnected. That could suit a single mum (a bedroom for you and one for your child) or a couple who’d like a bedroom and a private sitting room. Each room comes with a bed and mattress, desk and chair, wardrobe and one shelf. There are three toilets and two larger bathrooms in the house, one right next to the two rooms available (see pictures) and one ensuite bathroom in the roof, where Fye and I sleep.

Who we’re looking for
We’re looking for two people who value communal living and would like to make this a home for a while, ideally six months or more. The rooms would suit another single mum, a couple, or two individuals. We’d love to share cooking and cleaning, and food too: we could place bulk orders together from Suma and other wholefood suppliers to keep costs down, and we get a Riverford veg box every Wednesday. The idea is that by sharing these things we support each other and everyone ends up with a bit less to do.

Sorry, no pets. It’s a vegetarian house.

Good to know
With a toddler in the house, there’s some happy (and sometimes loud) noise during the day, though from January Fye will be at nursery three days a week. It’s an old house, so sound carries a bit. In return, we’d ask that you keep things quiet between 9pm and 7am. Fye usually sleeps from around 7–8pm until 7am, so he shouldn’t disturb your sleep either!

The house
Wooden floors, high ceilings and big windows throughout, on a quiet residential road. The bus stop is a one-minute walk away, and the central station and city centre are 10–15 minutes on foot. There is a lovely sense of community around the Summerhill area, its park and Bowling Club with lots of events, festivals and chances to connect with people.

If you’re interested, please send us a few words about yourself. We look forward to meeting you 🙂