When Flat Hunting feels like Online Dating: The adventures of finding a new home in London

About 2 weeks ago I signed up to spareroom.co.uk. Having happily cohabitated with 2 of my friends for the last year in Arsenal (you know the footie is on when your room smells like onions on a Saturday morning or you can’t get onto the tube on a Wednesday night) our lease is almost up and we are all moving to pastures new. N has bought a cosy little flat a little further north in yummy mummy town aka Crouch end S will go back to being a student. That means I will be homeless in about 8 weeks time unless I find another abode, preferably with some lovely people who will eventually become friends as well as flatmates. I always complain that I never meet new people anymore (despite the fact that I have trouble seeing all my friends on a regular basis already) so making new friends via a lovely new flat share seemed like a good idea. That is how I have come to call spareroom.co.uk my new and temporary “home”.