“I came home from work one day and my householder took my hand and said that he was so glad that I’m here. I said the same back to him. It’s the feeling that you’re making a difference.”
The cost and loneliness of living in another county as an international student can become a burden for many young people, an experience which resonates with 32 year old Niyati from India who is studying social care at university. Facing a challenging time, Niyati discovered homesharing by chance and is now a huge advocate of this way of living. Niyati homeshares in an affluent part of London, with another sharer and cannot speak highly enough about the family connections she has built with the other sharer, the householder, and the householder’s family – and the warmth and kindness from everyone.
“As an international student, the idea of being around someone else attracted me to the idea of homesharing. I had come over to the UK from India to study and found my living situation at the time very lonely. I struggled with the isolation that came with moving to a different county. I wanted the independence that it brought, but the change of always having people around to then find yourself alone was a difficult time – there was no-one to ask how my day was, no-one to talk to.
As part of our culture, we stay with our family no matter how old they are, and therefore sharing with an older person was not new to me. I stumbled across Share and Care Homeshare during my search for accommodation on SpareRoom. I didn’t know anything about homesharing at the time, and I did a lot of research into this way of living.
I have now been living in a homeshare arrangement for 6 months and it has worked well for me. I would relate it back to my culture and the idea of giving back to someone and making an impact – homesharing is beneficial for someone else’s life and my own.
My householder lives with dementia, and I’ve built a family connection with him and his brother. The bond is for life, even if I ever move away, this connection will carry forward. We’ll always keep ties, and this is the best part of homesharing.
There is also another sharer who lives in the same house, and this is lovely as you get to talk about your day with each other. When I first met the other sharer, I didn’t know that she went to the same university as me, and now we know what’s happening in each other’s lives! We also have a lovely bond. She is a student too, and our schedules are aligned so we are able to ensure that one of us is always there for the householder if he needs us. As the householder lives with dementia, we’re always vigilant – making sure that we know what’s happening and that if for instance one of his carers is running late, we can ensure he has what he needs until they arrive.
I’ve developed a great friendship with the other sharer, and it’s helpful to know that when one of us isn’t there, the other is available to be there for our householder – so he’s never alone.
The other sharer and I were speaking this week and both said how fortunate we are to have this opportunity. If I get any opportunity to speak about it with other students, I always talk about how homeshare is so good.
The warmth from the family is very nice, and they’ve also invited us over for dinner. There is a personal connection too as my householder’s Father was born in India.
Homesharing has also made a great impact on the money that I can save. As well as studying social care at the University of Hertfordshire, I work part-time as a waitress. However, international students are only permitted to work 20 hours a week and cannot earn beyond a certain amount, so we cannot spare the money for high rents that are usually charged. The rent for one room in a similar area in which I live would be around £1,200 and that is a lot more than I pay for homesharing, which has made a huge difference to me.
My householder is very nice. One day I came home from work and as I walked through the door, he took my hand and said that he was so glad that I’m here. I said the same back to him. It’s the feeling that you’re making a difference. In fact, he says to me and the other sharer, time and time again, that he’s pleased we’re here.
We spend a lot of time talking – my householder likes to share stories and chat about his own experiences. He also enjoys finding out about my family in India. My family feel that I’m in good, safe hands living in a homeshare arrangement, and we talk everyday on video calls. I think that when your child is living abroad, one of the main concerns is safety, and they rest assured with homesharing that I am in a safe, homely environment.
If anyone is considering moving into a homeshare arrangement, I would say do it quickly! Give it a go and make sure you are matched with a likeminded person, you will not regret it! And once you are living in a homeshare, you will feel the difference.
It is especially beneficial for people who do not want to live alone, because having company helps with mental wellbeing. I realised that having a cup of tea with someone in a homeshare arrangement is so relaxing, but being alone wasn’t for me. It also saves a significant amount of money on rent which can provide a huge boost for people in similar situations to mine.”
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