House-hunting is always one of those seemingly onerous tasks that I hate because you have to try and juggle things:

• Good people
• Good accommodation
• Decent sized room
• transport/parking etc

Over the years I’ve lived with random people along the way, probably slightly more random households than pre-existing friend households. The good thing about sharing with random people is that you tend to make some lasting friendships. If you think about it: the risk is quite low compared to sharing with friends. It’s one thing to be friends with someone socially, it’s another to be able to live together and end up friends at the end of the day if something goes wrong with household bliss. If something goes wrong with the random flatmates: all that really can happen is you lose some stuff and end up out of pocket a bit. Better than losing a friend I reckon.

Anyhow, Bronte suffers from the “rent a room” syndrome that most of the Eastern suburb beach side places suffer from. Not so many people have leases on the flat/house, they tend to be renting a room with other people who are also renting a room. Quite interesting really, but a lot of the places to tend to end up being drop in shelters for the backpacker refuse of the world, particularly near the famous tourist trap: Bondi beach. But the advantages are that if bills are included (a major source of share flat pain) then that takes a big worry out of the equation.

I’ve a bit more evaluating to do to see whether I end up in Bronte.. But so far I think there’s a pretty good chance I’ll be within strolling distance from my favourite weekend fish and chip shop: “fishy bite” (which after a bit of googling seems to be for sale??! Hope the new owners keep up the marinated barramundi).