🌿 Housemate Wanted 🌿
- The home is on a neighborly and less traveled block with beautiful old trees, restored craftsman homes, and friendly neighbors.
- It is located just four blocks from the heart of lively SE Division Street, where you'll find some of the best restaurants & bars in Portland!
- It is an easy commute, just 3.5 miles from the Bond Street Campus; Tillikum Crossing is a great option for those who want to commute by bike.
- This space is priced well below value/square foot for this neighborhood.
About the house
- Craftsman-style
- Built in 1908
- Renovated and maintained
- Shared spaces in the home include: the first floor bathroom with marble floor and shower (there is a second bathroom on the second floor as well)
- Large, up-to-date kitchen with gas stove, dishwasher, etc. Cooking tools and equipment can be shared or not; it's up to your preference!
- Living and dining room area with piano, modern wood-burning fireplace, ethically sourced leather couch and chair, teak table and chairs, wool rug, etc.
- Entry way with coat closet and coat rack
- Partially covered back porch with table and chairs
- Completely fenced back yard with patio, area for a vegetable garden, grass side yard, etc.
- Laundry room with deep freezer, exercise bike, washer, and dryer
- Large, covered front porch with wool rug, bench, and chairs
About the household
I'm Stephanie, the owner of the home; my room is on the second floor. I was born in Portland and have lived in this house for 18 years. I'm in my mid-40s and self-employed in the field of natural health. I recently published a book and am working on translating it into many different languages. I travel abroad to speak at conferences and am away for a month at a time, 3-4 times a year.
Alfred is in his early 40s and has rented a room on the first floor off of the kitchen for the last two years. He is a professional photographer who works from home but travels often for work. He camps and does a lot of outdoorsy things. We get along great and have mutual respect for one another. We share meals 2-3 times a month .
Liam is my eldest son and a senior in high school. He lives with his dad 50% of the time, is very social, and has a part-time job so he's often not at the house. He will moving out to go to college in the fall. He's mild mannered, quiet, and easy to be around.
Elias is my youngest son and a freshman in high school. He also lives with his dad 50% of the time. He's pretty outgoing and creative, so you'd find him in the kitchen cooking a lot or getting up to a project of some kind. He doesn't always clean up after himself, but he's getting better! Both boys live upstairs.
Ruby is our female black lab who is 9-years-old; she is a sweetheart! Halo is Alfred's dog. She's about five-years-old, I think, and can be pretty high energy but she's great. Rocky is our tabby cat. He's pretty cool.
Alfred is in his early 40s and has rented a room on the first floor off of the kitchen for the last two years. He is a professional photographer who works from home but travels often for work. He camps and does a lot of outdoorsy things. We get along great and have mutual respect for one another. We share meals 2-3 times a month .
Liam is my eldest son and a senior in high school. He lives with his dad 50% of the time, is very social, and has a part-time job so he's often not at the house. He will moving out to go to college in the fall. He's mild mannered, quiet, and easy to be around.
Elias is my youngest son and a freshman in high school. He also lives with his dad 50% of the time. He's pretty outgoing and creative, so you'd find him in the kitchen cooking a lot or getting up to a project of some kind. He doesn't always clean up after himself, but he's getting better! Both boys live upstairs.
Ruby is our female black lab who is 9-years-old; she is a sweetheart! Halo is Alfred's dog. She's about five-years-old, I think, and can be pretty high energy but she's great. Rocky is our tabby cat. He's pretty cool.
About the space for rent
This is where it gets a bit unconventional! The room for rent is in the basement of the house, which is not completely finished. The ceiling and east-facing wall have wood paneling and new cement has been poured on the east-facing wall of the room. We put in a wall and lighting and windows overlooking the garden have been installed.
In the works is... a new door with lock and wall to partition off the space. These will be added very soon (ideally before someone moves in!) so that the space is completely private. A new floor will be installed and drywall will be installed in a few places where it is lacking. I plan to install a bathroom at some point and also renovate the garage including installing french doors, finishing the walls, etc. Most of these improvements only take a few days to execute, during which time the tenant will be offered a cozy upstairs room in the house.
Although this is an unconventional opportunity, it may be a good fit for the right person who can envision how dramatically the space will improve over time and as projects are completed. Why not just finish the room completely and then rent the space, you may ask? I could do that, but I'd like to support a mature and financially frugal grad student by offering rock bottom rent in a great neighborhood. I plan to reinvest 100% of the monthly rent into the ongoing renovation of the space. The rent will stay frozen at the same very rate for a year, though the space will gain a lot of value over time, eventually becoming its own apartment. I cannot offer a timeline for this renovation because I am dependent on the availability of the people doing the work. Should the tenant wish to stay on past a year, we can renegotiate the terms in a way that is fair and affordable.
In the works is... a new door with lock and wall to partition off the space. These will be added very soon (ideally before someone moves in!) so that the space is completely private. A new floor will be installed and drywall will be installed in a few places where it is lacking. I plan to install a bathroom at some point and also renovate the garage including installing french doors, finishing the walls, etc. Most of these improvements only take a few days to execute, during which time the tenant will be offered a cozy upstairs room in the house.
Although this is an unconventional opportunity, it may be a good fit for the right person who can envision how dramatically the space will improve over time and as projects are completed. Why not just finish the room completely and then rent the space, you may ask? I could do that, but I'd like to support a mature and financially frugal grad student by offering rock bottom rent in a great neighborhood. I plan to reinvest 100% of the monthly rent into the ongoing renovation of the space. The rent will stay frozen at the same very rate for a year, though the space will gain a lot of value over time, eventually becoming its own apartment. I cannot offer a timeline for this renovation because I am dependent on the availability of the people doing the work. Should the tenant wish to stay on past a year, we can renegotiate the terms in a way that is fair and affordable.
