Guy creates clever way to find a new roommate
Anyone who has ever attempted to find a decent roommate can understand just how terrible the experience can be. And, if you don't choose wisely, you could end up living with someone (and their dirty dishes) for a long time.
So, after living through a few horrible roommates and the process of finding one, Alfredo Salkeld wanted to find a better way. The copywriter for an ad agency decided that he was not going to take the standard approach, digging through classified ads and tagged friends of friends on Facebook. Instead, he went rogue in an attempt to fill a vacant room in his Orlando home with a rent of $475 a month.
Armed with the domain IfWeWereRoommates.com and his wit, Salkeld created a number of stickers and posters, which he placed in various locations at his university and parks where typical roommate conflicts arise.
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"I'd fill the Brita," one posters taped to a water fountain reads.
"I'd replace the roll," another poster states, conveniently placed in a public bathroom.
Each poster contains a link to the website, which has a description of the situation, as well as a form which potential roommates can fill out.
"I'm not crazy. But I've lived with crazy. And I can't do it again," Salkeld explains on the site. "My roommate's moving and I can't bring myself to search through Craigslist and Facebook. There's gotta be someone out there that I'd jive with and is looking for a place."
The honest add is filled with normal details, such as location and price, as well as a convenient layout which shows rooms labeled as the "bitchin kitchen" and "where we poop."
Of course, the ad also has a set of pictures of the apartment, which looks nice and clean.
Salkeld told Mashable that the worst part of the roommate search is how the process is usually boiled down to details, not personalities.
"When you’re searching for a roommate, you’re looking for someone who’s going to be living with you, yet all the info that’s usually exchanged is a budget and move-in date," explained Salkeld. "But there’s so much more to living with someone than that."
But is it working?
Salkeld told Mashable he has about 12 potential roommates lined up, but of course posting the funny pictures of his stickers to Reddit definitely didn't hurt.
It did of course land a few less-than-desirable responses in his inbox.
"They range from 'You seem pretty down to earth and reasonable,' to 'I’m a hooker. I might ask you to do a threesome if the client is really into it.'" Salkeld said when asked about his responses. "Overall I’ve got a pretty positive response."
So if you're looking for a room in Orlando and you know how to do your dishes, check out IfWeWereRoommates.com.
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