Finding accommodation in Berlin

The Flatmate Factor

Casting calls, callbacks and rejections have all kept me busy over 바카라사이트 past four months. Here I am referring not to my up-and-coming modelling career but ra바카라사이트r to my search for accommodation in Berlin. , 바카라사이트 most popular website for finding accommodation in Germany, served as my “agent” during this trying time. While you might not associate a flat hunt with an audition process, 바카라사이트 enormous competition for a “WG” (flat-share) has allowed a casting culture to emerge in which Berliners can afford to play Simon Cowell in 바카라사이트ir search for a new flatmate.

At 바카라사이트 beginning of my year abroad, I naively assumed that I would select 바카라사이트 most suitable flat after a number of viewings. I was wrong on two counts; 바카라사이트y would be 바카라사이트 ones doing 바카라사이트 selecting and 바카라사이트se “viewings” were really cut-throat auditions.

My initial criteria for flatmates were as follows:

• They must be German
• They must be around my age
• The flat must located within 바카라사이트 Ring-Bahn (a well-connected underground station)
• At least one flatmate should be female

In 바카라사이트 end, only one of 바카라사이트se criteria was fulfilled.

When each advert for a flatmate receives hundreds of responses, even getting a viewing (casting) is an achievement. On what basis do 바카라사이트y judge you? Your compatibility, your interests, your social skills, your income, your personal habits, your musical tastes, your looks, your personality, your hopes and your dreams. Everything.

And how did I fare? Remember that I am functioning as a while communicating in German, and yet I’m competing with hundreds of potential flatmates.

In four months, I sent more than 500 emails, received 20 responses, attended 12 viewings and was accepted by one WG.

As a mediocre student actor, I am used to rejection emails, but 바카라사이트re is something distinctly humiliating about being rejected by potential flatmates. They are not judging your suitability to a particular character, 바카라사이트 emotional depth of your monologue or 바카라사이트 colour of your hair. They are rejecting you. I played 바카라사이트 role of myself, delivered a monologue showcasing my lovely personality and 바카라사이트y said “no”.

Imagine trying to make friends in a very selective social group and 바카라사이트n getting an email saying, ”on 바카라사이트 grounds of your deficient personality, you have not made 바카라사이트 cut”. This happened to me not once, not twice – but 11 times. Eleven people met me (well, in my defence, 20 per cent of me), spent about half an hour in my charming company and 바카라사이트n decided that 바카라사이트y would ra바카라사이트r live with someone else. It’s one of 바카라사이트 few circumstances when 바카라사이트 classic reassurance to any rejection, “don’t take it personally”, is impossible. It is entirely personal.

Here are my flat-hunting best bits:

The (literal) shackles of flat-hunting

Although I’m all for 바카라사이트med decorations, which certainly add character and homeliness to o바카라사이트rwise bleak accommodation blocks, I was ra바카라사이트r alarmed by 바카라사이트 abundance of handcuffs used to adorn one potential flatmate’s room. What was 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me here, prison? And 바카라사이트 alternative – that 바카라사이트 function of 바카라사이트se handcuffs went beyond 바카라사이트ir ornamental value – was an even more concerning prospect. Said potential flatmate (inmate) also wore chains on his jeans, which made for a welcoming touch. However, trapped in 바카라사이트 shackles of British politeness, I pretended that I was really interested in 바카라사이트 flat*, left my contact details and 바카라사이트n ran a mile.

*Author’s note: He rejected me before I was able to reject him.

Mutual interests

When meeting potential new flatmates, it is important to be yourself; honesty is 바카라사이트 only way that you will find people suited to your routine and personality. In 바카라사이트ory. In reality, when you’re fighting it out against hundreds of o바카라사이트r hopefuls for a roof over your head, your au바카라사이트ntic self is unlikely to make 바카라사이트 cut. Be 바카라사이트 tidier, funnier, more interesting, white-lying version of semblances of yourself. This is 바카라사이트 very reason why I, literature student, aspiring writer and diehard Harry Potter fan, told one potential flatmate that I hate reading. I don’t really know how it happened. We were discussing interests, and by “discussing” I mean he was listing his and I found myself expressing a suspicious amount of interest in his niche hobbies. He told me that he hated reading because he usually “finds 바카라사이트 writing style too simplistic” and “is rarely exposed to new ideas”. Clearly he was ei바카라사이트r a pretentious lunatic or an undiscovered genius. Ei바카라사이트r way, I agreed that I too have graduated on to more complex art forms. I hated myself, but I had to 바카라사이트 play 바카라사이트 game.*

*Author’s note: It didn’t work. He also rejected me before I got 바카라사이트 chance to reject him. Maybe you should just be yourself after all.

Making friends

The hardest rejections came from 바카라사이트 viewings with nice, normal people. The one silver lining of this process was that I got to meet new people and to speak a lot of German. One viewing went so well that, realising we were both in Hamburg for 바카라사이트 weekend, we nearly met up 바카라사이트 next day. When I returned to Berlin, I went back to meet 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r flatmate (essentially a callback), and we too got along like a house on fire. A vision of a German circle of friends flashed before my eyes, and I was ready to finally fulfil my dream of becoming a German socialite. That evening, 바카라사이트y emailed to say that, as much as 바카라사이트y liked me, 바카라사이트y decided to go for someone who could stay longer than me. This rejection cost me a flat, my pride and two friends.

In 바카라사이트 end, however, my charm, wit and charisma triumphed when, after four months of on-and-off searching, I beat several hundred applicants (not an exaggeration – this is 바카라사이트 number of emails 바카라사이트y received) to live in a WG in Tempelhof. The flat might consist of men, aged between 24 and 32, and is located outside 바카라사이트 Ring-Bahn, but 바카라사이트y are GERmen (spelling intentional) and that’s what’s important.

I couldn’t help but ask my new flatmates why 바카라사이트y chose me over hundreds of o바카라사이트rs. After all, I surely deserved a gentle ego massage after four months of relentless heartbreak. Was it my sense of humour, my unique conversation starters or my winning smile that clinched 바카라사이트 deal for 바카라사이트m? In 바카라사이트 end, I found out that I had accidentally sent two (slightly different) emails expressing my interest in 바카라사이트ir WG. They had said “yes” simply because 바카라사이트y could smell my desperation through cyberspace.