Friday, April 15, 2005

Flat Finding Facts

One of the first things that I learnt at my b-insti was performing a cost to benefit analysis and do only those things which have the best ratio. Earlier, I used to go bilindly for the cheapest option and be done with it – my aim was to find an option which left the smallest hole in my purse. Not now! I have also learnt to take up the non-monetary transactions into consideration.

As of now, I have three choices of flats – the one I am currently staying in (A), sharing a flat with 2 other people (B – of which one person has already starred here), and sharing a flat with another guy (C). If I go with A, I don’t have to pay any rent and I will save up to Rs. 3000 per month (Rs 3500 rent in case of option C + maintenance charges + grocery costs). I also don’t have to worry about food as my room mate cooks for the rest of us. But, I don’t have the option of having my own room or personalizing it. With option B, I would spend about 2500 on rent, in addition to a deposit of about Rs. 20,000 and share rooms with someone who have the dirtiest rooms I have ever seen outside a hostel and there are also some incompatibilities in personalities. They spend a lot on useless stuff and also I would have to share a room with one of them.

With option C, however, I get a separate room and there is a TV as well as a modern washing machine. I get to move in only after a month, when the guy’s mom goes back home. The rent is also somewhat high, Rs. 3500 on my part and I also have to worry about cooking – there is a gas stove.

Option A is about 1.5 hours away from my workplace at peaktime and about 40 minutes start-to-finish in the mornings; B and C are close to work. But, both A and C’s duration are uncertain as they don’t know how long they plan to stay here. C guy might change companies. A guys might get transferred out of this city. If I stay with A, I don’t have to worry about getting up for work but rather about getting up at 6 in the morning. C guy comes in just 5 minutes after me and is one of the early birds (I am the earliest bird now), and B guys say with pride they find it very difficult to wake up before 10 am, and often they do come in very late – over 10 times in just under 30 days of work here.

Anyway, I still have about a month to decide upon the place and my head already aches with the decisions to make.

2 comments:

Adaengappa !! said...

Is it so hard to find a place to live in India's Big Apple?

Jammy said...

u r the earliest bird? A bit difficult to believe ;)
btw, mail me yr phone number at my iim id