Eve's room

Shared 1,232 sqft upstairs, built 1947, gorgeous hardwood floors, big sunny windows, huge kitchen/dining room, most things original and still maintained (seriously, it’s beautiful!) The front yard has a huge evergreen tree and no lawn; I am in the process of filling it with native plants. The backyard has a patio and pergola with grape vines. I have been building out a garden in the backyard and so far have planted a bunch of fruit trees and bushes and created a couple of beds for annuals—there’s plenty of room in the garden for you to have space. We’re about 15 minutes from downtown by car, 30 minutes by bike (10/17 minutes from UVic).

The house is on a very busy road (Quadra) but we have a big driveway for parking, and the house is set back a bit—it’s not very noisy inside, though you will hear some road noise from your bedroom, especially during rush hour. There is LOTS of storage, in the house and outside, and workout space downstairs (I have a TRX set up). Your bedroom is 156 sqft plus a small closet, and the bathroom is shared with me. No tub, sadly. My mom lives in the suite downstairs and has a private patio, and we (the upstairs residents) have a large, fenced backyard to share. Currently I work from home most days, and my workspace is in the living room.

Most of the house is furnished, though I would consider swapping out my dining room table. The bedroom can be furnished or unfurnished. I try to avoid clutter in common spaces (but I do have ADHD and tend to accumulate small piles)—and cleanliness is very important to me. I don’t like piles of dishes in the sink, dirty counters, etc. I have a bi-weekly cleaning service that is bundled into the rent. So, minimal chores except keeping the kitchen clean and swept.

Rent is $1,100 plus the pet-sitting mentioned below, and covers utilities (hydro/gas), wifi and cable (including Crave/Netflix), biweekly cleaning, and small incidental house supplies (toilet paper; paper towels; laundry, dish and hand soap; salt and cooking oil; other cleaning supplies).

About me: 48-year-old queer, divorced professional woman. I own my own (successful) business. I have lived for most of my life in various community house-type situations, often multi-generational. I moved to Victoria from Vancouver in late 2018. I am active and enjoy hiking, climbing, camping, cycling, yoga, dance (ballet and social dance), puzzles, crafting, gardening, and casual social events like barbecues, dinner parties, board game nights and book groups. I’m not a big partier and don’t like noisy crowds. I am nonmonogamous and solo poly, and I’m currently single. I’m politically liberal/left.

My 78-year-old retired mother lives in the (separate) suite downstairs. She is also queer- and nonmonogamy-friendly and gets along with almost everyone. I have an 8-year-old very anxious (but sweet!) rescue cat. My mom has a large, lazy 17-year-old cat. The cats live separately (mine upstairs, hers downstairs with her) and are indoors-only except with leashes or supervision. You: I’m looking ideally for a woman, trans or nonbinary person. I’m looking for someone with a pretty stable life and something they’re committed to, whether that’s school or a job or volunteer work etc. Cannabis (e.g., edibles, oils) or (very) occasional recreational substances are ok, but all forms of smoking are not, whether indoors or out.

I’d prefer someone who is into being lightly social around the house: shared dinners once or twice a month, the occasional jointly hosted social event, games and movie nights, being friendly in each other’s space, help each other out when we’re sick, look after each other’s pets, etc., but also pretty autonomous. My mom is cool too and my last two housemates have also enjoyed hanging out with her.

You MUST be vaccinated and boosted and ENTHUSIASTICALLY pro-vaccine, pro-mask and pro-COVID-safety. I find I’m usually about a step below whatever the public health orders in terms of risk I am willing to tolerate; I will probably always mask on transit and in grocery stores, and I’m still usually sticking to outdoor dining. It’s also crucial that you be comfortable talking openly and on an ongoing basis about COVID precautions and risk levels.

Pets are negotiable. They need to be super mellow and be able to tolerate my little cat’s moods without getting aggressive in return. A chill, adult/senior cat or bonded pair could work; so could a pretty chill dog, maybe rabbits, or anything you can keep in a cage shut in your room, or primarily outside. Dogs will need to be kept very clean and well-groomed—I’m really sensitive to dog hair and smell and don’t want the floors scratched up. You’d need to be willing to control/prevent fleas, keep vaccinations up to date, and not free-feed unless it’s in a place my cat can’t get to (e.g. outside, or in your room with the doors closed). I do travel a lot, sometimes for long periods, and I’ll need you to help look after my cat when I am out of town. If you have pets I’ll return the favour.

I very much prefer things and people to be scent-free as much as possible, though if you have very serious allergies/sensitivities I can’t guarantee that I can comply with those.