Mary Anne's room

Eco Home/furnished, big room close to downtown, shared with an RMT and Herbalist in their 30/40’s. Available Feb 15th or later.

Ideal for a respectful, mindful/kind, clean/tidy/organized, eco-minded, hygienic (e.g. washes hands after blowing nose and before touching shared touch points), non-smoking (there is no smoking/vaping on the property, indoors and out…the rare social toke outside is understandable, but chronic, repetitive use isn’t the vibe here. Same for excessive drinking. Cigarette smoke is a hard no anywhere on the property at any time.

Someone who works a 9-5 at an office or who can work quietly from home is ideal for the living/working situation. Mary runs her massage therapy practice from home, so it’s essential that it’s quiet during the day from Mon-Thur.

Looking for a peaceful/light footed individual who knows the value in doing the little things to create harmony in a home and avoid annoyances…like cleaning their hair out of the shower when finished and maybe even wiping the shower down to avoid calcium buildup, doing dishes after a meal, keeping shared space free of personal items lying around when not in use, and generally leaving the shared space tidy and clean so that people don’t have to work around mess and can freely do their thing. Also, someone who doesn’t have a lot of things as the house is furnished and has limited storage.

Environmentally, someone who conserves energy because they understand that when we mess up our environment, were basically doing the same to ourselves…So turning down the heat at night and putting on a thick blanket (healthier in my humble opinion), wearing a sweater and slippers in the winter…If you like cranking the heat in the winter and walking around in your shorts and tank top pretending you’re in the tropics, this is not the place for you:) We want people to be comfortable and warm without burning a ton of fossil fuels…For example, if you’re going to be in one room for a long time or for sleeping, the house heat can be turned down and a space heater or comforter for sleeping can be used to keep warm.

The house smells of essential oils from my practice. We clean with non-toxic cleaners like vinegar and effective, natural disinfectant. Natural laundry detergent is used. Synthetic smells like perfumes, cologne, certain laundry detergents and incense cause headaches and discomfort…so we’re looking for someone who avoids such things. I sometimes use oxyclean to remove tough stains, but that is rare. I would just like to avoid ongoing synthetic smells.

When I’m working, if you’re home, the house needs to be pretty quiet and the living room unoccupied. Quietly working upstairs with the door closed works well and taking food/kitchen breaks every hour when clients leave and I change up the room is a good time to run a blender or make noise in the kitchen. Refraining from cooking smelly food like fish etc. would be greatly appreciated when clients are present. The driveway needs to be clear for clients to park when I’m working. Your car can be farther up the driveway or on the road (cars will need to be changed up, so it would be nice if you didn’t have a car….Mary doesn’t have a car, but Naomi does). If you’re in the driveway during working hours, you’ll be able to access your car in the 45 min breaks when clients leave (usually every hour, but could be longer or shorter). Coming in and out of the backdoor would be the most helpful to reduce noise disruption when clients are present. There is a space in the kitchen for jackets and shoes so that the front hallway is left clear.

Rent is $900 inclusive and includes:

• All utilities (if utilities rise up abnormally quickly from neglect/misuse, then sharing utilities may need to be introduced)
• Wifi (If you need more speed that is currently available, the upgrade/extra cost is your responsibility)
• Some storage space in the basement
• Some storage space in the outside shed
• Some storage space in the upper washroom
• Shared garden space (there’s a black walnut tree just fyi, but some veggies still grow…just need to do your research)
• 2 kitchen cupboards
• Use of washer, dryer, drying racks and clothes line/pins (Mary does a lot of laundry, so the drying racks are often in use for her sheets especially in the winter months, but if they’re not in use, you’re welcome to use them in your room or outside.)
• Window air conditioner/fan that can be put in your room when the weather starts to get warm and taken out when it starts to get cool.
• Use of water distiller, powerful blender, coffee grinder etc. pretty much any appliances and dishes in the kitchen

House pros (in my opinion:):

• Close to downtown, train etc., but not noisy like downtown. About a 5 min. walk to the downtown core and bus stops to the university. -We are pretty considerate, fun, respectful, clean/tidy people who enjoy friendly chats and also enjoy alone time.
• The semi-detached home is shared with quiet neighbours who are friendly. We ask each other for help from time to time if packages arrive and we’re not home.
• You’re welcome to have an overnight guest or the occasional out of town family/friends stay over. There is a pull out couch in the living room. The room rental is for a single individual however, not a couple e.g. partners need to have their own place to live, do laundry etc. Occasional out of town guests are welcome to use the amenities as needed to make their stay enjoyable. No Air bnb guests are allowed. This is important as more house insurance is needed and a breach could leave the house under-insured.

Cons:

• It has to be pretty quiet when Mary is working…So that could feel limiting during that time.
• The house is furnished and Mary likes space to be simple and clear in shared space, so that could limit storage space or creative decorating. For example, there’s not really room for more things in the living room, especially since it acts as a waiting room for Mary’s business and needs to be kept simple and clean.
• The house has some storage, but it’s ideal for someone who has minimal things.
• The bed is very comfortable and clean…It may be a con for a heavier set person who may sink into it more, but 120-185 lbs range people usually find it to be very comfortable.

I’m a fun, athletic and kind 41 year old who runs my massage therapy practice out of my home on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from around 11 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. (with 45 min. breaks in between appointments). I often go to Waterloo in the evenings and on weekends. I spend most Fridays climbing at the Grotto and catching up on housework and laundry in Guelph. This schedule is just to give an idea of my current schedule, but I reserve the right to live here full time as desired.

Mary’s interests: Climbing, x-country skiing, healthy living/eating, gardening, hiking in trees, dance/music, saunas, family/friends/partner