In January the dream houseshare became available. The owner of a 15-room Georgian home in Spitalfields (with six bedrooms, a music room, a disco lounge, and a kitchen with an aga) posted an online ad seeking two or three people to share the house with. The rent? From £1 a month, depending on what potential housemates could spare.
"I'm offering the rooms on a 'pay what you can afford' basis" said the ad. "I'm far more interested in finding the right people to share with, who I'll enjoy having around and add something to my life, than maximising my rent".
The owner is millionnaire Rupert Hunt, who just so happens to be the founder of SpareRoom.co.uk. In the ad he stated he likes to work hard and play hard, has a garden in need of some TLC, and has a fondness for animals, whether stuffed or alive.
Perhaps the only downside is that in his quest to find the perfect housemate he created a YouTube channel to document his adventure. Candidates had to send in video applications - cue plenty of kooky, creative uses of webcams in a bid to appeal to Rupert. Unsuprisingly there were over 7,000 applicants.
A publicity stunt by an eccentric millionnaire, or the chance of a lifetime to live next to Brick Lane for as little as a £1 a month?
