Ms. A

Editor’s note: This member does not wish to use her full name, so we’ll refer to her as Ms. A throughout the article.

Originally from New York, Ms. A first came to Atlanta for college and then returned to the area four years ago. She’s lived in a PadSplit for a total of a year, on and off, and she recently just purchased her very first home! Below is a transcript of our conversation, where she outlines her PadSplit experience.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Ms. A: I’m originally from New York. I’m a literary nerd who loves jazz music. I currently work in the tech industry as a support analyst.

How did you first hear about PadSplit, and why did you decide to try it?

Ms. A: When I moved back down here, I knew I wanted a roommate. The primary reason was to help keep expenses down. So I started searching a lot of room rental and roommate sites like Hotpads. I saw a listing for this really cool room, and it ended up being available through PadSplit. That’s how I first heard about it.

I wondered if it was too good to be true. The room looked great and the cost was really affordable. You could pay by the week without any lease required. I thought the listing might have been spam.

I lived in a PadSplit for the past eight months, and I’m still in one right now before I move into my new home. On and off, I’ve lived in PadSplits for about a year.

It’s been a great way to save money, and I love that I don’t have to worry about my rent going up all the time. I feel like with apartments, you’re always worried about rents rising for no reason. I knew that if I had roommates I could keep costs down and spend that money on things other than rent alone.

What was your experience like living in a PadSplit?

Ms. A: I loved it. In general, I love how easy it all is. It’s easy to use the app. I never had to worry about if my roommates were going to pay for their portion of the rent because I’m only responsible for mine. I didn’t have to manage the house in the same way as if I was the only person named on the lease. It just feels like there is no risk.

I also get to be comfortable and come home to a cozy room that I decorated myself. I’ve bought really cozy bedding. And I like meeting people! I still talk to several of my roommates I’ve had in the past. I also feel safer because I’m never coming home to an empty house. Whenever we’ve had any issues, PadSplit makes it easy to mitigate, and our PadSplit home just feels warm and inviting.

And of course the price!!

Can you tell me more about some of your roommate relationships?

Ms. A: One of my roommates is 55, and we clicked really easily because she’s nit-picky, clean like I am, and very respectful. Whenever we had a new roommate, we would be proactive together and say, “We cleared a spot for you in the fridge and in the cabinets.” We lived close to Grant Park, and we would go on walks together. She told me I remind her of her daughters, and she reminds me of my aunt. Overall, she’s just really easy to talk to, and she makes me laugh!

For another roommate of mine, we’ve recently been talking a lot about life goals and about how I bought my own home. It’s been nice.

Did living in a PadSplit help you get set up for more financial success?

Ms. A: Yes. One-hundred percent yes. PadSplit cut my rent payment in half. All that money went directly into savings and enabled me to put down a good downpayment, buy furniture, and pay off some of my credit card debt.

I also felt like I could just do things now and live my life. I could go out with my friends, or I could splurge on dinner.

Honestly, I don’t think I’d ever live in fancier places because it’s just too much of a waste of money, versus being able to use that for other things in my life.

When did you decide to purchase your own home?

Ms. A: I’m one of those people who is always stalking Zillow and hoping for a miracle. And one day, I found a home under 200K in the city. I moved really fast to get a lender and a real estate agent, and it worked out.

I’ve always been set on buying a home because I always felt like it would provide me with stability that I could never have as a renter. Owning your home is just a different feeling.

Would you recommend living in a PadSplit to others who are trying to save up?

Ms. A: Yes, 100 times yes. Living in a PadSplit is really the best financial decision that someone can make. Not only do you get to save money, it’s convenient if you need to move around to different locations, they make it easy to pay, it’s safe, it’s comfortable. I don’t see myself ever renting anywhere else if I’d ever need to again.

And with regular renting, there are so many hoops to jump through. You have to commit to long leases and there’s no wiggle room to move around.

I think that PadSplit has revolutionized the idea of renting, and I’m so grateful I found it.

Congratulations, Ms. A! We are happy to have helped you on your journey! For anyone else who’s looking for an affordable and flexible place to live, please fill out an application today.