There are some living forms around university town, such as cooking food for oneself, studio apartment (one‐room), and lodging. And also, HOUSEMATE has speedily as new form in university town. Once you search the word like housemate in the Internet, you easily find numerous advertisements. You can see related advertisements on not only communities or clubs of each university, but also boards of portal site. The trend looking for housemate has breezed only few years ago. And now, housemate is settled as living form in university town.
An Existing Living Form in University Town
Hostel: Above all, a university hostel is generally living form. Recently hostels are changing and upgrading forward to pursue more comfortable and high quality. The most of cases, however, 2~4 students live together almost their time in small space. Moreover, supervision is severe. Someone can feel to be not free. At times, someone can be violated their privacy. Even if there are some defects, students prefer hostel to other living form. Boarders pay the lowest price among existing living form in university town. There are manufactures and establishments for living, and boarders freely use them. Especially, most of boarders come from region. They don’t want to spend much money on living. Unfortunately, the numbers of boarder are restricted. Namely, all students that come from region or want to live that can not live in the hostel, in many cases. Lately various form of hostel has appeared in university.
Monthly Rent: For example, there are lodging, cooking food for oneself and studio apartment. Usually one person rent a room. But sometimes, two people rent a room and live together. They are roommate. Anyway, it is more free and safe to keep privacy than hostel. However boarders who pay monthly rent spend more much money than hostel. In particular, monthly rent’s price increased about 10~20% in this year compare with the last year. In case of lodging, monthly price is about 400,000~450,000 won around university town in Seoul. And price of cooking food for oneself and studio apartment is 300,000~400,000. A deposit is from a million at least won to about fifty million won. Because there are not including university establishments and hosts of house form a cartel. Moreover, hosts prefer monthly rent because of low interest. Several office workers are gathering around university town. They think that rent is cheap relatively compare with other areas. In other word, monthly rent around university town is excess demand.
The Lease of a House on a Deposit Basis: This living from guarantee almost freedom and privacy. Price of the lease of house on a deposit basis was also increased 10%~20%. Besides, the lease of a house on a deposit basis is rare in university areas and general region due to decreasing of interest. In case of one‐room in 10 pyeong, the deposit money for the lease of a house is about from 40 million won to 45 million won, around Seoul National University in the last year. In this year, the deposit money for the lease of a house is about from 45 million won to 50 million won under same condition. In case of a studio apartment in 14 pyeong, someone pay 60 million won in 2007.
What Is a Housemate?
Many people may know ‘roommate’ as that average two people (mostly two people are friends) live in one room. The meaning of housemate is similar to a concept of roommate. One person lease a house and the person rent a rest room to someone. Among increasing price of monthly rent or the lease of a house on a deposit basis, a housemate’s rent is relatively lower than monthly rent them. A deposit of housemate is nothing or very cheap beside an existing deposit. Monthly rent of housemate is very different according as area, host and some standards. However, monthly rent of housemate tends to be lower than others. That is to say, low rent and deposit is the best feature of housemate.
A Sookmyungian, Na-ri, Kim (Sophomore in Division of Biological Science) told her simple story about housemate.
"Surely, I prefer living housemate in a few members of about 2~3 with who are very familiar with me or alone, to living together in small groups composed of about 6~7 members. As well as in the respect of the protection private, actually, other subtle problems irritated me in the group life. Later, when I took out some fruits from the refrigerator, I was embarrassed by the fact that someone ate my food. Now, I live together with my sister and a friend of her, total 3 members including me. Above all, spaces which are available are wider than before. Although there are many works to be done by me for myself than before, I'm happy to this life with my sister and a friend of her."
