Testimonials

“I am a woman of 87 years with limited vision.  My family had been worried about my living alone for some time but I was resistant to having a stranger living in.  My eldest daughter went online to look for options and found Homeshare Living and phoned Sarah. They had a long talk and Sarah sent me lots of information. I was very impressed by the idea of Homeshare. It seemed like the ideal solution for me as it would give me the reassurance that someone else was here at night, and also some practical help and companionship during the day.

Sarah sent me profiles of possible Homesharers and then brought Olivia to meet me. We had a lively initial discussion together and then arranged to meet again to talk about any other considerations we both had. 

Sarah gave us both a very high standard of personal service, carefully matching us according to our personalities and interests, coming to all the meetings, drawing up a Homeshare agreement that we were both happy with, and always being available by phone. 

Sarah has made a very good match with Olivia and myself. She is a mature young woman of 24 who was working in a retail store before the Lockdown started. She is a great companion, encouraging me to lead a full and fun life. She is most kind and helpful.  I feel much more supported and happier in the three months she has been homesharing here.

During these last few weeks in Lockdown, we have both kept well and we are keeping busy and finding things to do every day. We have been churning out drawers, cupboards and wardrobes and we also turned out the kitchen cupboards. Olivia put something on the Nextdoor app and people have come to collect all the clothes, toiletries and food items from our doorstep. 

We go out for a walk every day to get some fresh air and I am writing every day which is keeping me busy.  Olivia has taught me to use FaceTime so I am able to see my great grandchildren and I speak to my family and friends regularly. We always seem to find things to do during the day and we watch tv together in the evenings.

I am so grateful to have Olivia here with me as my Homesharer. I really couldn’t have coped on my own during self- isolation and Lockdown. She is a wonderful companion and helper and I feel incredibly lucky to have her here with me and in my life.”

“We are keeping so busy. I am finding plenty of things for us to do together and the days go by. 

We share all our meals together and always have plenty to chat about. We go out for a walk and some fresh air every day and we have potted lots of plants. We cleared out the bathroom together, drawer by drawer, and bedroom cupboards, and donated so many things including bath essentials, books, games and make up. I uploaded a post on Nextdoor and people have collected from our doorstep.  

We listen to loads of 1940’s – 1950s music particularly jazz which Sylvia likes and I have been doing a quiz with her so that she guesses the artist and song. She used to love dancing and she’s going to teach me how to jive. 

I have taught Sylvia how to Facetime and she uses it to chat to her grandchildren and great grandchildren and I have set up her old projector so that we can watch old movies on it. We really share a love of watching good tv dramas and series on Netflix and we are enjoying Ozark at the moment.  

I am really enjoying the Lockdown with Sylvia and I am more than happy to provide whatever practical support she needs whether it’s cooking, housework, taking out the bins, buying some groceries, a bit of gardening and sharing time together. I am young and fit, and keeping active also keeps me sane. The Homeshare agreement expects me to help out around ten hours a week and I really don’t mind if it is more than that because I am so happy in this Homeshare and it feels like home.

I sincerely don’t know what I would have done during Covid-19 if I hadn’t been homesharing with Sylvia. I do know that I would have felt very alone in London. I have learnt so much from this experience in particular how important companionship is for both generations. I honestly can’t recommend Homeshare enough to anyone.” 

“I have had a great experience with Homeshare Living. I was ready to move out of the family home and eager to save money and this was the perfect scheme to help me do both those things. The woman I shared with was good company and became more of a friend than I thought imaginable initially. Sarah was always available to speak to and ensured that both me and my Homeowner were happy throughout our time in the house together. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone!”

“Homesharing is a great solution if you want to give back to your community by preventing isolation and loneliness and if you want to save on rent. I (24) was paired with a quirky elderly lady (91!), and I enjoy living with her. This had made my move to a new city much smoother, and it’s great to know that I am improving someone else wellbeing. Sarah is always a phone call away if I need any assistance. It is hard for both parties to adjust to living with someone new from a completely different generation but the rewards are so worth it, plus it’s made easier having a good support system.”

“[She] is so incredibly nice; it’s going really well. I can’t say a bad thing about her. She is brilliant, just so great. It’s fantastic having her. She’s so helpful too. She does some cooking, we watch tv together and have been to see a few films. I am so much happier with her here; we get on incredibly well.”

“I could not be happier with the service provided. Sarah called me the day after I registered and told me about two potential homeowners that would match my profile and arranged a meeting for the following week. I couldn’t have made a better match myself; we have lots of things in common, I was immediately made welcome and introduced to friends and family. I wholeheartedly recommend this to any elderly person looking for companionship and/or young adult happy to offer a few hours a week of their time in exchange for getting to know and hang out with interesting people with great stories. As a bonus, the fee is paid monthly to the agency for everyone’s peace of mind and sense of security, a fee that is well below average rent so it’s great for students or people looking to save some money.”

“Sarah is a very warm and nurturing person who really takes the time to listen and run through the homeshare process with you. This is a fantastic and professional service and I’ve had a very positive experience. Thank you.”

“I would like to thank Sarah for her help and support in finding a perfect match for me. I enjoyed every moment spent with the homeowner and never felt lonely. An amazing experience and very pleased with my decision to register with Homeshare Living. Sarah is a lovely person and always there when you need her. I highly recommend their services. Thank you once again for everything. Much appreciated.”

“Affordable accommodation and helping someone to not feel lonely like me, these were my main points that attracted me to become a homesharer. In return for 10 hours of light housework and companionship you get good accommodation and the satisfaction of “adopting” a grandmother/grandfather. My real grandmother suffers from Alzheimers and I know she would like to have companionship, but unfortunately, I live in a different country from her. I was familiar with the loneliness that she feels sometimes and I wanted to help someone in a similar situation. Carol and Sarah helped me match with my new “grandfather”, establishing meetings first to make sure that everyone was on the same page and once everyone was happy, I moved in. I truly enjoyed my time as my “grandfather” was quite a character and I looked forward to coming home from work and hearing all his fascinating stories from his youth. He liked it when I would take him shopping or cook for him, and as I have a technical background, he absolutely loved it when I would set up games on his PC and teach him how to play them. I did not mind when I sometimes had to give a bit more time as I really enjoyed helping. Communication is key and I would encourage someone to always express themself and talk to family members or Carol or Sarah. Now I have a bit too much of a busy schedule, but when I will have more free time in the future, I would love to homeshare again, it feels really rewarding!”

“I didn’t really want someone living in the house but I knew it was the right thing.  I am so happy now because [she] is such a lovely person and so kind. At the beginning I was a bit nervous of how to be and act, having a stranger in the house, but so quickly our Sharer seemed like family, that I am now very comfortable to walk around in my dressing gown in the evenings!

She is such a sweet and lovely young lady. She sits with my husband who has dementia, or takes him out for walks on the weekend, which helps me so that I can pop out to the shops, or just have some time to myself. She always texts me to see what food she can pick up on her way home from work. 

We are all very happy with the Homeshare and we want her to stay. She is going home at Christmas and we will miss her. She is such a nice person and always so keen to help.”

“My experience of Homeshare has been incredible. I would recommend it to everybody. I get along with the family I live with wonderfully, I am treated like I have lived in the home for years, and I truly enjoy the time we spend together. I can see the benefit of my help on the wellbeing of the Homeowners. It’s a nice feeling to know you are positively impacting someone’s life. I feel like I have gained another family.”

“My aunt feels so much happier in herself since you have helped her find a Homesharer. You are a star Sarah. She used to take herself off to the hospital in the evenings because she was so lonely. Homesharing is amazing. So many lonely people would benefit. You need to spread the word!”

“I came to the UK about a year ago and stayed on a few friends’ couches until I discovered Homesharing. Through Sarah and Homeshare Living, I found a suitable Homeshare with a lovely elderly lady that I quickly became fond of, the family was also very welcoming and accommodating and I was more than happy to be able to help my Homeowner around the house and with whatever she needed. 

Staying in a Homeshare allowed me to settle and become more confident in living in the UK, and also helped me save up for University tuition! I would recommend Homeshare and Homeshare Living to anyone who was in my position and new to life in busy London, or just someone who wouldn’t want to live alone and is happy to help out around the home.”

“We are really good friends and she gives me so much company. We sit together, watch tv together and we eat together a lot, although we have different food tastes. I love all her vegetables and pasta and stir fries, she doesn’t like my cooking so much, but that is ok. She is very pleasant to have around in the flat. She is going on holiday next week and I will miss her terribly.

Once you have found a lovely younger person to share your home with, you will find that Homeshare is a marvellous idea. You feel less lonely, and it is very comforting to know you have company in the evening or night time. I would not want to be without a Sharer now.”

“We were very fortunate to have been introduced to Carol at Homeshare Living by a family friend, whose mother is a very satisfied client.

Both Carol and Sarah made sure to fully, carefully and most importantly of all, caringly understand the various needs of my mother. They explained exactly what to expect from them, and went about finding a suitable match. Somewhat surprisingly, but in a good way, it didn’t take long until we were shown an excellent profile of a potential Sharer along with her references. After a couple of face to face meetings, we all came to an agreement and Homeshare Living arranged the rest.

This is a truly amazing concept and one that if managed correctly really is a win-win for all concerned.  Carol and Sarah have gone above the call of duty to make this a very pleasant, personal and professional service.

I can honestly say, as a caring son who lives overseas, I feel confident my beloved mother is enjoying her independence in her own home with the security of having a highly reliable and caring Homesharer.”

“It was a big step for our Mum, opening her home to someone new. Sarah at Homeshare Living took time to understand Mum – her character, her needs and her preferences – and to match someone accordingly. It took a few weeks, but that just gave us all more confidence the right match would be made. During this assignment process Sarah’s service was exemplary, and she continued to check in thereafter with all of us.”

“When my daughter first mentioned the idea of a Homeshare to me, I was reluctant because I didn’t like the idea of someone else living in the house and the thought of a stranger made me a bit nervous. Now I wouldn’t want to be without a Sharer. I used to get quite anxious being alone at night and it’s very nice and reassuring to know that someone is there if I wake up in the night.”

“Sarah made the process of finding a suitable Homeshare quick and easy. She was very communicative and respectful throughout the process. I always felt that my needs were heard, and I felt very confident I was entering into an agreement both myself and the homeowners would be happy with”. 

“I feel so lucky that I am living in such a nice part of London close to the tube and it takes me only 20 minutes to get to work. I really like my Homeowner who is very easy to live with and we enjoy watching programmes like Strictly and Planet Earth together. There is no hardship involved and the arrangement has enabled me to save a lot on accommodation to put towards a deposit on my own place. I definitely want to Homeshare for at least another 2 years.”

“Homesharing has made such a difference to my mum’s life. She is much happier as she is not alone in the evenings, and she has someone else to chat to, share meals with and care about. It has also given me immense peace of mind that someone is there in case anything happens. Mum is well in to her 90’s now and I feel sure that things would have been very different and she would probably not have been able to stay in her home these last few years if she hadn’t had a Sharer.”

“I feel nice and safe at night. We are good companions and we get on very well together. I enjoy her company very much. The Homeshare is very pleasant all round”

‘I love living with my homeowner, we are very happy and enjoy spending time together. We go out, we have done classes together, we eat together most days, we watch tv. It’s just so nice and I am very happy. I feel very safe and settled.’

“All my life, coming from a big family, through my childhood, then in the camps, the hostels, and then in my family home with my wife and four children, I have always had people around me. To suddenly be alone in a big house when your wife has passed away and your children have left is very hard. Knowing I am no longer alone, I feel lighter when I wake in the morning. 

You can’t put a price on having someone else in the house.”