"I came to Cardiff in Sep
1999 to Uni. Until moving into Cosmeston St I had always shared houses
with people I knew. It seemed quite daunting at first finding a property
to live in with not much time and not knowing what the people would
be like. I came across Dave's property on a website called CardiffFreeExchange.
I emailed him, set up the viewing with the tenants. It was an opportunity
for me to meet them and vice versa. I loved it and the housemates
so the instant I left the house I rang Dave and said I would like
to take the room. We met for coffee and signed the contracts. During
my time there I made some great friends and had a wicked time. I've
lived in Cardiff for 7 years and this is the only rented property
I've never had any trouble with. The reason I left was to move in
to a flat with my then girlfriend. If it hadn't been serious I probably
wouldn't have left. There aren't many landlords I know of that are
willing to pay for the cleaning products in order to maintain the
good condition of the properties."
"I lived in Dogfield
Street during 2005. It was my first time house sharing - and what
a brilliant experience it was! I had the opportunity to meet with
the existing tenants beforehand and vice versa. I instantly fell in
love with the house and the people. The property is large, comfortable
and excellently furnished. It is in an ideal location for the town
centre and motorway. If there was ever an issue ,no matter how big
or small, Dave was always quick on the case and very helpful. The
people living in the property were great fun - it's the perfect opportunity
to meet new people and enjoy the independance of having your own space"
"Moving into a shared house with new people is a little daunting,
but my experience at Cosmeston Street was a very positive one. My
new housemates quickly made me feel very welcome and I had a great
20 or so months living here, only leaving because my girlfriend moved
to Cardiff. Having the option to meet and choose potential new tenants
means that everyone in the house generally gets on well. Dave has
thought carefully about what you might need in terms of flexibility
and certainty (charges for leaving early etc.) in your tenancy agreement
and is quick to fix any problems that may arise in the house. All
in all Cosmeston Street is definitely one of the best places I’ve
lived. "
"'If I could give 1 piece of advice
to all young people it would be to live in a professional shared house
at some point because I had an amazing time in Dave's shared house
on Cosmeston Street. Its like being a student but with money! We all
got on well and there was always someone to watch rubbish on TV with
or to go to the pub with etc etc. And Dave was a great landlord -
he was a very responsive to any problems and was very considerate
when it came round to getting a new housemate, in that he would never
push us to accept someone as he knew it was important for us to get
along."
"Moving into Whitchurch Rd was
the best thing I could have done when I moved to Cardiff. Dave was
an extremely professional and fair Landlord; always available to respond
to our requests and feedback. Dave always takes care to ensure that
the house is of a high standard and that housemates have similar interests
and will fit in. I had a fantastic time living at Whitchurch Rd, making
the best of friends.”
"I moved into the house share when
I moved to Cardiff for work after finishing Uni. I didn't know anyone
in Cardiff, so a house share seemed like a good option.
I chose the house because the room was a good size, I looked round
a few houses and it was good value for money. The lounge and kitchen
were modern and easily big enough for four or five people to share
comfortably, with enough kitchen cupboard space and seating in the
living room. The back garden is also a bonus, especially for a party
and over summer.
The house is in a great location, about a 10 minute walk from town.
It's on a quiet, residential street so no problems with noise on
a Friday night, no problems with parking either. The shops on Albany
Road are two minutes away and there are plenty of pubs and takeaways
nearby.
The thing that sold the house to me was the atmosphere when I looked
round. There were four of us living together and it was refreshing
to find a landlord who takes into account whether housemates are
likely to get along. We had some brilliant nights out and I made
some good friends.
The house was well maintained and the rent was fair. The landlord
was discreet but available if needed, and I got my deposit back
quickly when I left - I'd recommend the house and the landlord to
anybody looking to rent in Cardiff.”
"Moving into Keppoch St was my
first houseshare so it was a bit nerve-wracking, but it was made very
easy. Dave was conscientious that the atmosphere in the house was
comfortable as well and the physical surroundings so the property
is very well looked after, and if there was a change in tenancy all
the current housemates were able to meet and greet the prospective
tenants.... which is beneficial to both parties!
It was a lovely place to live, in a great situation near to the city
but with local shops and parks and also on a quiet safe street. I
lived there for 2 years and really enjoyed my time there, and have
made lasting friends. It was great to be in a house you wanted to
come home to. I would definitely recommend living in one of Dave's
properties.”
"The house is looking really good
in the photos you sent - don't ever remember it looking that tidy
when I was there - had a more 'loved & lived in feel'! It's a
shame I don't know anyone who lives there anymore as the pictures
gave a real sense of nostalgia - I had some really good times in the
house & met some very lovely strong personalities during both
my stays! Thanks for choosing such fantastic house mates when I first
moved in... & for letting me move back in a second time - it really
made my time in Cardiff a lot of fun. Hope your current tenants are
as much fun as your originals!"
"Whilst living at Dogfield St I
had a lot of fun and made some good friends. My housemates were all
very chilled out, sociable and we really gelled as a collective. Even
when housemates moved out, their replacements fitted in well because
we were given the opportunity to meet and choose new people. Dave
was a great landlord. He really understands what it is like for young
people sharing houses. If anything got damaged and needed fixing,
I would ring Dave and he would be round practically the next day to
sort it out. Prior to moving into Dogfield St I had lived in 3 different
houseshares in Cardiff, Dogfield St was definately the best. Well
kept, good quality surroundings mixed with a friendly, chilled out
atmosphere made it very difficult to leave.”
"Brithdir St was extremely
well equipped, with a stunning kitchen area and a cosy lounge. All
of the rooms were tastefully decorated and contained all you needed
to make a very comfortable, welcoming room within hours of arriving.
Dave is a great landlord. He is down to earth and is very fair with
all his tenants. The houses he owns are maintained to a very high
standard and in personal experience he is very quick to respond to
the slightest of problem. It’s a shame not all landlords are
like him!!!”
"I stayed at Dogfield street in
2003 and 2004 and had a great time there. Dave is great at picking
a mellow group of people who'll get on well together. He's also really
quick to fix anything that needs doing, and is always improving the
properties. I stayed there whilst working as a weather forecaster,
and only left Dogfield street when I moved on to other, wetter things..”
"I moved to the UK from Australia
at the end of 2004 and after a brief stay in London I ended up in
Cardiff for work. Not knowing anyone in Cardiff, I thought it would
be good to move into a house share to meet some people. I must've
liked it as I stayed in Whitchurch Rd for 19 months. If it was not
for me buying a house with my girlfriend I would probably still be
there. I made some very good friends with past and present housemates
and Dave was a good landlord ensuring that everything in the house
was always in good working order.”
"I lived in Dogfield Street for
3 years and absolutely loved it. Everytime I considered moving on
I just ended up staying there because I loved the house and the people
there so much. I met some amazing people during my stay and I think
the main reason for that was that we got to meet potential housemates
before they moved in and vice versa to make sure we all had similar
interests etc. Dave was a brilliant landlord who really understood
what it was like to live in a shared house. He was always there if
there was a problem or if something needed fixing. I originally was
quite apprehensive about moving into a shared house when I didnt know
anyone living there, but it was one of the best decisions I've made.
Ive made a lot of really good friends from my time there and I've
taken lots of good memories with me. Thanks for everything Dave!!"
"I moved down to Cardiff in a bit
of a whirlwind - having to find myself somewhere to live in less than
a month! Finding Dave’s details was the best thing that could
have happened. He made everything so easy for me including arranging
a meeting with the current housemates the day I viewed the property.
Once Id seen the house I knew it was the right move. Dave has created
a wonderful atmosphere that makes you feel at home as soon as you
walk in the door and has certainly been the best landlord I've ever
had. I have met some fantastic friends through moving into Dogfield
Street and am sad to leave it behind. I shall always look back on
my year in Cardiff fondly knowing that I created some fantastic memories,
so thanks for all your efforts Dave – its much appreciated!"
"I spent 2 and a half years at
Dogfield Street, and found it very good from all points of view. The
location is right by the Crwys Road shops and takeaways, with every
kind of shop you could want on a day to day basis, and it is also
within walking or cycling distance of the city centre. The house-mates
were friendly (saw a few come and go during my time there), and if
ever anything needed fixing, Dave would always do it promptly, and
he was very accommodating to any requests we had. He'd obviously thought
through carefully how to fit out the house, so that it had everything
we needed, and the bedrooms were well furnished, with a suprising
amount of storage space. I've found since that not all rented properties
are the same!"
"I moved into Brithdir St. in September
2005 and really enjoyed my time there. At the time I was a student,
but as I was a mature student, 27, I was looking for accomodation
other than student housing. I had a fantastic time at Brithdir St.
and gained loads of great friends. The house itself was of a high
standard and any problems or issues Dave dealt with straight away
without question. Dave always gave us a lot of say with any new housemates
to ensure we kept it a happy house with a great atmosphere. ;o) It
was by far the best renting experience I've had."
"From start to finish, Dave
was always helpful, friendly, and professional. I always felt comfortable
and confident renting a room from Dave. The flat was well looked out
for and, if any problems arose, Dave was easy to get ahold of and
the problem was quickly solved".
"I first arived in Cardiff and
stayed with friends for a couple of weeks, I liked the city so much
I decided to find a place to live for 6 months, before I continued
with my travels. I quickly found Daves website and was very impressed
and called one of the current housemates to arrange a visit. The visit
went great I was able to meet everyone and was very impressed with
the house. Within an hour of leaving Dave called to say I got the
room, I moved in a week later. My 6 months in the house were enjoyable,
I was sad to leave. Dave is a brilliant landlord, I recommend staying
in one of his properties!"
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