Housepals.co.uk Review

Layout

The professional-looking homepage gives you a clear idea of what you can find on the site. It features a search box with four tabs - house pal, room, flat and bed & breakfast.  Enter the particulars for a quick search result.

 

The placement of the “keyword search” box is very convenient allowing users to do a quick search just by entering a town name, postcode, rent etc, as keywords.  The member profiles are easy on the eye too with the added advantage of all information being displayed on the one page.

 

Features

Besides offering the option to list and search for rooms, flats, houses, and flatmates, Housepals also offers the option of listing or finding a B&B for those one night stays. Profile and parameters editing is easily done through the member page interface. A quick login is also provided at the top right corner of every page along with a navigation link bar.

 

Like many of the other sites offering similar services, viewing ads or profiles is free, but a paid membership is required to contact other members. Placing an advertisement on the site is free of cost.

 

Customer Support

Housepals.co.uk offers neatly compiled Help and FAQ pages that address basic questions and problems.  Administrators can be contacted through the “Contact Us” or “Help” tab on the menu. They also offer a 24 hour answer reply service at their official number 0871 474 0108 (given on the site). They can also be contacted at their mailing address given on the site.

 

Fees

£7 for 30 days service

£14 for 90 days service

£21 for 185 days service

 

Membership fees are very reasonable compared to other sites.

 

Ease of use

Some of the best things about this site include the lack of annoying ads or banners and its overall uncluttered appearance. Site features are easy to find and use with clear instructions given on the site. This makes it easy especially for those new to the using the web for finding a room to rent or renting a place. Page load time is relatively short. The use of drop down menus makes it simpler to filter profiles and ad & create your own ad. The keyword search feature is also a great tool, helpful for a quick search.

 

Effectiveness

At a reasonable enough price, you can look for and find flatmates and even a bed and breakfast arrangement. The site is gaining popularity among thousands of people who use the web for their accommodation needs. Although Housepals may not yet have a large member base, you’d probably have a good chance of finding what you’re looking for.