SpareRoom.co.uk Review
Layout
The home page of the site has a basic search box to the left
and a few site based ads in the center. There are also links
to major city-specific sections of the site, as well as a
few FAQ and advice links. The tabs toolbar (Search, Browse,
Place an ad, My account, Login/Logout) on the top of the
page provides easy navigation to specific sections of the
site.
Features
This website is packed with features that any flat sharing
or house sharing website should have. Profile fields and ads
are detailed, 
making it easier to match your search and find
what you’re looking for.
Registration is free. Create your profile for free,
place ads for free and view/contact all bold ads for free.
You can also contact 'free' ads that are older than 7 days.
New 'free' ads less than 7 days old are reserved for ‘early
bird’ users. You will need to upgrade your membership to
“early bird” to access these ads. Placing a bold ad also
requires a membership fee.
SpareRoom.co.uk offers a comprehensive knowledge base in its
information and advice section that caters to both basic as
well as advanced users. There is also a glossary of terms
which is a good addition.
Customer Support
If your query is not answered in the information and advice
sections, you can contact them via the website using the
drop down menu on the “Contact Us” page, or directly on 0845
644 4029. You can also mail Gemma Craft at
gemma@spareoom.co.uk who I know will be more than happy
to help.
Fees
Upgrading to “early bird” access and placing a “bold”
advertisement
1 week (£7)
2 weeks (£11)
28 days (£18)
Placing a “bold” ad only
6 months (£39)
1 year (£59)
Early Birds can email or phone all ads on the site, and the
28 day access comes with a success guarantee, giving you an
extra 14 days if you don't find what you're looking for. The
fee is quite reasonable and affordable compared to other
sites offering similar services.
Ease of Use
The site may take some time getting used to as the all the
links and ads seem to clutter the site. Though there are no
external ads within the pages of SpareRoom, the interface
does not seem to be as tidy and easy to navigate as some of
the other house share & flatshare sites.
At times the user may feel lost within the site, as there
always seems to be a lot of different bits of information,
advice and options on every page. That said, once you get
used to the site, it becomes much easier to navigate.
Effectiveness
SpareRoom.co.uk is one of the best places to find what
you’re looking for. It has a huge member base with
over 900,000 registered users and over
25,000 rooms for rent & flatmate ads.
The site has been featured in the press several times and
has been named as the number one flat share website
(combined with its subsidiaries) in the UK by HitWise.
The customer reviews and testimonials also highlight the
effectiveness of the site.
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