Resident Anouk tells what it's like to live at Monoma

Anouk is a 24-year-old resident who has been using Monoma's vacancy management for a year. In the center of Eindhoven, Anouk lives in an old nursing home. She tells us what its like living in a special location, how the contact with property manager Tim goes and what you can expect when you live with Monoma.

How did you end up at Monoma?

Very lucky, just by knowing the right persons. First I lived in another anti-squatting place in Oisterwijk and I had to move out after just two months, which was really annoying. I ended up here through an acquaintance who knew Tim (Property Manager, Monoma) and he offered me this place. Tim also checks in every month.

Tim, as the first point of contact, is also very accessible. I can call him or send a text app at any time. If I ask, "Hey Tim, I can't get my heater off or how does this work?" Tim shows up. Even one time, I was even ill and he came to visit me at home and sweetly made me a cup of tea."

I really hope we can stay here for a while longer. I like it a lot, and it's cheap. I'm really lucky with the space and the placement and how it all turned out. Ultimately, I think I would like for place that is more fixed and secure later on

What do you think is the biggest advantage of living at Monoma?

That it's very cheap, I have a bigger space than most of my friends, and they pay more than double for it. You also get to live in different, non-conventional places, which is also very interesting. Living in special houses that you can tell your kids about 20 years from now. I have now lived in a convent, an old care home and a very old cottage.

What kind of people do you think fit Monoma?

I immediately have to think of my sister. She could never live the way I live here. You need to have a relaxed attitude. Be social, creative & flexible.

I sometimes worry as well like, oh my god. You have to have somewhere to go later and at the previous place I lived, it can also be really stressful to find something new within 28 days, so yeah, you just have to be able to have something.

Do you have plans what you would do next?

Cry. No, that first day is just really stressful, but then you swith your thoughts and you just go right on with arranging everything. If I can rent at Monoma again, great, give me the key and I'll make sure it's taken care of today. But if there is no place, then there is no place and that does make it exciting. For example, you may have a place in Amsterdam, but not in Eindhoven. You will always have that possibility when you live like this.

Do you have a dream location where you would like to live someday?

For a while I've been thinking about wanting to walk barefoot through a vegetable garden. Eindhoven is still a nice place to live, because you know it and you feel at home and you know the streets, the pubs, the people, the stores. I could easily move to another country and have a good time there as well.

Do you have any advice for future residents of Monoma?

I have nice furniture and I make sure my house is decorated within one - two weeks, so I feel at home right away. So it's not the house itself that makes me feel at home, it's actually my stuff & my energy that's in there. It quickly makes it a home so I would recommend doing this when you start living somewhere. It's also knowing that the place is not yours, and being okay with that. That's the attitude you have to have, and then you'll be fine!

Would you like to live in as special a location as Anouk? Check out our entire offer in Europe here: