Sharing your home with a roommate can be a great way to lighten the load on your finances. It can also help ease the task of finding a great place to live that works for your budget, while offering additional housing options. Deciding to opt for a roommate requires a lot of careful planning, but the right partnership can been incredibly beneficial.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before you begin your roommate search.
What kind of relationship do you want to have with your housemate?
Having a roommate can be an adventure, a new chapter within the story of an old friendship, or something in between, but knowing what you want ahead of time can be helpful.
This may seem like a philosophical question, but it’s an important one to consider. You should go into your roommate situation knowing what type of home life you prefer, and what you hope to gain from the experience.
Roommates may start out as friends, or grow close after getting to know each other through the luck of their mutual love for a shared apartment. For others, it’s enough to simply share pleasantries over morning coffee, while steering clear of the personal questions.
"Consider how you can be a roommate of substance - not just one for financial gain," says Tiffany B., a 29-year-old outreach coordinator at a nonprofit who lives in Seattle. "Roommates can go through big life changes, and knowing how to communicate effectively is really important."
Living with someone may begin as a causal relationship, but sharing your home is an intimate partnership. If you prefer to keep certain boundaries, knowing what you hope to gain from your roommate relationship is the first step in finding the best fit.
How much time do you like to spend at home?
Are you a homebody, or are you always on the go? This simple question may help you avoid a roommate kerfuffle down the line.
If your idea of a fun Friday night is staying home with takeout and queuing up the Netflix, having a roommate that is always out on the town might be a great idea. On the other hand, if your roommate loves to party at home, this can cause friction if you are not keen on guests taking over your living room.
Making sure you and your roommate have compatible preferences is vital, but it goes a step beyond that - you have to look out for one another, too. "I look for someone who is considerate above almost anything," says Kamil L., a 27-year-old legal assistant living in Los Angeles. "It’s important to have a mutual level of respect and some common interests, but still maintain your own space."
Do you like to share?
Some roommates prefer communal living, where grocery bills, chores and other household tasks are shared. Other housemates may prefer to keep everything split down the middle.
Before you commit to living with someone, make sure you know where you stand on sharing your favorite leftovers, and who is responsible for buying the toilet paper. It’s best to have these small details ironed out before you move in together so you can avoid surprises, like a missing sweater your roommate thought she could borrow.
What is your guest policy?
If you love meeting new people and take a “the more, the merrier” attitude, it’s great to let your roommate know that up front. You should also be very explicit about what’s not acceptable, guest-wise.
“Before I moved into the house, every roommate in the house was single,” says Lisset C., a 29-year-old consultant in Seattle. “Two years later, several members of the household got boyfriends. This dramatically shifted the dynamics of the house. I wish I’d known this would happen.
“Lifestyle compatibility is super important to consider when choosing a roommate,” she continues. “I’m single, and I want to live with other single roommates. But if they choose to have mates, I want to draw parameters and boundaries to ensure that when I come home, I have the space I want and need."
If you have a significant other that may be over often, make sure you are courteous, and know the ins and outs of your shared guest policy to avoid awkward conversations while you have company.
And it’s important to nail down the specifics of what you each believe is a shared space, because having your sister crash on your couch might offend your roomie more than having a date sleep over.
Although sharing your home may come with some challenges, developing a good relationship with your roommate can be a great experience. Not only does having a roommate help you bolster your finances, it can be a wonderful way to make a new friend or expand your horizons.
Related:
- Roommate Relations: Making Smart Use of Shared Spaces
- How to Deal With a Roommate Who Hogs the Wi-Fi
- The Inside Scoop on Renters Insurance and Roommates
from Zillow Porchlight | Real Estate News, Advice and Inspiration http://www.zillow.com/blog/define-roommate-relationship-193143/
via Reveeo
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