How to Choose a Good Roommate
If you’re thinking of moving out and becoming independent and are looking for an apartment, it might be a good idea to choose a roommate to keep the cost of living down. And to know how to choose a good roommate, it’s essential that you take into account some issues that we will be reviewing throughout this article.
Keep in mind that you will share your home and day-to-day with another person, so choosing the perfect roommate is not an easy task. You will have to dedicate the necessary time until you find the right person.
Before taking the leap, we’d like to invite you to review our tips.
Take the necessary time to choose a good roommate
First and foremost, it’s necessary that you take the selection process calmly and don’t do it in a hurry. Otherwise, you will increase the chances of choosing the wrong person.
Once you know that you will have a room available for rent, you can publish the search on your social networks, in your groups of friends, and among family members. It probably won’t take long for the offers to arrive and you will have to have time to conduct interviews.
Make sure of their financial solvency
This is one of the most important points, because the idea of having a roommate is that the expenses are shared. To do this, try to get work references to determine if their job is stable and how long they have been working there.
Also, in case they’re a student, you have to verify the economic situation of the family that will be in charge of the expenses of your roommate.
Sharing a house implies dividing expenses, so the economic solvency of your roommate is very important.
We think you may also enjoy reading this article: 7 Tips for Managing Finances with Your Roomie
Ask about their lifestyle to choose a good roommate
While everyone is different, there are worlds that are similar and others that are the opposite. If you prefer a quiet life, a roommate who enjoys parties and get-togethers in your apartment or house will not be a good candidate.
Meanwhile, the same is true if the situation is reversed. After all, expenses are shared and both parties have the same rights and obligations.
As for food, hobbies, and other issues that you consider relevant, it’s also a good idea to find out their tastes and habits to avoid surprises later.
If you think you have found the right person, carrying out an investigation on their social networks is not a bad idea. You can ask for their friendship and follow him or her on different social platforms to be aware of her publications, contacts, interests, photos and everything you think will help you get an idea of his or her personality.
Establish guidelines for a healthy coexistence
Once you’ve already chosen your roommate, the next step is to determine a code of coexistence that you both accept and apply to your daily lives. Here are some of the topics that can be included in the agreement:
- Cleaning days: It’s important to decide beforehand how you will divide the housework so that both of you participate and collaborate with the cleanliness of the place.
- Distribution of goods: Write down what each of you brought and what things you bought together, so that you will know how furniture and appliances will be distributed.
- Shopping: If you’re going to share the food, it’s important to know who will be in charge of the shopping, what will be cooked, and who will cook it. These seem like very simple things, but in reality, they can lead to conflict if they’re not discussed beforehand.
- Use of common spaces: This is a very sensitive point, since both will feel they have the same right to use them. You could establish days and times for each one and which activities can’t be carried out.
- Pets: If pets are accepted, it’s worth agreeing on pet care, extra cleaning, noises, etc.
We would also like to mention the division of expenses at this point. Will you make a common fund, or will the expenses be shared equally? Will you have the same percentage of contributions or will the amounts of money be different?
This is relevant because if the percentages are different, the rights that each one has over the apartment will also be different. Everything that implies a disbursement of money must be clear beforehand and must be agreed upon and signed by both parties.
We think you may be interested in reading this, too: 10 Things In Your Home You Aren’t Cleaning Enough
Maintain a good relationship
From the beginning, you must have a friendly, trustworthy, and respectful relationship. Your treatment should be friendly, even if you don’t become best friends.
Everything that has to do with the apartment should be done or agreed upon together, and you should both be involved with seriousness and commitment for the good of the home you share.
To choose a good roommate, consider both chemistry and practical matters
The independence of living alone is one of the main objectives of those who yearn to have their own roommate and many Millenials who yearn to have their own space. However, in this case, that space is shared. Looking for a roommate is one of the first challenges you will face on your path to independence.
We believe that when you sit down in front of a candidate, you will instantly feel a chemistry that will make you think that he/she is the right person to live with you. You should feel at ease from the moment you meet for the first time.
However, don’t just go by the first positive impression. Also, make sure to find out a little more about who they are, what they do for fun, and what they do for a living. Combine your feelings and what your heart tells you with concrete data and real references about your future roommate.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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