Many of us get our first experience as house renters during college, which also brings the challenge of living with roommates. Whether you’re living with best friends or newfound acquaintances, there are bound to be some hurdles in adjusting to your new home.
Here are some tips for making the transition as smooth as possible.
Choosing Rooms
When touring a new house or apartment, everyone imagines the room they wish will become their own. Unfortunately, having roommates can put a damper on those dreams when everyone pictures themselves in the upstairs bedroom with two windows.
Therefore, it’s necessary to come up with a room-selecting process that is fair and doesn’t give anyone reason to argue. Although you may not end up with the room you were hoping for, it’s more important to keep the peace between roomies.
There are multiple ways to go about choosing rooms in a fair manner, but it’s best to keep the selection random so that there’s no unfair advantage given to anyone. One method is to try assigning a number to each bedroom in the house. Put all of the numbers in a hat or cup and have each person draw a number. The number they receive represents the room they will get.
Another method of assigning rooms is to write everyone’s name on a slip of paper and draw them from a hat one by one. The person’s name who is drawn first will be the first person to pick the room he or she wants. The next person drawn gets second pick, and so on.
Who’s bringing what?
It’s important to sit down and have a meeting with your roommates before moving in to discuss who has what to contribute to the new place and who will purchase whatever items are still needed.
This is also a good time to assign certain appliances and supplies to each roommate so that move-in day doesn’t bless your home with three blenders, two toasters and way too many coffee mugs.
This is where making lists becomes quite handy. It can be difficult to think of absolutely everything a new home needs. Have no fear: there are plenty of pre-made packing lists for first-time renters. This one from Bed, Bath and Beyond has all the essentials.
If you’re not able to get everything on your list before move-in day, don’t sweat it. First apartments are never the most impressive. It takes time to develop your own tool belt for living on your own. The smaller items will be acquired one way or another.
Sharing Space
Although you may have your own bedroom, there is still a whole house to be shared between you and your roommates. This may not sound like a big deal, but it’s still something to adjust to.
The kitchen is a space that everyone is likely to spend a lot of time. If everyone is buying their own groceries, they will most likely be cooking their own dinners.
Having multiple people trying to cook in the same kitchen can prove to be a little chaotic and cramped, so try to time your dinner preparations when others are out or otherwise engage. Even if you have to reheat your dinner in the microwave later on, it will be worth sparing the headache.
Although you and your roommates may be shopping for groceries separately, it’s more than likely that the house doesn’t come with separate refrigerators to store them in. Sharing refrigerator space may not sound like a no big deal, but it can be challenging to maneuver when everyone is stocked up.
If possible, it’s easiest to try and divide the fridge into equal sections for each person to keep their groceries in. This way, no one will have to worry about searching for their food under piles of other things that aren’t theirs. This may still require you to activate your Tetris skills when unloading after a Sunday grocery stop, but at least you will know where all of your food is.
When it comes to sharing other spaces like the bathroom and living area, it’s most important to be mindful of others’ needs and schedules. Try not to take showers that are hours long, and try not to make a lot of noise if you know others are trying to sleep. Common courtesy above anything else will get you through living with roommates.
Cleaning
Although it’s not a favorite subject, cleaning is an important topic to discuss. Moving out and living independently requires you to clean up after yourself for the sake of you and your roommates. Nothing will upset a houseful of friends like a messy person.
With that being said, make sure to wash your own dishes, and take turns cleaning common areas. It’s as simple as that.
Agreement
Above all, if roommates don’t agree on something that will affect everyone, chaos will ensue. Communication is essential when it comes to throwing parties, having guests over or making a permanent change to the house. Make sure everyone agrees before making a choice that affects others.
I know it may seem like living with roommates is a trying task, but it gets easier with time. After everyone finds their place and learns how to live with one another, you’ll be able to fully enjoy living with friends and making memories. Cheers, and welcome home!
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