Living with other, often unfamiliar people can be both a great adventure and a considerable hassle. How do you share a flat with others and stay sane? Here are Little Home’s tips to help you live in harmony with your housemates.
Own your own flat or share a flat?
Owning your own flat is everyone’s dream. However, you have to admit that buying a flat these days is quite a challenge. With the current rate of inflation and interest rates on housing loans, it is almost becoming a pipedream. Consequently, most young people are forced to rent flats. Unfortunately, under conditions of widespread price increases, this too often seems too great an expense. This is why we are increasingly resorting to sharing a flat with other people. And although we are forced to do this by conditions rather than desire, flat-sharing can be a truly beneficial and enlightening adventure.
By sharing a flat or a room with someone, we learn a lot of soft skills that are useful in our future life and career. We hone our communication abilities and learn how to live in a community. Co-tenancy also allows us to practice your skills in peaceful conflict resolution and forces you to reach certain compromises. Co-living with tenants can thus. be a very important life lesson for you, and if you want it to take place painlessly, be sure to follow the advice below. We guarantee that you will come to an agreement with your co-tenants quickly and painlessly.
Establish rules for successful cohabitation
Living together will be much more enjoyable if all parties define the exact rules for living together at the outset. This does not mean a roommate agreement straight out of The Big Bang Theory, but rather a calm and open discussion about the requirements and preferences for living together under one roof. You should prepare for such a conversation. To do this, identify the principles that are most important to you, the things you are willing to compromise on and the things you absolutely refuse to accept. If everyone involved in the discussion spends enough time defining the rules of the shared home, you will avoid unpleasant surprises later on.
Respect each other's space
Sharing a flat does not mean spending every free moment with each other. Remember to respect both the other person’s time and personal belongings. Boldly spend time with your housemates, but always ask if they feel like it. Also establish how the other tenants feel about visiting and agree on what days and times will suit both parties. The same applies to their belongings. Don’t touch or borrow anything without the knowledge of your fellow residents – this always causes problems.
Ensure a fair division of responsibilities
Although on the surface cleaning issues may seem like trivial matters, they are often the cause of disputes between housemates. Therefore, in order to be clear about the division of household chores and their fulfilment, it is essential to ensure that the responsibilities are divided up. Hardly anyone is fond of every bit of housekeeping, so divide according to your own preferences and then set a schedule for these chores. This way, you will kill two birds with one stone – avoiding a messy flat and reasons for squabbles.
Create space for open communication
If you share a flat or a room with another person, there will most likely come a time when someone, something doesn’t feel right about the other person’s behaviour. This is inevitable. That’s why it’s a good idea to create space for discussion and to react as quickly as possible, so that hidden dissatisfaction doesn’t grow into a real problem. Talk frankly but calmly and remember to always have a possible solution to the problem in hand that is acceptable to both parties involved.
How to live in harmony with roommates?
Sharing a flat with other people requires a lot of patience and empathy. However, we hope that by following the rules above, you will come to an understanding with your fellow tenants and have an enjoyable time together. Good luck!
