Opting to share with housemates is becoming the norm, but it can create a whole host of issues with different personalities and habits. Here’s our top tips on how to navigate living together with friends or roommates.

Communicate your boundaries
Boundaries are important and it’s best to discuss everything openly so each person knows what to expect and how to behave. If you are noise sensitive, request that your housemate keeps the TV volume down, or if cleanliness is important to you ask your housemate to keep common areas tidy.

Create a cleaning rota
Making a schedule for cleaning and sharing the responsibilities is crucial for a happy home. By dividing the tasks, the responsibility will be split equally and fairly, and one person won’t feel as though they’re doing more than the other. Depending on finances you could even have a regular cleaner.

Agree on a budget for bills
Finances can be a big issue when it comes to housemates, so it’s very important to ensure that you talk about what you can afford and how you will split the bills. While some people will run their aircon all day and night, others are more conservative when it comes to spending, so make sure that you’re on the same page.

Discuss your daily routine
Are you a night owl or an early bird? When do you start work? Knowing each other’s schedules will make living with each other much easier; it means that you can coordinate kitchen and bathroom occupancy and also be mindful of each other’s regimes.

Give prior notice for guests
In order to be courteous to your housemate, let them know if you’ll have a friend popping over, especially if they will be spending a lot of time there or staying over. Being conscious of each other’s personal space will ensure that everyone is able to enjoy their shared home peacefully.

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