It seems very easy to look flawless at work, church, or a cocktail evening. But then, keeping up the act won’t be so easy around people who see you behind the scenes. These are people who sleep and wake up around you, who live with you. Though no one really gets the opportunity to choose a family, almost everyone can choose their new roommates. There are about 7.6 billion on the planet, so you have a wide range of variety to choose from. In this game of choices, there’s a couple of rules you have to follow to enjoy the benefits of living with a roommate.
Before moving in with your new roommate, you must know certain things. Some of them are:
- Bills and Errands: You must know your new roommates’ plan for paying bills and running errands around the house. How do you plan to split the rent, water, food, electricity, and every other bill that accrues over time? You must also talk about how you handle maintenance around the house. Who’ll get the plumber when the pipes need fixing? Who will mow the lawn and shovel the snow in winter? Who’ll trash the bin and clean the house? In case you choose to cook together, you must also put a plan on getting groceries, rationing food, and cooking.
- Daily routines and Whereabouts: You should be aware of your roommate’s daily routines; where they work, what time they resume, and what time they close from work. You should also ask about other after-work engagements, like clubbing and hang-outs. You should know how often they travel and how long they stay. These kinds of information come in handy while trying to locate your roommate for one reason or the other. It also helps you make decisions like who has access to the house keys.
- Family and Friends: For security reasons, you must know at least one person that your new roommate is related or connected to. Even if you don’t know them in person, you must at least have contacts.
- Health Issues: In case your roommate has any allergies or health issues, you’re supposed to be aware. This way, you can easily get help or even administer first aid in case of an emergency. It’ll also help you apply caution around the things you use or cook in the house, being fully aware of their allergies.
- Sleeping Patterns: Another thing you need to find out is how your roommates sleep. Do they snore while sleeping? are they early risers or nocturnal persons? What does it take to wake them up; a pin drop or a “rude awakening”?
- Perspectives, Inclinations, and Priorities: you must find out if your roommate is an introverted person or the life of the party. If they are the type that procrastinates or forgets things easily, you should know ahead so you don’t make the mistake of leaving an urgent task to them. Also, you should know if your roommate is clean or clumsy. Will they get pissed off when you forget to clean your breakfast dishes before leaving for work? What does your roommate think about visitors and sleepovers and house parties? You should also talk about pet policies and rules of privacy.
- Means of communication: You should know if your roommate prioritizes texts, chats, calls, or voicemails. This makes communication effective. Also, the way your roommate responds to situations is key. You should ask if they give an attitude, hold it in, or outrightly talk about their feelings. You should talk about how they deal with stress too. You surely don’t want anyone passing aggression on you for a stressful day you didn’t orchestrate.
We Can Save You From The Stress
Finally, living with roommates come with benefits as well as disadvantages. However, if you can do your homework, you can make things work out between you and your new roommates. Now that you are interested in finding a roommate, we at SharedEasy have taken the burden off your shoulders by providing you with lovely accommodation(s) in NYC and matching you with someone of almost the same personality and interest, thus, making your stay with your new roommates worthwhile.
