The key to living in harmony with housemates - Part 2 of 2
Rhys Owen, Senior Property Advisor, delivers part two in this two-part article about things housemates should do to make living together simple, affordable and enjoyable...
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.
In part 1 of our 2-part article designed to help housemates live in harmony with each other, we addressed the importance of finding a way to fairly split the bills, rotating the household chores so that nobody feels as though they are the only one pulling their weight, and creating a way to easily keep in touch with each other through something like a WhatsApp group so that you can easily relay messages and updates to each other.
Living with other people is sure to have it’s ups and downs - there will be times when you’re glad of the company and social side to living with housemates, and times where you might wish you could fly over to a desert island and live by yourself.
One thing’s for sure, finding a house or flat share or buddying up with someone to rent a property together can be incredibly cost-effective, a great way to avoid days and weeks by yourself, and provides an opportunity to make lifelong friends - if you happen you get on well enough!
In part 2, we give you a few more tips to really cement a happy home with happy housemates!
Respect housemates privacy and personal space
As great as it is to have so many social opportunities with other housemates living in the property, there comes a time when we all need our own space and personal downtime. This is something everyone should respect to keep a happy balance in the home.
This not only includes leaving people to relax in their own room, but also by not hogging the kitchen or living room with your own activities for hours at a time, not playing loud music at inappropriate times, not throwing parties with your own friends coming over to the property every other weekend. You get the picture.
The bathroom can be another sticking point - some housemates are lucky enough to have their own private bathroom or en suite, while others will have to get used to sharing a communal bathroom with other people. This means you’ll all have to work out a routine of sorts that accommodates everyone - especially if you all like to shower or bath at roughly the same time.
Personal belongings should also be left alone. For example, if someone has a guitar you’d like to try playing or a cute jacket you’d like to borrow for an evening out, ask them rather than just taking it.
It’s all about having mutual respect for each other.
Read: Tips to help tenants move into their first rental home
Sharing goes a long way
Sharing things, such as possessions, food, drink and the like can make living easier, but only if everyone is on board! Whether it’s all chipping in for a meal together once a week, or to upgrade an item in the property, or to equally share the cost of essential items such as toilet paper, milk, bread, coffee etc.
Basic items can be the most annoying thing to monitor unless everyone agrees to share with each other and take it in turns replenishing things. Imagine 4 or 5 different housemates all trying to store their own pints of milk, boxes of tea bags, toilet rolls…. it all becomes pretty impractical!
It’s yet another rota but having a plan in place that has everyone taking it in turns each week or every few days to replenish these items - either individually or with everyone putting money forward each time - will keeps things fair, simple, and most importantly, will ensure the items are always available!
Address issues immediately
It’s always best to deal with problems as soon as possible. Nipping something in the bud while the problem is still new or small is a lot easier than trying to sort when it’s got out of hand.
If a housemate is doing something that’s annoying you, have a simple conversation with them as soon as possible but without being confrontational - do it in a calm and friendly manner. This is especially important if you still don’t know them very well yet as you can’t really judge how they might react.
Most of the time, housemates aren’t even aware of the nuisance they’re causing. Perhaps they have never lived in a house share before, so may not be quite as considerate to begin with as other housemates.
Whether it’s music that’s being played a little too loudly at night, a general lack of tidying after themselves, or anything else that a housemate does to be an annoyance, discussing it calmly as soon as possible will typically see the housemate quickly change their ways - or offer a compromise - with no further issues.
Read: Area guide to living in Cardiff
So, there we have it - hopefully you and your housemates can take these tips on board and make living together simple, affordable and enjoyable.
Are you looking for a property to rent in Cardiff? If so, why not get in touch with our lettings team here at CPS Homes? With branches across Cardiff, we’re perfectly placed to offer guidance and expertise on the letting market in our wonderful city. Get in touch to learn more about how we can help with your rental journey by calling 02920 668585, e-mailing enquiries@cpshomes.co.uk or by popping into one of our three Cardiff branches.
