Successful house shares depend on the people you live with. Conversations with people living in house shares reveal that they view residing with one another as lucky. Many of them talk about setting the ground rules early on and letting their housemates know what is important to them.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself and future housemates on how to create harmony in a successful house share:

1. Maintain Cleanliness in the Home

The most common cause of conflict in a house share is dirt. Whether it’s a lack of cleaning or not taking responsibility for the mess left by others, it’s a subject that causes friction in any house share. People are far less likely to get on if they feel that someone else is not pulling their weight.

2. Tell Them Your Important Daily Habits

If you are a neat freak and need to know when the kitchen will be clear to make a cup of coffee, if you need the bathroom at a specific time every day or if you have a strict schedule for heading to bed at night, you must let new housemates know. Housemates will often assume that you share their way of life and will be upset when they are not consulted about your needs.

3. Stay Accountable for Your Own Belongings

If your housemates lose something of yours, you should consider it your own fault for not owning it securely. You can’t expect other people to look after your valuables or keep tabs on your possessions. And if that’s not the case, you need to go back to your own house. If a deadbolt and a front-door lock are not enough to secure your valuables, you should consider looking for a new place.

4. Agree to Your Extent of Socialization

If you are the type who often wants to stay in and watch TV while your housemates want to spend the evening out, you must understand with your housemates about what you are going to do. You can either settle on a fair time to stay home or agree that you will all spend different amounts of time out of the house.

5. Discuss Sharing Expenses

Before moving in, you need to come to a clear and fair agreement about how bills will be paid. There are several ways in which bills can be paid, and these can depend on your budget and situation. Be clear about how much you expect to pay and how much housemates should pay.

6. Discuss Terms on Having Guests Over

If you have more friends than your housemates, you need to discuss the terms of having them over with your housemates. Is it okay for them to have their friends over? If so, how many? Are they allowed to stay overnight? Are they allowed to smoke in the house or leave the dishes in the sink? If you don’t come to an understanding, then you will probably end up with a problem.

Conclusion

While living alone may be less expensive, it’s important to understand that living with housemates can lead to great savings, and it’s a fresh experience that can help you have a balanced life. While it does take effort and time to maintain peaceful relationships with housemates, it’s all worth it.

Stayhaven Homes provides rooms and beds available in shared housing in Modesto, California. Since we opened our first room share home, we have provided a wide variety of special needs populations with affordable and specialized housing. Our properties and services are of the highest caliber in our city and local area due to our commitment to safe, affordable all-inclusive living environments. If you’re looking for shared housing in San Joaquin, look no further! Call us at 209-280-0776 now for a virtual tour!