Sharing a house with people who are not your family or partner is a short-term rite of passage for some and a lifestyle choice for others. A share house at its best provides unforgettable camaraderie, but things can occasionally descend into housemate hell. Wondering how you can get more highs and fewer lows? Let us tell you all about our favourite house-share hacks.
Benefits of living in a house-share
First of all, let’s go over some good reasons to move into a house-share. House sharing can save you money, allowing you to split bills, rent and council tax.
You can also share chores like shopping, cleaning, laundry and cooking.
At its best a house-share can give you an on-tap social life, and widen your circle of friends. It can also help you to avoid unhealthy isolation that you might experience living alone in a bedsit.
Navigating the disadvantages of a house-share
But there are some downsides to the house-share lifestyle – although most can be mitigated. From the start, communicate openly and respectfully with your housemates – and that begins when you are looking for a house-share. Being honest about your expectations and your tolerance for noise and mess will help you to find compatible people to live with.
Here are some topics to raise:
- working from home
- sharing chores or paying a cleaner
- shared expenses like utilities and streaming services
- privacy and security
- parties and guests
- exercising in the house
- pets
- house plants
- musical instruments
When you enter into a house-share arrangement, make sure you understand your legal position, and what contract you’re agreeing to. Citizen’s Advice has some information about the different kinds of house-share arrangements, from house in multiple occupation to lodgers to joint tenants to sole tenants. It’s worth familiarising yourself with your rights and responsibilities within the house-share as this will help you to protect yourself in the event of things going wrong.
Set good boundaries with your housemates from the start and don’t be afraid to manage expectations about sharing food and resources like games consoles, TVs and kitchen appliances, as well as access to streaming services.
When you live closely with others, it’s really important to respect each other’s privacy. For example, knock before entering their room, and use the lock on the bathroom door. Ask before using en suites, and things like hair dryers.
When things go wrong in a house-share
Speak up if things aren’t right – letting resentment fester into a passive aggressive Post-it note battle is a fast track to a miserable house-share.
If you break something belonging to your housemates, own up and do your best to make amends. And if something of yours gets broken, it’s natural to be annoyed, and even change your mind about sharing your things; but try to extend a little grace for the sake of a peaceful living arrangement.
What to do if space is tight in your house-share
A cramped living space is a stressful living space – difficult to move around in and hard to clean. Don’t clutter shared spaces with suitcases, bikes, exercise machines and laundry.
If you have too much stuff for your single room, self-storage might take the pressure off. Insurance is mandatory with reputable storage companies – but you can often get a good deal on your self-storage insurance by shopping around. You can also use self-storage to keep safe items that are fragile or not appropriate for a house-share environment.
Enjoy the adventure of shared living
By setting expectations, communicating clearly and respectfully, and fully diving into the experience, you should get a harmonious and fulfilling house-share. Cherish the friendships, laugh at the quirks and embrace the shared experience of living together.
