Choosing You?
Finding somewhere to live is only half of the drama when deciding to move today. Because coliving is such a hot and fun trend in big cities, it is only proper to make sure you are roommate ready. Living with others isn’t always easy but there are ways to make the transitions of living together more friendly and accommodating.
The question is are you ready to be the roommate you need to be, too? Would another person be happy having you as a roommate? Are you considered good roommate material? No one person is perfect before coliving so consider what ways you can change some of your “bad habits” before living with another person. At the same time, don’t change your “core personality traits” in order to fit the persona of your new roommate—your unique persona is fine just the way it is. Let your uniqueness shine through so the new roommate can become a likely friend in the process of living with you (if that is the goal).
What Kind of Qualities Should Roommates Have?
Living together requires two or more individuals sharing a home space to be responsible adults. With new freedom and independence, can you be sure to sift through this ideal list of character traits for a “quality roommate” to get yourself prepared before moving into your new apartment.
Communication: It is very important that you communicate with your roommate at all times about rules and expectations. If communication is constant, then there will be less disagreements so everyone can be happy. Strong communications make negotiations easier when having hard conversations. Communication is key for roommates.
Respect: Kindness is always going to be in style. No matter what’s going on in the apartment/home space, it takes nothing for you to be kind to your roommate and to respect them and their space. Random acts of kindness put a smile on anybody’s face.
Cleanliness: Nobody wants to live in filth and uncleanliness. Respect each other’s shared living spaces. If you make a mess, clean it up. If a schedule of doing the dishes/loading the dishwasher or taking out the trash works best, then create that to take turns. Create a space that is livable and breathable for all parties involved.
Responsible: This one may appear obvious, but you want the roommate to be responsible to actually pay the rent and utilities on time each month. You wouldn’t want to have to keep paying extra two or three times during the year because your roommate refuses to work.
Honest: If you leave the apartment for a day, the weekend, or visit your parents for a few days, can you trust your belongings around your roommate and their friends? You wouldn’t want to come back to an apartment and find out that some of your things were missing or gone because your roommate allowed strangers inside your space without your permission. Having trust with your roommate is extremely important and knowing that you can leave important and valuable possessions around them is a key part of living together.
A Perfect Roommate Doesn’t Exist
In actuality, a perfect roommate doesn’t exist, but you can try really hard to become good friends by communicating first and learning things about one another. Coliving is a great way to cut costs in today’s economy and having a roommate is a great way to meet other people and meet lifelong friends, too. You can better yourself and make these qualities shine a little brighter.
