How to choose a roommate?
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Sharing a property with a roommate isn’t always easy. After all, we all have completely different habits, cultures and routines, which influence not only our daily lives, but also those of the people around us. So, here are some tips on how to choose a roommate so that sharing an apartment doesn’t turn into a nightmare!
When renting a room and sharing an apartment , this becomes a major concern among tenants. This is because most likely, your roommate will be a stranger whose routine and habits you will not be familiar with. To avoid disagreements or any problems, it is important to choose a roommate who has a similar profile to yours. So how do you choose a roommate?
There are several ways to look for a roommate, as well as a series of factors that should be considered when making this choice. As much work as it may be, we can assure you: it will all be worth it!
Having a roommate provides a number of advantages, not only having someone with whom you can share your daily life, but also in financial matters. Want to know how to achieve this?
We're here to help you choose a roommate! In this article, we'll give you all the tips on how to choose the ideal roommate, as well as the best places to look for them and what to look for in each person's profile.
Before we begin, check out the topics that will be covered:
- Where to look for a roommate?
- How to choose a roommate?
- What are the benefits of having a roommate?
- Interviewing my roommate
Let's go!
Where to look for a roommate?
Knowing the ideal place to find people who are interested in sharing an apartment is the first step in this process. In a world increasingly marked by the use of technology, there is no other solution to this goal than to use it to your advantage.
Nowadays, there are several websites, social networks and applications aimed at renting shared properties , which are concerned with promoting the meeting of those who have a spare room and want to fill it with a roommate , with those who are looking for a place to stay.
Some examples are: webquarto , roomgo , coliiv
In practice, they become complete sources of information due to the demands of both those looking for a property and landlords.
To ensure greater assertiveness, most of these platforms require registration with various personal information from both parties, such as: where you study and work, whether you smoke, whether you have children or pets, your level of organization, and even whether you prefer peace and quiet or excitement.
This information is essential to identify each person's profile and whether it is close to their habits or preferences.
Furthermore, these platforms also allow the inclusion of photos and descriptions in the advertisements, so that interested parties have as close an idea as possible of the characteristics of the property and, based on this, decide whether or not to visit it in person.
Once you have registered all this information, you can start searching and choosing the ideal roommate.
How to choose a roommate?
Choosing a roommate is not an easy task, but rather a highly subjective one. As we said above, each person has a completely different profile and habits, which can cause huge conflicts in everyday life if they are not aligned.
There is no magic formula to use for this task, but it is possible to achieve it if you follow some important tips. They are: think about the ideal profile you want; identify possible affinities; schedule a time to meet each other and do not allow external factors to interfere.
Let's look at each of them in detail:
Think about the ideal profile
The first step in choosing your roommate is to think about the profile you want to find - that is, the characteristics that you consider to be similar to yours to ensure harmonious coexistence and avoid disagreements.
But be careful, don't think that you will find the famous "perfect profiles". It is impossible to find someone who has exactly the same tastes and habits as you, the focus here should be on finding a colleague who does not have a completely different personality from yours.
To do this, there are some essential questions that must be asked in the interview, which we will explain in detail in the next topic.
Identify affinities
In addition to thinking about the ideal profile, it is also important to take into account any common affinities that they may have, such as whether the person likes to go out to parties or is more of a homebody, their style of music, movies and whether they have a hobby, for example.
These characteristics can make all the difference in a harmonious day-to-day life. After all, remember that you will spend a lot of time together, and the affinity for similar activities will strengthen your coexistence and even help resolve any disagreements that may arise.
Schedule an appointment
Even though these online platforms provide the vast majority of fundamental information to be evaluated, nothing replaces the benefits that a face-to-face conversation brings.
In this search, it is important to schedule a time with all those interested in the property to ensure that the information registered actually corresponds to their desired profile and interests - in addition to, of course, allowing the candidate to get to know the property and be sure that it fits what they are looking for.
It is at this moment that both parties will be able to have a clearer vision of each other's profile, habits and customs and what the routine will be like when they are living together.
Avoid interference from external factors
Finally, the last tip to use when searching for a roommate is to not allow external factors to interfere, such as familiarity with the candidate.
It is very common to see tenants looking to share their property with people they already know and have a certain affinity with, such as friends or family. But make no mistake: living with a long-time acquaintance may seem like a great idea, but living together and maintaining a routine in the property requires other priorities.
Much more than being close, a roommate should have the same characteristics as you, especially in terms of household chores and organization. Friendship and friendliness alone do not guarantee this.
Therefore, pay close attention to all the characteristics we have mentioned so far and, most importantly, prepare a complete interview to be sure of the candidate's profile and whether it is in line with what you are looking for.
What are the benefits of having a roommate?
Having a roommate is an incredible experience! In your day-to-day life, you will have someone with whom you can share everything from your achievements and moments of relaxation, to someone who can help you with household chores and other responsibilities. In practice, the main benefits of having a roommate are:
- Having someone who will be going through the same thing as you;
- Company for everyday life;
- Count on financial assistance;
- Help with household chores.
The first big advantage is sharing the property with someone who is at the same stage of life as you - that is, someone who is in the same situation and understands the difficulty of adapting to a new routine, living far from your parents or even adapting to the culture and society of a new country, for example.
This contributes greatly to enormous empathy in everyday life, which makes them excellent companions for this moment of transition that many face - especially for those who are moving for the first time .
If this is your case, then click on the following link and read our article with essential tips for adapting to this change! See: 5 tips for living alone.
In addition to these social advantages, another great advantage of sharing a property with a roommate is that you will save money on your monthly expenses. Even if some bills are higher, such as water and electricity, your roommate will contribute a great deal of financial help to cover these costs.
In practice, having someone to share expenses is much cheaper than having your own property or even living alone in a single room .
Finally, a roommate will also help with household chores such as washing dishes, cleaning the house, and doing laundry, for example. This help is extremely advantageous, especially for those who have a busy work or study schedule.
There are many advantages, right? But remember: all of this will only be possible if you care about maintaining a harmonious coexistence with your colleague.
Roommate Interview Questions
The best way to avoid problems with your roommate is to choose wisely! With that in mind, we’ve put together a short guide to help you with this task.
The roommate interview should not be seen as a formal moment of severe evaluation - quite the opposite. It should be a friendly and relevant moment for both parties so that they can identify each other's profile.
There are several questions that must be analyzed according to each case. Despite this subjectivity, we have separated below some wildcard questions that are effective in any situation, and that can make all the difference in this choice. See:
Do you have pets or are allergic to them?
Having a pet directly interferes with the tenants' routine and responsibilities - in addition, many people tend to have allergies to certain animals and their fur.
Therefore, it is important to inform the candidate if you have any pets and ask if they are okay with it, and vice versa.
Do you smoke?
The smell of cigarettes can be extremely difficult to deal with and live with for people who do not have this habit - and can even become a determining factor in this choice.
If either party has this habit, it is possible to establish some rules such as only smoking on the balcony or in the room, for example.
Do you work or study?
Some jobs or courses require completely different and unstructured routines, which can even impact coexistence and the performance of household tasks.
Therefore, one of the things that can help when living with your roommate is having someone with a similar pace of life to yours.
Are you organized?
A lack of organization - or even extreme care - are some of the most common reasons for disagreements between roommates. Check how your roommate behaves and look for someone with the same habits as you to avoid fights of this type.
Why do you want to share an apartment?
This answer will tell you a lot about the person's profile. For example, if they are looking for a new home because they had a fight with an old colleague, you need to know the reason for the disagreement so that it doesn't happen again.
What were your previous experiences sharing an apartment like?
The candidate's previous experiences will show how he/she behaved with the routines and responsibilities of sharing a property, and will serve as a basis for his/her future relationships.
What would you hate for a roommate to do?
This question is an excellent behavioral indicator of the candidate. With it, you will discover the customs and habits that the person cannot cope with at all and, from there, find out if you would be able to share the property with them.
For example, if the candidate is a calm person and doesn't like the house to always be full of people, and you love receiving friends and family, the chances of having a good relationship are slim.
How will you pay the apartment bills?
Finally, there is no way to share an apartment without having financial responsibility for the property's expenses .
Living together as a couple means higher expenses on electricity, water and energy, for example - therefore, it is essential to be sure that your roommate will be able to cover all these costs.
Phew! It's tiring, isn't it? Finding the ideal roommate requires a lot of effort and detailed analysis of each person's profile, but we guarantee that in the end, it will all be worth it for a good coexistence.
Conclusion
If you've made it this far, then you've seen how having a roommate will bring enormous benefits to your day-to-day life, and the only way to achieve this is by choosing someone who has similar tastes, routines and habits to yours.
So, when looking for a roommate, remember all the tips we gave in this text: where to find them, what to take into consideration when choosing, and the essential questions to ask when you are getting to know each other.
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