Most of us will experience the trials and tribulations, as well as the joys of flat or house sharing at some stage in our lives. The first thing you have to do is find your house or flat – that used to be a major challenge itself when I was at university. But students today have life made easier for them by companies such as Myrooms who make finding the right house for you very easy indeed!
I myself have experienced flat and house sharing during my days at Cardiff university , and while I found it in the main very enjoyable, it did teach me the following things, that any house/flat sharers to be, may well benefit from the following advice.
- Be considerate. If you’re a student, you’ll love nothing more than to be partying day in day out, especially in your first and probably second year. However you must be aware while playing blaring house music at 10PM ready for a trip to the local nightclub, there may be someone in your flat who would quite like a good night’s sleep because they have something important on in the morning.
I recall in my third year, going for a night out and realising, about an hour in that I’d forgotten my house key. As much as I’d have liked to stay and enjoy myself, I envisaged that my house mates would not be at all enamoured with me banging on the door at 3AM demanding to be let in. Of course you can always head back out, but personally I took it as a sign to have a quiet night in.
- Put the effort in. It’s easier said than done, but it’s best not to be that person who isolates themselves, stays in their room and never talks to anyone. It may be a daunting prospect but try and make an effort to bond with your housemates – for example if you’re heading somewhere, ask if they want to come along. They may be unable to, but you’ll at least make them feel included.
- Help around the house. No one likes somebody who is lazy. It’s always a good idea to contribute – do the washing up, put the bins out, go to the shop when you see you’re out of necessary items such as washing up liquid, toilet roll etc. If you see something that looks untidy, don’t take the ‘someone else will do it’ attitude, just sort it out.
- While you may have the ‘what’s mine is yours’ attitude, which of course is a highly commendable attitude to have, your housemates may not share the same views, so it’s best to ask if you want to use something of your housemates, be it cutlery, or maybe you fancy one of their beers. It can cause a lot of unnecessary drama if you take something without asking.
- Don’t let things escalate. If there’s an issue, raise it. Of course no one wants to be that person who complains about every little thing but anything that will cause a lot of grief further down the line needs nipping in the bud.
- Treat your housemates how you’d like to be treated yourself. This should really be the case with everyone you encounter in life. If you’re pleasant to them, they’ll be pleasant to you, providing you’ve managed to land yourself decent housemates of course.
- Get familiar with their quirks. Maybe one of your housemates has to have a shower at precisely 8:32AM. In that case, try to time your morning routine to fit in with his or her ritual. They may have a particular TV show they want to watch at a certain time that may mean compromising.
Myrooms is one of the fastest expanding providers of accommodation in London with properties in Zones 1 and 2. If you’re looking for a place to live in England’s capital, it’s definitely worth checking out. And to make sure you have a little extra cash to play with Myrooms are offering £100.00 off your first month’s rent when you quote BAWO01. This must be redeemed by 31st August 2015. Happy House Hunting!