The Two (Most Important!) Top Tops for Moving in with Friends ...

The college and university year is about to start. And with a bit of luck, you have secured somewhere to stay while you study. Welcome to the Age of the Room-Mate!

It’s great if you’re moving in with a friend that you know. And it’s exciting to meet a new potential friend in a new room mate, but both come with a host of challenges!

For successful cohabitation, there’s really just two tips you need to remember …

Create a Chore List

As annoying and adulty as it sounds,a simple chart can bring years of peace to a home (just ask your mother!) In order for proper balance to be maintained, EVERY HOUSE MATE should take turns completing basic cleaning duties in your home.

The easiest way is to put a Chore List on the fridge, along with rotating initials. As soon as your initials come up, you are responsible for that chore. Even better, you can do that chore as soon as your initials come up to get it done and out of the way!

The following list is an example of what chores in a home need doing:

• Rubbish Bins (and taking the wheelie bins out/in on Bin Day!)
• Recycling
• Vacuuming common areas
• Clean Bathrooms
• Sweeping/Mopping
• Front Door area & Back Garden sitting area
• Clean Oven and Kitchen

Set the Ground Rules

Nobody likes rules, but future headaches (and arguments!) can be saved with a rule-setting meeting.

Set up a time for everybody to sit down with a nice cuppa and have a discussion with each other. Outline each other’s expectations in order for all room mates to understand and therefore respect each other’s boundaries.

Below are some suggestions on the rules to discuss:

• When is Quiet Time on weeknights and weekends?
• What are the guest expectations (how many, how often etc)? Nobody likes meeting strangers on the landing first thing in the morning on the way to the loo, so some sort of calendar to book guests ahead of time can avoid embarrassing meetings!
• What is the protocol for using and sharing common areas? (kitchen, TV room, radio, fireplace, BBQ etc)
• Establish a streamlined process for rent and bill payments (online banking is the best for this)
• What constitutes a Universal Grocery Item versus an Individual Item? As an example, olive oil would be a Universal Grocery Item. A particular flavour or brand of yoghurt would be an Individual Item.
• Who is responsible for the house pet?

Even if college is now in your past, you still may want to live with room mates without compromising your standards! These tips will hopefully help to establish respect and organisation when necessary so that you and your friends can continue to live together in harmony!