If you’re heading out on your own, you can save a lot of cash if you get a roomie. Bills pile up, and it’s great to split them two or three ways. But you don’t want to wind up with just anyone. Who wants to end up with some whackjob from Craigslist? If they’re a hippie, at least they’re nicer than someone who spends most of their waking moments trying to be a Bro.
Be smart about it. Go out and get a roomie who’s the best fit. There’s bound to be some conflict with anyone you live with. Get answers to the questions below before you sign on to share a home with someone.
Found him on Craigslist.
Got murdered.
Do they have a job?
Excluding a college roommate who’s on campus with you and taking loans (or mommy and daddy are mailing the checks), make sure this guy has consistent income. You don’t want to end up carrying the dud and wrecking your own bank account while you’re at it.
And please, don’t settle for, “I’m getting a job,” “I’ve been promised a job,” or “I’ve got some interviews next week.” Get someone who’s already collecting from The Man.
Look at their current bedroom
This might seem tough, but it’s totally reasonable. Ask to visit their current place. Don’t even tell them you’re about to do a smell check. If going in person isn’t possible, ask them to send some pics. First, tell them that you appreciate clean people, “You do too right?” Then ask if you can see their current living condition. If they refuse, well, maybe you’d end up and get a roomie who’s not easy to get along with. Or a pig.
What are their hobbies?
If their favorite pastime is movie watching or video game play, that’s cool. Just know that they might pump the volume when you want to read, sleep, or Skype with your favorite female. You can set boundaries beforehand sure, but it can be tense to get a young guy who’s never had roommates to respect those.
Conflict resolution is a skill that’s learned. A 20 year-old will probably lack it. Sometimes that can even get worse as people get old…
Find out if you have similar habits
Descriptive of my brief time living in a house with 8 dudes.
Light sleeper? Deep sleeper? Like noise? Like quiet? Like tons of guests? Do they always want to go out and spend money?
Similar social activity level?
If they are a social butterfly, but you’re not, they might end up irking you. They’ll probably like to have a lot of people pass through and that’ll piss you off because your perception of a what a home is is different. You probably consider it a place of solitude to get away.
If you love having people around all the time, getting a roommate who likes quiet and doesn’t like having many guests over will cause you pain. They might keep it to themselves, but there is a decent probability that they will get resentful that you’ve got people coming in and intruding on their space.
Ask around to get a roomie
Tell friends and family that you are trying to get a roomie. They’ll be the best lead generators, and can offer some insight on that person’s cleanliness, politeness, and how considerate they are.
Conclusion
Want to get a roomie that you like and get along with? Put some work into it. Don’t come in with the expectation to get a roomie who is your best friend, advisor, psychologist, problem-solver, and loan officer. Find someone who will pay the bills, let you sleep, is clean, and that you get along with. If you become buddies and gain some camaraderie, then that’s a major bonus.
I’ve never tried these sites, so I can’t endorse them, but you can take a look at places like roommates.com, roomster.com, easyroommate.com (uhhhhh sounds legit?), and of course Craigslist. But once again, I suggest asking around to get a roomie first.
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Definitely take the time to find a good roommate. When they’re bound to affect your life so greatly, the last thing you want is someone who really gets on your nerves. Even if you’re good friends with someone beforehand, living with them can really put stress on the relationship. You really have to take some time to think of what you want in a roommate. It’s better that you spend more time in the initial search rather than be miserable later when you find yourself in a tough situation to cope with.
I think deciding too quickly will really run someone the risk of disaster. And even if you move in with a friend, it’s true, you can end up ruining that friendship.