Pros and cons of living with roommates

Moving to a new home is always an interesting experience, but also a challenging one. If you are leaving your home for the first time ever, it can be really challenging to adapt. There are so many things that you have to think about and take care of, that it may seem really overwhelming. For instance, you have to choose an apartment (or a house). You also have to choose whether you will be living with roommates or not. Next, packing all of your belongings and simply realizing how much things you actually have to buy before starting life on your own.

Another important thing to do is picking the best of professional moving and storage companies. Finding a good moving company is something that you simply have to do. You want your things taken care of properly, right? So, if paying ten or fifteen percent extra means that you will be hiring a dependable, quality moving company, then go for it. Once you have moved to your new place, that money won’t matter, and you will be so busy with getting used to your new life, that you won’t even remember that. So, what is it like living with roommates? Well, there are many pros and cons, and we have made a list for you, that should help you decide what you prefer.

Pros for living with roommates

There are a lot of good things that sharing an apartment with a roommate brings.

You can save a lot of money

The first and most obvious upside of living with roommates is all the money that you can save. Sharing a flat with one or more roommates whether you are living in one of the best cities for millennials, or in a smaller town always means that you will be able to afford a nicer apartment in a nicer part of town because you will be paying less money. You can also save money by sharing the groceries, particularly if one of you is a cook. If that is the case, you can also share the expenses of food which is another big thing on the list.

You may become friends for life with them or reinforce an already established relationship

Another great thing about living with roommates is that you can become best friends in a matter of days. Finding a good roommate is not always an easy thing to do, of course. But if you succeeded in doing that then you will be really proud of deciding to go through with this. Perhaps you are going to another town for your studies, and this guy or girl that you were somewhere between acquaintances and friends is going there too, and you are both looking for a roommate. You decide to give it a go, and surprise! Two months later you have become the very best of friends.

There are also cases of people meeting in online groups or in front of a bulletin board. They have never met before and they go for a coffee and discuss the whole thing. It turns out that they have a lot in common, and they decide to become roommates. I personally know of at least two of such situations, that this kind of thing occurred. Both couples of (now ex)roommates are still hanging out with each other and having quality friendships. And to just think of the fact that they met at such random ways is really unbelievable. Also, living with someone can help you to better deal with the moving stress, especially if it is your first time.

Cons of living with roommates

As is the case with life in general, there are always good and bad things to everything. Whether you are moving over longer distances or moving locally things can go wrong. This is also true when it comes to sharing an apartment with roommates.

You can end up losing money and getting into unwanted situations

Sharing rent and expenses is a great thing, and living with roommates is a popular practice for a good reason. However, this can backfire in a big way. Sometimes, we simply bump into the wrong people. Whether it is relationships, friends or coworkers, these things happen. If you choose a wrong roommate, you can end up in some really bad situations. One of them may be if your roommate is irresponsible when it comes to paying rent. This can get you in all sorts of problems with your landlord and with your life in general.

Of course, sometimes bad things happen, and helping you roommate by covering their part of the rent is nice. If they repay you next month or whatever sort of compromise you make, that is perfectly fine and normal. Still, have this in mind when choosing a roommate. Also, if you are moving in with someone you do not know that well (or at all) should be done carefully. Don’t be afraid to check your roommate’s background etc in details before you move in.

Choosing your friend or cousin as a roommate is a good thing…Or is it?

Moving with your best friend to another city for studies or to work in the same firm and becoming roommates is, in theory, a great idea. However, in reality, this can often backfire. Sometimes, becoming roommates can really put a strain on your relationship with them. It is not that unusual that friendships go through a very rough phase after/during the period of being roommates. In some extreme cases, friendships may even fall apart completely. The reasons for this are usually, at first glance, of rather petty nature.

For instance, you may prefer to vacuum the apartment once a week. Your roommate, however, may be used to doing this every other day. Sometimes, your overall lifestyles simply don’t fit together that well. You may be a more relaxed type that likes having their peace and quiet. On the other hand, your roommate may like to have people over all the time, with their music blasting loudly. To avoid this, have a thorough sit-down with each other and talk about all these things in details.