The golden rule when looking for a housemate
There are hundreds of ‘rules of thumb’ when it comes to finding the right housemate – but we think there is one golden rule in particular: Allow yourself sufficient time to find the right housemate.
Housemates can share the financial burden and bring fun to the party, as long as you choose carefully. You don’t want to dread going home after a hard day at work.
Don’t force yourself into a cash-strapped corner you will do anything to get out of because you rushed into the first person to answer your ad!
You have to live with this person day in, day out. That’s EVERY day. Wake up and they are there. Come home from work and they are there.
Don’t leave it to a shoot-out between the bloke who has mentioned his pet snake one too many times, and another month of paying for an empty room.
Remember that even when the stars align and you have found a sane saviour, the whole process invariably will take time to complete.
Churn is a fact of life when it comes to house sharing.
People grow up; meet partners they want to move in with, get sick of house shares and want to go solo, get a promotion requiring a move interstate.
Perhaps the bachelor/bachelorette dream is over for that poor, disillusioned soul.
But you’re still living the dream! Time to get a wingman or woman lined up!
Let’s hope the departing housemate shows respect and notifies you as early as possible, giving you time to find a replacement. If there was no stipulation on notice period before, get something in place!
But don’t waste time in getting out there to find a replacement once your housemate has given notice – you don’t need to wait until they’re out the door before you start your search. A little bit of planning and forethought go a long way to getting the right person to share your home with.
TIME = PICKINESS = GOOD THING
Leaving plenty of time to select the right candidate affords pickiness. This is a good thing.
When a person ticks all the boxes on paper, but you do not get a good feeling; REJECT.
When a person talks about their ex-partner/guinea pig too much; REJECT.
Think about what works for you before you’re stuck with a housemate who puts Barbecue Shapes back in the box after licking them.
Get as much information about the person as possible to test compatibility. Sports jock? Cat lover? Vegan? Astronomer? Serial dater? Midnight steak fiend?
Anybody in the market for a room two months down the line is likely to be strong with time-management (bills and rent) and will probably organise your social life too. TICK – you’re starting in the right place.
