Sure, picking a friend would be the easiest solution if you’re looking for a new housemate, but you’ve heard the warnings before. House sharing can be hard, and living with a friend means running the risk of ruining what’s otherwise a solid friendship. Which brings us to the best option – choosing someone completely new.
But with this comes a whole separate list of complications. How do you know you’ll be compatible as housemates? The solution is actually pretty simple – all you have to do is ask!
If you’re on the hunt for a new housemate and are wondering what questions to ask them, we’ve got a few that’ll help make sure your house share is a happy one.
1. What’s your schedule like?
You’ll want to get a sense of their schedule for a couple of reasons, especially depending on what kind of relationship you’d like with your housemate. Will you both be home at the same time, or will you barely see each other? Will they regularly get home from work around midnight, which might disturb your seven o’clock wake-up time? The more compatible schedule, the better.
2. Are you in a relationship?
No, this isn’t a pick-up line, but a huge concern in house sharing as couples are often a package deal. If your housemate’s partner is constantly at your home, that’s essentially an extra roommate you’ve 1) never interviewed, and 2) potentially isn’t paying their share for bills but is using up water and energy. And those daily showers add up. So, are you a “the more the merrier” type, or would you prefer just the single housemate?
3. Do you smoke?
Yes, we know that just about 15% of adults in the UK smoke, so there’s a decent chance your potential housemate will too. But is this okay with you? If you’ve never lived with a smoker, this might not be something you’ve considered before, but your apartment will likely smell of smoke in places, as will your housemate’s clothes. On the flip-side, do you smoke? Is your potential housemate okay with this?
4. What’s your morning routine like?
The last thing you want between housemates is a gladiator-style battle for the shower every morning. Ask up front for this person to take you through their morning routine. Do they like a four-course breakfast, which means a sink full of dishes as you’re brewing your morning coffee? Do they shower in the morning, which will narrow down your time in the bathroom, or do they shower at night?
5. What are your cleaning habits?
Cleaning habits are easily the biggest marks of compatibility in a house sharing union. The bottom line is, some people don’t mind a little clutter, while others feel suffocated at the sight of water on the counter. If you ask specifically about their cleaning habits, you’ll get a sense of what they do to keep their space tidy. And if their response is, “What’s a cleaning habit?” you’ve got your answer.
6. How will you be paying for bills?
And then there were bills, paying for which is the basic necessity to being a good (and stable) housemate. No bills paid, no house share. It’s pretty simple. So how will this housemate pay their fair share? Will they set up direct debits, or will they pay their share manually? Would they be open to a bill-splitting app to keep things simple? Asking this will give you a sense of their organisation skills, so you know how much chasing up you’ll have to do come the end of the month.
About acasa
acasa is a bill-splitting app specifically designed to make house sharing that much easier. With acasa, you can make paying utility bills simple with our direct debiting and balance tracking systems. To find out more about how we can help keep the peace between you and your new housemates, get a quote today.