First time house sharing - tips?

Lollipop95

I would just like to general advice on house sharing. I'll be moving into one in September with other girls (I've yet to meet them). I was in digs last year (couldn't get anything else) so obviously this will be a big change. I'd just like to know the general etiquette regarding things like bills, housework etc..
And any advice on getting on with the housemates (though I'm pretty sociable)
Thanks in advance

LegacyUser

1. Clean up after yourself. Take turns or make a rota for things like bins, hoovering, general cleaning of common areas like bathroom and living room. Take turns to buy common supplies like binbags, washing up liquid, maybe toilet roll if you have a shared bathroom.

2. Be Considerate. Don't have loud music playing or throw a party if one of your housemates has an exam or assignment due the next morning. If inviting a friend or partner to spend the night it would be polite to run it by your housemates first and also not to make a habit of it. Nobody likes if somebody practically moves a friend or boyfriend or girlfriend in who doesn't pay rent and takes up space.

3. Bills are generally divided equally. Your rent might possibly be based on the size on your bedroom, but things like internet, tv, and esb are usually split evenly. Pay your bills on time.

4. If it occurs, don't get dragged into any bitching or ganging up of a housemate.

5. If any of the other housemates don't follow the above considerations then nip any problems in the bud early on.

Don't do this by leaving a note on the fridge, speak face to face.

If this is a college share though then it might possibly be a lot more laid back. College houseshares have a rep for being messy, boozy and loud most of the time and a lot of students are grand with that. Depends on your preference.

6. Have fun!

Everyone's different. Just ask them when you move in, and don't be too shy or polite to say if there's something that's an issue for you.

Exclamation Marc

You'll most likely be splitting the bills equally with the other girls. Best idea when you get in is to figure out when all the bills are due and ask for a rough idea of how much they'll be, when you need to pay them and who you should be transferring to.

Everyone is different with housework, some people have rotas or responsibilities, whereas some just clean as they go, so just ask when you get there about your end of the cleaning.

Socialising is completely hit and miss depending on the girls, hopefully they're nice but maybe just try and arrange or suggest a night in with drinks some evening after you move in with them to get to know them, break the ice quickly and get to suss out the existing dynamic of the house.

Sinall

Be considerate. The fact that you are posting here looking for tips means you're probably very considerate anyway!

Wash up after you've cooked, pull your weight with cleaning etc, don't have screeching phone conversations with the other person on speakerphone (an old flatmate of mine used to do this!)

Work out showering times for the morning if you all expect to be leaving around the same time. No need to be regimented about this - it'll come up in conversation anyway.

Relax and enjoy it! I hope your housemates are lovely and that it's a great experience for you.

Taltos

mod note
More appropriate in this forum OP.
For those who have followed this thread across please read the local charter before posting.

Victor

Everyone gets a bill put in their name (one name only on the bill). All bills are to be kept up to date - by everyone. Any one in any way attempting to fudge any of this should be called out.

If someone wants a premium service, they pay for it.

Be wary of getting involved in a 'kitty' - it's an incentive to spend other people's money.

Don't eat other people food / drink. Some houses have arrangements for communal milk & bread.

Toilet roll is for when you are using the toilet. If you want to use it for make-up, etc. get your own separate supply that you keep in your bathroom.

They are housemates. Not siblings. Not friends. That may change, but know you and they need to know your boundaries.

They are housemates. Not your mammy. Everyone has to pull their weight.

the_syco

Don't take too much sh|t, but don'e be an arse either. Do your fair share, but not the slave.

Make a fund for milk and bread. Everyone pays into it, everyone uses the same milk and bread. Two reasons; so the milk and bread doesn't go off, and someone will get some.

As you don't know the people you'll be sharing with, you'll most likely be renting the room, and all bills may be included in that. This is something you need to know now, to prevent yourself getting scammed later on. As you don't know the other girls, I'm guessing it's the above.

Get everyone's number after week 3. Great for checking for milk etc, and also for checking if you left X at the house. And to see who's in the pub already. And after week 3 you'll know who not to give it to

Keep a stash of toilet paper and lady things hidden in your room. Sharing is caring, but you gotta look after yourself.

Find a hidey hole in your room (under the carpet in the corner of the room is good), and put between €20 & €50 in a bag, and hide it there. Not to be used for smokes, food, or anything else like that. Purely for emergency bus home and doctor/medicine.

newacc2015

Make a suggested cleaning day, where you all agree to clean the house/apartment together. Most houseshare arguments (I would say nearly all) are over messy housemates and lack of cleaning. If you agree on Wednesday evening to clean the place for 90 mins together it will be pretty clean for the week. There is nothing worse for a landlord to see, than 5 refuse sacks sitting in the kitchen, a layer of baked on food on the hob and as much limescale on the toilet ball as the burren.

Lidl has the best cleaning products. It just so happens, they are also the cheapest.

Set up a whatsapp group for the house. It makes resolving queries quickly and without bigger issues, such as someone passing on the wrong info

SMJSF

Ask the landlord for keys to your room, and get one from a key cutters or woodies.
I have had people enter my room and have a root when I was right there in bed!

ask if they smoke cigs or weed in the house, I had a big problem with someone smoking weed in a houseshare, I just couldn't stomach the smell!

Ask for a shelve in the fridge, if you can get your own, and label your food.
I've had arguments with a person I lived with because there friends would come in stoned and drunk and eat the fridge empty, the night of doing a food shop!

Some people work night shifts, so they sleep during the day, and its kinda expected for others to be a little quite.

Oh, and when your shaving, please please, please clean your hair up left in the bathroom, and open the window after a shower to avoid the steam build up.

These are just my experiences in a 6 months living situation, which didn't end well because the other party wanted 100% respect, but couldn't give it!
Good luck!

the_syco

Someone mentioned they are housemates not friends or family, keep this in mind. I generally don't want anymore than a "weather isn't great this week" conversation with house mates. I don't want to eat with them or sit watching TV with them so keep that in mind that some people might not be interested in getting overly friendly.

the_syco wrote: »

Make a fund for milk and bread. Everyone pays into it, everyone uses the same milk and bread. Two reasons; so the milk and bread doesn't go off, and someone will get some.

I'd see how this is done first in the house and what others want to do. All my house shares everybody bought their own milk and bread along with everything else food wise and to be honest this is how I'd want it to be anyway, wouldn't be a fan of sharing milk or bread if for nothing else everyone has different preferences for bread (brown/white/soda etc) and milk (full/low fat etc) and some people use way more than others also.

Tarzana2

Zachary Rich Trapdoor wrote: »

I generally don't want anymore than a "weather isn't great this week" conversation with house mates. I don't want to eat with them or sit watching TV with them so keep that in mind that some people might not be interested in getting overly friendly.

Very strange to have this as a blanket rule. Some former housemates of mine have stayed like this and we didn't get to know each other. But with others, friendships developed naturally and with nobody trying to force it. Seems odd to be completely closed off to the idea of that happening. It just kinda seems disdainful of other people.

CatFromHue

Always keep some spare bog roll in your room

Tarzana2

Tarzana2 wrote: »

Very strange to have this as a blanket rule. Some former housemates of mine have stayed like this and we didn't get to know each other. But with others, friendships developed naturally and with nobody trying to force it. Seems odd to be completely closed off to the idea of that happening. It just kinda seems disdainful of other people.

It's not necessarily a blanket rule but in general I prefer to keep myself to myself in a houseshare and not try to become "friends" with housemates. I hate house sharing and only did it due to not being able to afford living on my own, I could afford it now but the market is crazy and there is nowhere that I'd want to live available so I'm staying put for now.

My current house is ideal in this regard, sharing with two others and both spend the majority of the time in their room or out. I have the living room to myself every single night of the week and all weekend as neither of the others use it. I haven't actually met one of my house mates in a month, he spends his time in his room and doesn't come out if someone is in the kitchen and I dont go into the kitchen if he is there.

La_Gordy

I've been sharing accommodation for 10 years now and have never liked the idea of a rota as life can get in the way! In my current flat we're just two, and we take turns cleaning week by week, on whichever day or time best suits as your week is panning out. The gaff has never looked untidy yet.

athtrasna

If you have a boyfriend, one or two nights a week is about as much as is fair to have him stay over. Similarly if you've friends visiting from home. If you have people planning to visit, and you know in advance, I'd flag it with your housemates, it's the considerate thing to do.

on_my_oe

If it's a new flat share consider week about cleaning - if you know this week it's your week to do the common areas, then you get 2/3 weeks off while the others take their weekly turns, you tend to do it. Best system I'd ever had in 10 years of sharing.

If you can, set up a second account and transfer bills money in weekly so you have it when they rock around - guaranteed way to get offside is paying bills late.

As others mentioned, let them know if friends / other half is overnighting and don't take the mickey about it. We had a housemate who literally had her boyfriend stay Sunday to Thursday so he could save on the tube bill but didn't chip in. We dealt with that quickly enough.

Try to stick to a 'quiet time' 10pm - 8am, later on weekends. Hoovering at 6.30am on Sunday morning isn't recommended and hairdryer at 3am less so.

Ultimately observe the others, and take your cue from them.

Oh and don't be a doormat

newacc2015

La_Gordy wrote: »

I've been sharing accommodation for 10 years now and have never liked the idea of a rota as life can get in the way! In my current flat we're just two, and we take turns cleaning week by week, on whichever day or time best suits as your week is panning out. The gaff has never looked untidy yet.

I know things can get in the way. But my parents are landlords and there is a sizeable majority of tenants, who wont actually vacuum/wash the floor for the entire 12 months of their lease. We had a house, that tenants never actually vacuumed the floor for 4 years. It took a cleaning crew of 13 over a day to clean the house when they moved out. The cleaning company broke 2 vacuums with the amount of dust in the carpet. I know its an extreme example. Some of my friends in house shares, never clean their place