Flat sharing is the most common way of renting. Whether you are sharing with a friend or a stranger, you are part of the flat sharing world.
Even though it is becoming more significant day by day flat-sharing itself, it represents a real challenge. Most familiar with flat-sharing is the new generation. Better say students are the ones who do it most and go through the challenging process.
The place you live is supposed to be your base of relaxing. Because of that, everyone tries to find a calming environment. To do that you need to find the perfect room, in the ideal house. There are different perceptions of the perfect room. It needs to have space, good lighting, a comfortable bed, a desk etc. It needs to be in a good neighbourhood, close to a tube station and it has to fit the budget. There are so many requirements, and that’s why finding a good room to live in is hard.
What makes it even more difficult is the fact that owners or agents do not present the property exactly how it is. You can see some lovely pictures and description over the internet for a room, but when you have the viewing, you end up disappointed. The carpet might be old, there is no storage, or the bed is not comfortable. In fact, different agents have accepted they trick clients with the pictures, that might not even be of the property they are advertising. There are plenty of reasons why a room might not be the best options for someone. Trying to tick all the options on your list it would definitely take a lot of time and a couple of viewings.
Even when you go through a long month of searching and viewings, and you find the right room, there are other aspects to worry about. There is a reason why it is called flat sharing. You have to share the common areas like kitchen, bathroom with other people. Having a shared living room in the property, it is considered a lux these days because landlords turn the living a place in a room for another tenant. In case you like staying in the house mostly then you definitely should worry about having a living room or not.
Another significant issue is the bathroom. If you are living in a big flat share, then you have to worry about the number of bathrooms. Everybody knows that it is a bit frustrating to wait for your turn at the toilet. That’s why there should be more than one bathroom so everyone can be pleased with their conditions. An important matter is having a bathtub or just a shower. Some people prefer having long baths so you should check if there is a bathtub or only a shower cabin.
Besides the inside amenities, you have to worry about the outdoor space. Some people like to have a small garden, but that is not easy to find at all. Another problem might be the parking space. Everybody knows that find a parking spot is very hard so having one at your future rented property would be just perfect. It saves you a lot of time, and it is less stressful.
Let’s suppose you managed to find the perfect room regarding the living conditions. However, what makes a house home depends much more than just the way it is designed. It depends on the people you are living with. The most important you need to check with how many people you would be sharing the common areas. We can all agree that the fewer people, the better. Somehow it makes the living more comfortable.
The age of the other tenants is essential too. If you are a student, you can not adopt very easy with someone who is in their late thirties. Even the opposite is exact. Being in different stages of life makes it hard for people to understand and live in the same roof.
Understanding what type of people the other tenants are is one issue that comes up during the time you are living with someone. Let’s keep supposing you are a student. You have to be studying most of the time so an energetic environment it’s not your ideal situation. Living with loud and party people would be a nightmare if you are the complete opposite of that. You have to understand if your tenant is an early bird or likes to sleep till midday. You must think right now, is that my problem? In fact it is because if someone wakes up early, he will be waking you up too. Or it will leave you without sleeping during the night. What I am saying is that the best option is finding someone that matches your daily schedule.
Cleaning can be challenging too. Having a clean house, it is a basic need. So that you can feel comfortable when you stay at home or when you cook. Matter of fact, depending on the people you are living with can be a real issue. Unwashed dishes or a dirty bathroom is everybody’s nightmare. Of course, that can be settled by some simple rules, but it doesn’t mean people will always collaborate. A simple solution would be a flats hare that includes a weekly cleaning on the rent or just finding the right tenants.
I am conscious that all in all flat-sharing, it does sound like the challenge of the year. I want to point out that everything depends on the way you react to it. If you feel like you are not capable of dealing with so many situations, then you definitely should live alone. But, if you like some challenge in your life, later you should once in your life try flat sharing.
