Moving closer to the city is supposed to be cheaper. However, the cost of living in most cities around the world is showing little to no signs of going down. Having an apartment unit all to yourself might already be out of the question as you wouldn’t want to go beyond budget. Unfortunately, you don’t have any friends or family in the city who you hope to share living space with, so the only remaining option for you is to do it with someone you barely know – or don’t know at all. To help you get past the potentially uncomfortable feeling of sharing house accommodation with a stranger, here are some things that you need to consider:
- Get to thoroughly know the stranger you’ll be sharing house accommodation with.
Once you’ve moved to the place where you’ll be sharing living space with a stranger, you shouldn’t automatically trust your housemate. After all, you’ve only just met them and there’s no telling if they’ll steal any of your personal belongings while you’re either sleeping or away.
Right after moving to your new accommodation, find some time to talk to your housemate and get to know them better – though you should be careful not to ask them anything that might make them uncomfortable. Talk to your landlord as well and find out what you can about your housemate from them.
- Discuss with your housemate how you’re supposed to split the rent and utility bills between the two of you.
Sharing house accommodation with someone is more than just that as you and your housemate are also supposed to share the burden of paying for your stay there Sit down with your housemate and discuss with them how you plan on splitting the rent and utility bills that come with your accommodation. As things should have been agreed on prior to your move-in date, you should expect to split the bills and utilities 50/50. Be sure you know what this will include as some housemates also share the cost of toiletries, furniture, and food.
Don’t let your housemate get out of contributing to the rent and utility bills and do what you can to pay everything when it’s due.
- Respect each other’s privacy.
Your initial hesitation to share living space with a stranger over privacy concerns is understandable. After all, you wouldn’t want to be disturbed while you’re intensely studying for your final exams or reading a chapter of your favorite novel.
So after moving to your new accommodation, you should make it clear with your housemate that while you’re sharing living space with them, they should respect your private moments just as you’ll respect theirs. Keep noise levels down to an acceptable level as much as possible. If either of you is planning to bring some guests over to your place, they should inform the other of it ahead of time.
Rent costs in Australia are getting so exorbitant that rates of more than $200 per week in Sydney and Melbourne are becoming increasingly common. While not exactly ideal, sharing house accommodation with a stranger once you make your move to a city like Melbourne or Sydney can become a fun experience for you – as long as you take note of the considerations listed above. To help you more easily secure a shared house accommodation in the city, you can check out Gumtree Houseshare or Gumtree Flatshare and find a listing there that best suits your budget.
