A Bachelorette Pad Please?

by Melissa

I recently made the decision to find a place for myself. Note, that I have not actually found anything, but I’ve realized that it’s time to live on my own. I have had more or less eighteen different flatmates (mind you, I have moved around a lot), and I would do it all over again if I had to.

But I don’t.

There are so many upsides to living with other people, mainly having amazing company and always having someone to have a laugh with. On the other hand, living with someone comes responsibility… a shared responsibility of paying the bills, household chores, and being mindful of someone else’s schedule and personal space. This is where things can get a little tricky.

People have their own way of living and depending on the amount of flatmates that occupy the shared space, you have to adjust and be flexible to each person. People wake up at different times, have their own way cleaning, have an opposite schedule, the list goes on and on. After eighteen different flatmates (more or less), there comes a point where enough is enough and let’s trying this whole living alone thing.

I have chatted with many people about how they enjoy living alone and what it’s like. Some love it, some get kind of lonely, but mostly everyone is happy they made the decision to live alone. To me there seems to be a sense of control and although remembering to pick yourself up toilet paper or cleaning the house is annoying, everything is on you and there’s no one to put the blame on but yourself.

Although I am on the quest for a place of my own, I will impart with you my top three tips for living in a shared space.

Scheduling Responsibilities
When I lived in a flat of six people, we had a contract that we signed that every week one person would do a big house clean, pick up toilet paper, pay the cleaning man, and take out the rubbish. It worked on a rotating schedule so each person only had to worry about household chores every six weeks.

Bills
Keeping a list on the fridge of who’s bought what for the house and the amount is a great way to keep track of household spending. At the end of every month you can tally up who’s spent what on the house and see who owes who money.

Communication is Key
Communication is key to any successful relationship, including the relationship with your flatmate(s). I have learnt over the years to let someone know immediately if something is bothering me regarding the flat. I have learnt the hard way that keeping things in is not a good idea. If there are many people in the flat on different schedules, having a group text is a great way to communicate with everyone. This way nothing is left unsaid and things can be resolved as quickly as possible.

Hope these little tips help, but if finding a place on your own sounds appealing (and financially feasible)… give it a try!