Moving into a new home could be very exciting, and moving in with friends is even more so. Between friends, there’s always a degree of trust and mutual respect that someone won’t have with a stranger, making it perfect for friends to move into a home together.
With the rising living costs, everyone is looking to cut the most expensive costs from their budget, which could include their housing expenses. As good as living with friends sounds, it may quickly become a less desirable atmosphere for all the residents when everyone isn’t pulling their weight.
However, it’ll require a lot of compromise from everyone living in the home to ensure everything runs smoothly. Here are some tips to ensure that the house will remain a safe and comfortable place that everyone will be proud to share:
Remember To Pack Smart And Light
When packing and getting everything ready for the big move, remember that more than one person shares the living space, so pack the necessary items that’ll make moving in and adjusting for the first few days more manageable, and leave the rest in storage.
As time passes and everyone lives in the space, it’ll become clear where more items can go or if some storage items will make a difference in the home. At that stage, the person can reconsider removing some things from the storage for use. For more interesting moving hacks, you should read more about what others had to say and the methods they used to get settled in quickly.
Establish Some Ground Rules For The Home
Sharing a home may come with many chores and tasks that everyone will have to divide amongst them, and doing your share is something the whole house will appreciate. Before moving in, sit down with your friends and discuss the chores and rules so that everyone will know what to expect.
Talk about how the shared spaces like the kitchen or outdoor area will work when other friends or family come over and who will do the cooking, grocery shopping, how the shared bathroom works, and other activities that everyone in the home will participate in daily. When everyone knows what to expect, there shouldn’t be any problems arising between friends.
Ensure Everyone Has Their Own Space
Although people living together will inevitably be in each other’s space, there’s a difference between sharing a kitchen and every waking moment of the day. Some people may require more alone time than others, one of the differences someone should look out for before moving in together.
Personalities could sometimes clash, especially when an introvert and extrovert share a home. However, recognizing the differences and realizing that the other person may not always enjoy the same activities ensures everyone remains mindful of personal space. If this could be a problem, discuss how to get around it together or look for a new place to stay if no workable solution exists.
Communicate Clearly About Expectations
Communication is a massive part of any romantic or platonic relationship. When all the parties are open and honest, there’ll be no hard feelings and resentments down the line. Friends are often too accommodating, and some may not have boundaries regarding other people in the home.
Clearly stating what you’ll expect from the living arrangement, like knocking on the door before entering, not sharing certain food items, and how much time you’ll spend with them daily, will prevent miscommunications about these essential things. When everyone can sit down and have these conversations before the move, it’ll indicate that friends can solve their future conflicts amicably.
Respect Everyone’s Privacy In The Home
Even when sharing a home with others, each person will need to continue living their own lives separately from their housemates, like going to work or visiting family. Those sharing the home should accept that there’ll be events, work-related instances, or family gatherings that may have nothing to do with anyone else in the house.
Have enough respect for housemates to know they’d like some form of privacy in their lives, just as everyone else would. Understanding this before moving in will make the interactions between the members of the home less strenuous when the time comes.
The Final Words
Living together should be a balance between sharing everything and giving each other space. The foundations for a rock-solid living arrangement between housemates are mutual respect, friendliness, honesty, and privacy.
Laying the correct foundation will ensure everyone is happy and no one misses anything they should’ve considered before the move. Most importantly, the whole idea of moving in with a friend should be to make life easier and more fun instead of complicated.
