Tag Archives: roommates

Sharing Spaces…and Chores

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Having a lot of roommates seems like it could come in handy when it comes time to clean up and do chores around the house, but don’t be too quick to lessen your own workload because of that. Everyone is different and has different habits, so working towards taking care of the same thing (your home) can get tricky. You all need to be mindful of the fact that you’re living with other people, and be responsible with doing your share of the household chores.

We’ve all seen friends and we all know that Monica and Rachel are the classic example of roommates who are very different, but they always made it work. Just because you and your roommates go about doing things differently doesn’t mean that there need to be any issues! Take a night of the week where you can all sit down and figure out which chores you all need to partake in and figure out how to divide them. Make some sort of a “master list” with all of the chores that need to be done every single week (or day) and divide it up. Make sure you have things like dusting, mopping, sweeping, wiping fans, emptying the dishwasher etc. You can all try and compromise to pick chores you prefer, and then divide up the rest of the work. This way everything is split up equally and one person isn’t stuck taking care of your home. Maybe you can set “standards” of some sort as to how things are done so that everyone can be happy. For example, you can all agree on loading all the big dishes on the bottom of the dishwasher, or making sure not to use pure chlorine when cleaning sinks. There all kinds of little things like this that people do differently, so setting a standard way to do this keeps everyone happy. If you aren’t happy with something, speak up! It’s silly to keep these things to yourself because you’re going to have to deal with them alllllll the time.

It may seem a bit excessive, but you and your roommates should consider putting things on a sort of list that you keep up for all of you to see. This can help when you start forgetting who was responsible for what chore, and whether your own was done. Having it as a constant reminder will make you more inclined to do it so that you can check off that you’ve done it. A chore list can also serve as a way to get a routine going; who knows, you may end up not needing it after a while!

TLDR; do your chores.

chores

Sublease, anyone?

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So, you’re living happily in your apartment with three of your friends, when you suddenly get a great job offer that requires you to move cities…what’s the problem? Your lease doesn’t end for another six months and you can’t pay two rent checks each month. At this point, subleasing seems like the best option for you, and it probably is. How can you make sure the sublease process goes smoothly for you and your roommates?

We recently gave you the lowdown on subleasing, so you should pretty much know the basics of the process. Now, the task at hand s finding a subleaser who will fit in well in the dynamic if your home. Even though it’s your responsibility to find someone to take over your lease, your roommates should contribute to the search so that they can find a roommate that they know they’ll be happy with. Maybe you can ask around and see if any mutual friends need a place, or your roommates can post on their social media accounts that they’re looking for a new roommate. Whatever the case is, the whole process is easier for all of you if they help out.

Like we said before, it’s important to find someone who you can trust to take over your lease; but it’s also pretty important for your roommates to trust them, too. You’re not going to be living with whoever takes over your lease, but that shouldn’t mean that you care about who lives there. If the person who takes over your lease doesn’t feel comfortable with your roommates, they may encounter some issues along the way, and may even stop caring about taking care of your room and doing their share of the housework.

roommates

Safety First

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Moving to a new place can be a bit scary (and also super exciting), and that’s why it’s up to you to make sure that you create a safe environment for yourself to make your move as easy as possible. Safety goes hand in hand with feeling comfortable where you are, don’t overlook it!

A good place to start is with safety in the home. Always make sure your windows and doors are locked when you leave your home. No matter where you live and how long you’ve lived there, it’s never okay to leave doors and windows unlocked. If you’re scared that you may lock yourself out one day, so  for that reason you always leave a hidden window unlocked, just carry a spare key. Keep a copy of your key in your wallet or purse so that you’ll always have one on you. Leaving a door or window unlocked just makes your home an easier target for crime, and you definitely don’t want that.

An alarm system is a really good investment to consider when you move into your new home. You don’t have to find a super fancy and expensive system, there are simple ones available that are not expensive and get the job done. If and when you decide to install an alarm system, be sure that you put some kind of notice on your home (alarms come with decals or signs of some sort) to let others know that you are being protected and to deter break-ins. If you have children, it’s imperative that they are also well aware of staying safe in their new home. Make sure that they have the necessary emergency contact numbers, and know how to determine when there is an emergesafetyncy.

Don’t forget to talk to your neighbors! We covered this recently, check it out here, and it really is so important. You and your neighbors are the people that make up your immediate community so it’s up to all of you to keep it safe. If it doesn’t already exist, you all may want to consider setting up a neighborhood watch program. The National Crime Prevention Council is a great resource for learning the steps to take to establish a neighborhood watch program in your community. A program like this is extremely effective in keeping your neighborhood safe and crime free. This is also a great way for you to become more involved in your community and feel more at home in your new place.