Finding a roommate can be a long and tedious process, but rewarding if you know exactly what you’re looking for. Remember, living situations don’t always have to be with people who you’re closest to, or even your significant other. Sometimes, living with an acquaintance can relieve a lot of pressure, without having to worry about relationships being impacted.
The most important thing is compatibility. Now, compatibility can come in many different forms, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be the best of friends.
Sharing your home with someone doesn’t mean you have to be two peas in a pod, but you must have mutual understanding and respect. Here’s our three tips for finding the right roommate for you.
Curiosity 
Be curious and ask a lot of questions (not too intrusive of course). Questions could range from their sleeping habits to daily routine, attitude to chores, cleaning style, occupation, hobbies, and other lifestyle questions. Inquiring is important because if you have two very different ways of living, and if you don’t ask this prior to signing a lease together, you could run into multiple problems.
Financial Planning
It’s important to be on the same financial page with your prospective roommate. Do you both see eye to eye on how you’re going to split the bills, groceries, who sends in the rent, etc? It’s important to put that all on the table beforehand, so there’s 100 percent transparency between the two of you. Financial planning can be a sensitive topic at times, and it’s critical that you have the discussion, and both parties feel comfortable.
Honesty
Finally, our last tip for you is honesty, being completely transparent with who you are, how you live, and your expectations of the living agreement. That’s not to say that you have to share the depths of your soul with your roommate, but it’s a good idea to be truthful and clear about your needs and wants from a roommate. From discussing what you look for in a roommate to even sharing with them your past successes or issues with roommates, it’s essential to be honest and clear about your do’s and don’ts in a living situation.
Whether you decide to live with one of your closest friends or a stranger, it’s always good to keep these tips in mind and others, when it comes to your roommate search.
