Top 5 Best and Worst Habits of Housemates
Living in a house share is one of the best ways of being socially connected with fellow, like-minded individuals, and a great way of expanding your network of contacts, and even friends. Having said that, it isn’t always plain sailing… this blog will look at 5 of the biggest turn ons and turn offs in a housemate.
1: Communal living areas – everyone has their own individual interests and hobbies, which can occasionally lead to the odd disagreement about activities that take place in the lounge and other shared areas. Some will enjoy watching the football, there will be those that are avid Fortnite players, while others will enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. Now, the obvious way to settle this would be to split time equally between each persons hobby of preference, although it doesn’t always work out that way… I’ve seen it on a few occasions where certain individuals let their selfishness take over by hogging the tele or console controller – not a good look!
2: Social outings – as mentioned above, house shares are a great way of meeting new people and expanding your social circle. With that being said, the housemate who regularly brings their mates over, or invites you out to hang out with their group of mates, is one to savour. You’re instantly connecting with different social circles and bettering your social life, what more could you ask for in a housemate?!
3: Sharing is caring – one of the best things about living with housemates is the merging of everyone’s items. For example, among 4 or 5 housemates, the chances are that you’ll have a combination of logins for Netflix, SkyGo, NowTV, Amazon Prime, BT TV etc, even if the login isn’t yours and actually belongs to the cousin of your mate who you lived with 2 years ago who once logged in on your laptop… their fault for not asking you to log out, right?! This is a luxury mix that most families could only dream of. The combined cost of these is usually pretty extortionate, but if you’re on your Netflix family account, or your Dad gave you access to his SkyGo, then you’re essentially paying a minimal amount, if anything, per month, whilst having access to all the streaming content you could ever wish for!
4: Cleanliness – I would imagine that the majority of those living with housemates will agree that this is the most heated topic of discussion within the house. What is the best way of keeping the house clean and tidy? Is a rota a good idea, or does it make the rest of the house resent the person who suggested and created it? Either way, it’s something that is bound to stir up the odd argument or two. People are brought up differently, some have been molly-coddled from a young age and are used to a cleaner doing everything for them, while others prefer to take it into their own hands and do their bit… this is where clashes arise. A compromise is often the end result, with all parties agreeing to some sort of system, but there’s always one who’s reluctant to adhere to the rules and tries to get away with it, and usually, might I add, with little success. So a note to all those who are guilty of this.. do your bit to ensure house cohesion.
5 – Dishes – Pretty similar to number 4, although this is more tailored to cleaning up after yourself in the kitchen. We’ve all been there, you come home from a long day at work and you just want to cook your favourite meal and relax for the evening. Into the kitchen you go, when faced with a mountain of washing up which has probably been building up for several days on end, and seems to be increasing in size by the day. The frustration is rife. Do you say something? Perhaps slam a few doors to make the housemate/s in question aware that you’re not happy and hope that they realise? Or do you simply be patient, wash whatever dirty item you need to use, and hope that the pile has decreased next time you go in? It’s a tricky one. I’ve tried all 3 approaches over the last few years, with varied levels of success. I’ll also admit that I’ve previously been the one who has caused said mountain as well. I’m no saint. Moral of the story here? Don’t be selfish, clean what you use, simple.
Having lived in several house shares since I turned 18, whether it be at university, while living abroad, or since graduating and living with fellow graduates, it’s fascinating to see the different people you meet from all walks of life, and I’d say that the buzz of moving into a new place with your mates, or moving into a house and meeting new people, is unrivalled. The experiences along the way are some that you will remember for the rest of your life… even if all aren’t overly positive.
Jonathan Birse