Eyes Wide Open

You need to keep your eyes wide open when you decide that living with a home-mate is what you want to do. Our whole approach to selecting a home-mate is designed to help you notice and see whether and how it will work out. Here are some thoughts to consider that will help you navigate your new living situation, and also manage your expectations during booms and busts.

Be Honest With Yourself

The number one rule is to know exactly your must-haves and deal breakers.

Before you embark on this new adventure, sit down and write a list of what is absolutely necessary for you to have a successful shared housing experience and when you meet your potential home-mate be clear of both your expectations. We have a worksheet for you to use.

Be Pragmatic

Shared housing can be transitional, where it works for a period of time—say, one or two years—and then you are ready for a different living situation. These reasons for a transitional living situation run the gamut from a new relationship, wanting to live closer to adult children, job relocations, health issues, or simply wanting a different environment. This is all natural and expected. When we say keep your eyes wide open we mean to look out for changes in your housing situation, so you can stay safe and prepared.

Life’s Twists and Turns

The coronavirus pandemic and the stay-at-home orders haven’t been easy, and have shown that life has many twists and turns. Many folks who live alone have discovered how truly alone it feels when you can’t even go out to be with others. Others are coping with too much close company with spouses and children and not enough alone time. To pass the time, we’ve baked, decided to let our natural hair color grow out for good, and streamed countless movies. However, on a more serious note many of us have lost our jobs and income. If you plan to live with a home-mate, before you make the move, consider a contingency plan on how to pay your monthly expenses so that it doesn’t cause stress to the relationship. Needless to say, this goes both ways.

Eyes Wide Open for Success

Prepare yourself for this big lifestyle change, keep your eyes wide open, and learn from others and their successful home-shares, which we’ve published on this blog, but also read the advice offered in our book.

More than anything, we advocate and want you to find the best home-sharing environment that’s safe and long-term. So with time on your hands, help yourself with resources that will help you with the process of finding and keeping the ideal home-mate.

Learn more about navigating your shared housing situation: Doing Things Differently , How I Negotiated with my Landlord