How to be a good housemate in London
moove2london on 30 Oct 2009If you’re going to be living with other people when you move to London, it’s important to know how to be a good housemate, so that your home life can run smoothly without arguments.
Before you move in, make sure that all financial details are discussed beforehand. You should not only know exactly what you’ll be paying in rent, but also what this amount will cover. Does it include bills? Also, how are bills paid? Some bills are quarterly rather than monthly, so will each housemate pay a certain chunk into a ‘bills pot’ each month to cover everything? If so, how much will be needed? If you’re not happy by the amount that you’ll be paying towards bills, try and find out if you could save everyone money by switching to cheaper suppliers. Your new housemates will love you if you end up saving them money.
It’s also important to find out what the deal is with housework. Obviously, you’ll be expected to keep your own bedroom tidy, but when it comes to communal areas like kitchens and bathrooms, this is where the arguments start. Without looking like a control freak, try and find out if there’s a rota for different chores to be done. Always make sure that you wash your dinner plates after you’ve finished with them. No-one likes messy flatmates. On a similar note, if the kitchen bin looks too full, don’t cram your rubbish in…. take it out!
Some households like to eat dinner together, others do their own thing, particularly when you have different working hours, after work activities etc. Find out what the norm is and if you need to take into consideration any dietary requirements, such as vegetarianism, allergies or religious beliefs.
If you really don’t know anyone else in London, then try and pick housemates who share similar interests as you. Initially, you’ll be reliant on them to provide you with a social life, so you really don’t want to end up living with people who like late nights and wild parties, when you’re tee-total and like to curl up with a good book by 9.30pm.
Don’t cross the line with the amount of overnight guests that you have. Everyone has the occasional friend, or non-live-in boyfriend/girlfriend stay over, but your housemates chose to live with you, not your guests. Having a regular extra person in the house, may not appear to you to be annoying – they’re staying in your room after all -but what about the next morning when that extra person wants to shower and messes up everyone’s morning routine. Your flat will end up feeling like Piccadilly Circus.
If you have a communal washer/dryer in your house, don’t put your laundry in it and then go out. Your flatmates will not appreciate having to hang out your underwear, nor will they like having to wait before you come home to put on their own load.
One last tip, when arriving as the newcomer to the house, is to break the ice with a couple of bottles of wine and a home-cooked meal for everyone. It will show your housemates that you’re trying to fit in.