Six Tips for Moving In With Friends
Six Tips for Moving in with Friends
When you’re looking for a place to live, it seems like the best, most obvious decision to make – why not move in with your best friend? You already know each other and like hanging out, living together makes so much sense! Whether you’re moving to a new city along, both leaving home for the first time, or one of you just got kicked out by an ex, moving in with a mate can be one of the best, and most fun, things you’ll ever do.
However, the conversations that seem necessary when moving in with strangers can be overlooked when cohabiting with a friend, and this can lead to trouble. So whether you’ve known each other for five minutes or five years, there are some things to consider and discuss so living with your friends works beautifully. You could even save your friendship by following this advice, so read on!
1. Forewarned is Forearmed
Wouldn’t you rather know about your friend’s preferences and deal-breakers before you’ve spent the money on moving and signed the lease? It may seem easier in the short term to avoid potentially awkward conversations and talk about how much fun it’s all going to be. However, this ‘head in the sand’ approach can create significant problems going forward.
So the first piece of advice is to establish an open dialogue with your friends. This could be a new dynamic between you, as all your interactions until this point may have been rowdy, casual banter – anything but serious! However, being able to discuss issues and disagreements openly and constructively can be the difference between domestic bliss and a bitter end to the friendship.
2. Money Matters
Aaaah, money. We’ve all heard stories of friendships or even families being torn apart because of money disputes. Unfortunately, it can happen much more comfortable than you think. Having mismatching expectations about money between you and your friends can cause irreparable damage.
Take groceries for example. How will you split those costs? Sharing the shopping expenditure can be a thrifty way to go, especially if you’re able to keep a tally of who is using what. However, if there are significant differences between what and how much you and your friends eat, it can cause conflict. Your bestie could be quite partial to the sweet yoghurt, leaving none for you, yet you still both pay for half. You may like eating out more than your friend, but they may even want you to pay for half the shopping. Sound fair?
It may be a better option for you to have separate shopping trolleys, ensuring you each buy what you like, in the amounts you want. Just make sure you’re clear about what you’re ok sharing and which items are out of bounds!
The other thing to mention is bills. Whether they are for utilities or cable TV, you once again need to establish some formalities. Whose name will they be addressed to? Who pays for them? Reliable bill-paying will ensure your electricity doesn’t get cut off. It’s a good idea to have a transparent system whereby the bill payer can be held accountable if it’s the due date and payment has slipped their mind.
3. Cleaning
Just because you’re having the time of your life living with your friends doesn’t mean that the more common, unexciting aspects of housekeeping can be overlooked. Cleaning is a biggie. Unless you get specific about cleaning duties, the house will get cleaned by the person who is most quickly repulsed by dirty living conditions! Not surprisingly, that approach will not go down well in the long term.
One idea can be to create a cleaning roster. Specify who will clean what rooms and when. When you’re happy that the duties are evenly spread, place the roster where all inhabitants can easily see it – and stick to it!
4. Work
Ideally, you and your friends are employed; at least to the extent that you can all pay your rent and the fair share of the living expenses. It’s worth having some understanding of your housemate’s work arrangements so you can cohabit better.
Do they have a job that means they’re never around? Are they a freelancer who will be working from home, and how will that impact your use of the space? Even just understanding what they love or dislike about their job will help you know each other, and perhaps even sympathise when you’ve had a rough work day.
5. Parties
One of the assumptions people make about moving in with friends is that everyone will want to party all the time. The reality is that expectations between you and your friends can be different, or can change as time goes on. You might find that your party stamina isn’t the same as your friend’s and that while you want to sleep, they want to rage ‘til the wee hours.
Once again, communication is key. A good starting point is always checking that it’s ok with your housemates to have a party. Also, check what kind of parties you’re ok having at home, and who you’re happy having there. This isn’t being a kill-joy – everyone has their limits. Get them out in the open, so you can spend more time enjoying and less time thinking dark thoughts about your friends.
6. You’re Still Your Person
Living under the one roof does not mean that you are tied at the hip. Even though you are friends and enjoy each other’s company, it’s important to find time to socialise beyond each other. This might be socialising with your other friends you don’t live with, people from friendship circles different from the ones your bestie is familiar with, or time by yourself.
Excellent communication will be crucial to getting along as housemates, but it does not mean that you can’t keep certain things to yourself. You’re still your person, and having a level of privacy (and respecting your friend’s privacy) will help you feel more at home.
Make the Move With A Friend
Moving in with friends is exciting, and can, in fact, ease the stresses associated with moving. There’s nothing like sharing your burdens and your joys with a good friend. Hold on to that friendship and strengthen it by staying honest, open and respectful with your communication. This will help you set up clear cohabiting expectations, resolve any conflicts, and make the most of your time together.
When you’re making the move, it also pays to entrust the relocation of your belongings to a reliable, professional moving company.
Optimove Brisbane Furniture Removalists Brisbane is friendly, experienced movers that offer fantastic value for money. We provide superb relocation services for all sized moves for all homes, units, apartments, or wherever you’re moving into with your friends. We communicate before, during and after the relocation so you always know what is happening and can relax completely. Our removal teams are the best in the business, and will confidently and efficiently move your possessions. You’ll be putting your feet up at your new place before you know it. We also give you a choice between hourly and set fees, so you don’t have to worry about a budget blow-out.
Contact the team at Optimove to discuss your upcoming move – call 1300 400 874 or get in touch online.
