Well, the one time that I lived on my own, I was fresh out of a break-up, so the peace and space was a good thing, but I am glad to be living with people now (2 out of 3 are nice and friendly). I have found that you cannot predict what people will be like to live with. I have lived with all of my closest friends over the years and come close to killing them, whereas complete strangers have been fine most of the time. Sharing is good as you get to use all their stuff if they are nice. And you will always have a drinking/Xbox buddy on hand.
Rules are a good thing to sort out straight away. Bills and rent obviously, and cleaning is the other biggie. Some people are clean (bleach everything), and others are tidy (everything in its place). There is a big difference.
Rather than have a vague time based rota for cleaning which can lead to "I did it last" arguments, I prefer one based on location. i.e. You take the kitchen, the other takes the bathroom. If one room is dirty, it's clear whose responsibility it is. Jobs can be swapped around every few months to keep it fair.
Put £5 each in a jar every Saturday. Pay for toilet roll, cleaning products etc out of this. If the cash builds up in the jar, have a party with it.
As for actual flat-hunting. Go and see as much as possible and don't get down-hearted that it's all overpriced shit. Somewhere out there is the right place for you. My check list includes - flush toilet, check shower strength, open windows, turn lights on etc etc. Try and get the heating to be on for an hour before you view it to judge how warm it will be. If you see a nice place, try and see it again at another time of day to discover any noisy neighbours etc
Look around the area. Don't live near schools, building sites, trains, large industrial anything - all noisy.
Take a camera and a notebook otherwise you will forget the details of everything after the first 3 you see. Don't be embarrassed to ask lots of questions and hang around more than 5 minutes. Go back through all the rooms a 2nd or 3rd time. Sit in a corner and imagine living there. remember you will be giving the landlord thousands of pounds, so you had better be happy with the place. If some piece of furniture you expected to be there, isn't - ask for it. You never know.
When moving in, take that camera when you do the check in, and write down & photograph any damage/broken thing so that you don't get stiffed for it later. If you look like a pro moving in, they are less likely to attempt to rob you down the line. After 20 years of renting I have never not got my deposit back.
whew, that was a long post. Probably more to follow if I think a bit. |
