In This Guide
Choosing an area
Getting in
Leaving
Lettings agents
Living
Looking for property
Renting introduction
1. Who rents these days anyway?
2. Types of UK accommodation
3. Renting with your partner
4. Renting with your friends
5. Renting from your friends
6. Renting on your own
Tenancy agreements
Viewing property
Renting introduction
Renting with your friends
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A wise old owl once said that you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. The luxury of being able to choose your friends is something that most of us enjoy. However, being able to choose your friends by no means guarantees that they will be good housemates.
There are lots of reasons why living with your friends is the logical and easy thing to do, and much of the time things work out pretty well. You may have a few ups and downs and the odd run in, but by and large it can be a pretty good way of life. On the other hand, when things go wrong, it can get a little messy. Here are some things for you to think about before deciding whether or not to make your friends your housemates.
- Fun. Fun is the number one reason for living with friends.
If it isn't fun, it should be. Get some new friends and live
with them instead. Or live on your own.
- An important factor in deciding to rent with friends rather
than strangers is the fact that you know them. Some people have
bad experiences moving into shared houses, finding their new
mystery housemate is a raving psychopath who holds satanic rituals
in the basement, or an absolute nutter that can't even hold
it together long enough to feed your fish when you are away.
Renting with friends should help eliminate this risk, though
people do change over time.
- Living with people is different to seeing them socially. You
may find your friendship grows stronger and therefore more likely
to last in the long term.
- Sharing with people is cheaper than living on your own. Bills
are shared, council tax is shared, and you may even get cooked
for every now and then if you are lucky.
- You have company whenever you want it, without having to go
out to the pub. That's not to say that you'll go to the pub
any less, in fact you're actually more likely to go more often,
as there is always someone willing to go with you. Or willing
you to go with them as is often the case.
- Chores. Chores are always chores, otherwise they would be
called something like 'fun things to do around the house', but
you will hopefully not have to do as many of them if they are
shared between housemates.
- You get the benefit of shared possessions. You might not have to fork out for a telly or a washing machine on your own and you get to sneakily munch on other people's food, which is a liberty almost everyone takes every now and then.
- Problems can start as early as the decision surrounding which
area to buy in. It has to be a convenient area for everyone
and a house that everyone likes. If you end up arguing over
this, the arrangement is heading in the wrong direction.
- Your friendship could suffer because you have to argue over
things like toilet paper, washing up, bills and money, sexual
habits, cleaning etc. These are things that are pretty unlikely
to ruin your friendship if you never live together, but it's
amazing how many people get very petty over little tiny things
once they have been living together for a while.
- A shared house is a messy house. Well, not always, but it
can often be the case. Will you be able to handle a housemate
that leaves the washing up to fester, makes a mess everywhere
and tends to do as little as possible in the cleaning department?
- You are never on your own. This can be great, except when
you want to be on your own.
- Food space is at a premium. Unless you have shared food, you
may find yourself fighting it out with the other housemates
for that all important fridge, freezer and cupboard space.
- Things change. What happens if one of the housemates wants
to move in, or wants their partner to move in. Will this situation
be acceptable to everyone?
- You can end up loathing each other. Friendships can be strained to say the least, and tempers frayed as you find that two of the friends you are living with actually have a personality clash.
The fact is, it won't be all roses. Before you move in, think
about what you have in common, if your lifestyles are compatible
and what habits (that you know of) may annoy you. Chat about what
will happen if one person wishes to move out or have a partner
move in. Will this be compatible with your housemates?
If it does all go wrong, try to remember that they were your friends before Pete Tong intervened and try not to let your friendship suffer. Just as good friends don't necessarily make good housemates, bad housemates don't necessarily make bad friends.
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