Date Posted: 2012-07-18 10:54:43
Site Posted: Myproperty.ph
If you’re living alone for the first time, it may seem like a no-brainer to get a roommate, especially if financial times are rough. Don’t be so quick to start interviewing potential roommates, though, as there are also some disadvantages to living with someone.
Here are some of the pros and cons of sharing a condo or apartment for rent with a roommate.
Pros:
· You won’t have to pay for everything – Living alone means having to shoulder all the expenses by yourself, which can be a hassle if you’re not earning that much to begin with. Getting a roommate means only having to pay half of the rent and all the monthly bills, so you can use the extra money you have for other things.
· You’ll have someone with you – If you just moved out of your parents’ house for the first time, you’re sure to feel a bit lonely. Having a roommate around will give you a sense of comfort and safety, even if you’re not exactly friends.
· You don’t have to do everything yourself – If you have a roommate, you don’t have to take care of all the errands around the unit. This is especially advantageous if work keeps you from tidying up regularly and feeding your pet if you have one.
Cons:
· You won’t have absolute privacy – When you have a roommate, you have less privacy than when you live alone. Whenever you have people over or come home late, you have to think about whether you're disturbing your roommate. Conversely, you have to deal with when she brings people over or arrives way past midnight.
· You risk missing payments – Sharing the costs with someone may be great, but there’s always a worry that they’ll miss paying their share of the rent and bills. Sure you can cover their share today if they don’t have the money right now, but you don’t want that to happen over and over.
· You'll get on each other’s nerves – Remember when you were still living at home, when you and your siblings would quarrel over everything? When living in close parameters with someone, even a perfect stranger, something like that’s bound to happen eventually. It could start out with little things like leaving a dirty plate in the sink or forgetting to hand over his grocery money, but if it turns out that your roommate is a complete slob who can’t be counted on financially, you’ll be burdened with either suffering in silence or having to kick them out.
When choosing a roommate to share an apartment or condo for rent, be sure to prioritize compatibility over likeability; it would be hard to admonish someone who turns out to be a sloth if you chose them because you became BFFs right away.
Jillian Cariola, Writer
(cover image by sheilaz413)
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