The article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.
It may sound ideal to move in with your closest buddy. Someone who accepts and appreciates you for who you are, flaws and all. The awkward moments of having to get to know your roommate on a random basis are also greatly reduced. You have a positive impression of him or her as a person, which isn’t always the case when meeting a roommate through a social media group or a mutual acquaintance.
Despite first impressions, sharing a home with a close friend isn’t always a walk in the park. Here are some ways to sidestep social pitfalls that could derail your relationship or living arrangement.
Establish boundaries
Boundaries should be established when living with a best friend just as they would be with any other roommate. When you care about someone, you may overlook faults in their behavior that you wouldn’t overlook in a casual acquaintance. It’s important to talk about the ground rules you want to implement so that you may live together harmoniously and in a way that suits your individual preferences. You can discuss everything from household duties and pets to morning rituals and everything in between. Learn more about how boundaries are essential to healthy relationships at https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/friendship/.
Know the fundamentals of being a respectful roommate
The key to living with a friend is being able to juggle the responsibilities of both the excellent roommate and the good friend.
Friendship is the easier thing to master, but learning how to be a good housemate may save a lot of headaches and tension in a relationship.
It’s important that each roommate does all they can to maintain the atmosphere pleasant.
- Maintain a tidy environment.
- Be prompt with payments for rent and utilities.
- Coordinate a joint strategy for addressing any property-related difficulties, such as making a repair request to the landlord.
Have a chat about guests
Maybe you want your apartment to be the weekend hangout destination for you and all of your buddies, but your best friend isn’t in favor of this idea. For example, whereas your best friend could prefer a quiet Wednesday night in front of the TV, you might prefer a quiet Sunday morning.
The added dynamic of roommateship requires you to exercise extra caution over who each other invites into your shared living quarters. That doesn’t mean you have to get approval every time you have a guest over, but it is courteous to let your landlord know ahead of time if you want to have them use the common areas.
Discuss what each of you considers to be a “clean” environment
It’s easy to let your guard down when you share a home with a buddy, whether it’s with regard to cleaning the bathroom or putting your items out in the living room. Think about the reasons you wanted to live with your best friend: Was it because of how well they kept their room? Did you find that your messiness mirrored that of one another? Determine what each of you considers to be “clean,” and then work out a system for maintaining that standard jointly so that one person isn’t doing all the work.
Don’t jump to conclusions
Even though you and your BFF have a lot of shared history, it’s still not safe to predict how they’ll act in any given predicament at home. Although your best friend may be a cat fan, that doesn’t mean they necessarily want to share their home with a feline companion if you decide to have one. You should make it a habit to discuss major life choices that could affect your shared living arrangements with one another.
Figure out who will be paying for what
The expenditures of sharing a home extend much beyond the monthly rent. Right before you move in, come to an agreement on how you will pay for everything from electricity and internet to cleaning supplies. It will facilitate agreement on a financial plan and eliminate disagreements over unexpected requests for money sent via Venmo or other similar services. Sharing meals is another subject that needs to be discussed. You two might save money in the long run if you commit to monthly grocery shopping trips together. Alternatively, you might just outline the fundamentals.
It’s just like anything else in life to share a home with your best friend: Get the word out so there are no misunderstandings. The road ahead may be rocky, but if you’re prepared, you can overcome any obstacle. Having a solid foundation and shared understanding of the essentials of cohabitation can help couples stay in their current living arrangements and nurture their relationships over time.
Having some fun is a necessary
When friends move in together, the focus of their conversations may shift to domestic matters, or they may be too exhausted at the end of the day to socialize.
A light mood can be maintained with the support of a regular program of enjoyable activities. It can be a weekly get-together at your place for wine and cheese, or it might be a night out at the local watering hole. The possibilities are limitless, and one of them is kicking about a football in the park.