Share housing

realestate.com.au/…/tips-for-finding-the-perfect-flatmate

Share accommodation involves living with others and sharing costs. Each share house works out their own rules about food, chores, paying for utilities, and using the shared parts of the house (kitchen, lounge room, outdoor areas, etc).

When you move into a share house you will have to come up with your share of the bond – usually 4 weeks rent – plus you will need to pay 2-4 weeks rent in advance. However you only pay your share.

It is a good idea to be clear about any agreements about money and other issues (like who will get the biggest room). If possible, put it down in writing together – the easiest way to do this is by sending emails which spell it all out.

You can find share accommodation through word-of-mouth, noticeboards at uni, cafes and local shops, or online at:

• Domain
• RealEstate.com.au
• FlatMates
• Flatmate Finders
• RoomGo
• GumTree
• Search Facebook private groups in your area!

Here are some tips for choosing a good housemate.

Tips on living with people

• Don’t borrow your flatmate’s stuff without asking
• Try and share a meal together or hang out at least once a week
• See what food/house expenses you can share ie. take turns buying toilet paper or bread
• Respect your flatmate’s privacy
• Do your share of the housework
• If your flatmate is not doing his or her share, talk to them about it. It’s really important to be able to talk to each other rather than just getting annoyed
• Another thing some share houses do is to start a ‘kitty’. This means everyone puts in $5 or so every week and from that house kitty you buy things you all use together like toilet paper, milk etc

House meetings

Regular house meetings are a great way for you to talk about any issues that might be going on in the house. It can be over a dinner and a great way to catch up and you can chat about bills, work out who is going to pay it and how much everyone’s share is. It’s also a good time to work out a shopping list for food and other stuff you need for the house. This meeting can also be used to discuss housework and who’s going to do what for the next couple of weeks. Keep in mind that we all like to different things, so if mowing the lawn and hanging out the washing is your thing and vacuuming and dusting is someone else’s and it works for everybody then stick to it ..

Make sure everyone gets a chance to talk at the meeting, that way no one can say they did not have a say towards the running of the house.

A house calendar

A house calendar can be used to mark down when bills are due and whose turn it is to do housework, as well as to book in the next trip to the movies.

Housework

Mess around the place can make you feel scattered and can make things hard to find (like bills and the remote control). But if you can get into the habit of doing small tasks (like the vacuuming) before they feel like big tasks, doing the housework won’t seem stressful or overwhelming. If you are sharing a house, it is a good idea to sit down with your other housemates and work out a roster that suits you all, for things that need doing around the house.