Pros and Cons of Living With Strangers in a Private Shared House

Hello world!

This is my first published post in 2017! Wow, I really suck at this. Sorry! I am going to up my game from now. I'm back to blogging. This year has been great so far, excluding all of the tragedies and attacks happening around the world. My prayers are with everyone who has been affected and together we will stay strong. I live in London but I refuse to let anything stop me from living to the fullest and doing everything I want. I believe in fate and I don't believe fear should stop anyone from doing something they want to do so I will be going into central London and browsing Borough Market, just maybe not yet.

Anyway, positive vibes now. This year I've been to Paris and Majorca, explored more of the UK, seen a few theatre shows and I've got my first ever proper boyfriend (it's coming up to three months, a new record!). Goodbye trust and commitment issues (don't go too far just in case). My summer jobs are in place, my second year at university is over (hallelujah) and I'm making time to spend with friends and family. I am someone who makes things happen and I promised myself that 2017 is going to be the best year yet and that's exactly how it's panning out. I say you do the same. Make this a year to be proud of!

The view from my hotel in Palma Nova, Majorca

Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been great this year, especially with university. I went through a period of time where I felt pretty depressed about my studies. I felt like I was going nowhere and my grades were just getting worse. My most recent grade really disappointed me as I worked hard on the assignment, but I'm not going to let that get me down. It's summer! I guess I prioritised the wrong things and didn't read enough. Showing up to more lectures would help as well I guess. University will be the top priority for my final year, you wait and see. I'll be the biggest geek you've ever seen!

So onto the purpose of this post, what it is like living with strangers in a shared house. I used to live with my oldest sister but we decided to go our separate ways. I really wanted a studio flat because I love living alone but I couldn't afford it, so I figured the next best thing was a shared house with strangers because you are under no obligation to do things for or with them. Sounds a bit mean but it's true. I had this fantasy of living with university students around the same age as me. We would go out together once or twice a week, eat dinner together once a week, watch TV together occasionally and, well, we'd all become besties. It sounds a bit fairytale-like now but at the time I really thought it could be like that. However, it is nothing like that. Firstly, most of my housemates are not students. Secondly, they all work at different times and live very separate lives. Thirdly, they are quite a bit older than me. 

I have broken down my experience into pros and cons so it is easier to follow and it should stop me from rambling on.


Pros

• It is easy to find a room to rent at a good price

I used Spareroom.co.uk and Student.spareroom.co.uk and quickly found a really nice house in my perfect location for a good price. Studio flats and one bedroom flats are usually more expensive so this is a good way to spend less money but still have your independence. Also, many rooms include bills in the price which saves you paying all of the bills separately and having to set them up. If you are a student, you get much more space going private than living in halls and it tends to work out cheaper in major cities like London. 

• You have dedicated space that is yours only

I find that when sharing with friends or family your privacy starts to fade. People are always in your room and you're in theirs. Also, you can have your room as neat or as messy as you want and it doesn't affect anyone else. Who cares what strangers think?

• You cook for yourself and make 100% of the choices

Like when you live alone, you don't have to worry about cooking for anyone but yourself, unless your new housemates are very friendly and you want to cook for them. I love planning my dinners from the day before, knowing I don't have to compromise. It is a sign of freedom. Depending on your house-share and what you have in your room, you make the decisions. You choose what to watch in your room, how to decorate etc. Your room is likely to become your haven, it is definitely mine.

• Easier communication and less stress

I have had much fewer arguments and disagreements regarding the accommodation since living with strangers. We all just do our own thing and stay out of each other's way so there's no need to argue. I have my own cooking utensils etc so they can do what they want with theirs. I did get angry when someone ate my frozen food though. You don't take a woman's chicken dippers and McCain's oven chips. That's not acceptable!

• Meeting new people

You will automatically get to know new people who you will hopefully get on well with. They might become friends for life or just acquaintances, but either way you get the opportunity to meet very local people and that's exciting. It can be lonely living by yourself, so having people in the same house gives you the option to spend time alone or with them. I like my housemates. We're not best friends but I can have a friendly conversation with them all and it's not a waste of oxygen.

                             


Cons

• You don't know the people you will be living with

This is an obvious point as they are strangers but it is worth pointing out. You have no idea who your new housemates will be. I'm not saying they are going to be dangerous but they might be the complete opposite to you. It won't be fun living with someone extremely messy if you're a neat freak. Also, they might lack respect. They don't know you so they might not have a problem with taking/using your things without asking you. One of my housemates have stolen my plate. My only glass plate. I am super frustrated but I will not let it make me too angry. Not. Angry. At. All.

• Annoying housemates

This links to the previous point. There is always a chance that your housemates won't be ideal but you have to be able to work around these differences. If you think it will be too hard living with someone who is really lazy or loud for example, a shared house with strangers isn't for you. Even if you meet the housemates beforehand, you don't get to see someone's true colours until you live with them or are around them often. For example, my housemates don't report anything to our property manager so when things are broken or missing I always have to report it. It is starting to really annoy me, especially because I am the youngest, so this is a big consideration. It is a good idea to try to meet the housemates before signing a tenancy agreement as first impressions count. I was told prior to moving in that the other housemates were students so don't take an estate agent's word as the truth.

• You cook for yourself

Yes this is both a pro and a con. If you can't cook, don't like cooking or just can't be asked you still have to eat and there is no one else to rely on. That might mean buying takeaways a little too often, which is bad for your health and bank account, or living off of ready meals and packet foods, which are also bad for you. Pot Noodles are actually really bad for you. I'd suggest eating Batchelor's noodles instead. They are less likely to result in a heart attack. You're welcome. Food can be sorted amongst housemates though. You might cook together, or if one person loves to cook they might cook for everyone and you do something for them, such as wash the dishes or go grocery shopping.

• Limited storage as all you are guaranteed is a room

You will have access to the kitchen and bathrooms but they are shared so the only space that is yours to do what you want with is your room. Until you get to know your housemates I wouldn't advise leaving your belongings in the shared rooms. However, as the trust develops between you and your housemates you might store things outside of your room. I can't leave anything in the bathroom anymore because my things were always moved. I got home once and found my face towel on the toilet lid! After that I took all of my things out of the bathroom and just carry what I need with me. I have things in the kitchen though, stored away safely.


These are just a few considerations for you to think about before deciding on whether or not to take the plunge and share with strangers. I like to try things for myself so I am happy I made the choice to live with strangers. It's a new experience and I met cool people. However, I have realised that it's too hard to share with people different to me. I don't like people moving or using my things without asking and that's what happens a lot. Lights are often left on when it's already bright, windows are open when it's freezing. It can be very hard at times. It's made me realise that I definitely want my own bathroom so I will be ending my tenancy early. I want to find a cheap studio flat or an en suite large double bedroom to rent. My current property isn't exactly managed to a high specification either. I often get ignored or fobbed off when I have to report something, probably because there is always a problem that I shouldn't have to deal with. There's not much keeping me here so it's time to say ta-ta and set up home somewhere new. Moving again. Fun.

Keep posted for theatre and film reviews, holiday reviews, top tips and so much more. I will also be doing another hot guy and hot woman countdown as they are super fun to do.


TTFN
Shanice x