RedFin gathered 28 questions to ask your potential roommate before moving in and we would like to share our top three favourite that best relates to Coliving.
Your home is your safe place and who you share it with will have an impact on your day-to-day. It is important to get to know who you are going to be interacting in this space and maybe even go beyond being just roommates but creating a genuine friendship.
1) How do you feel about sharing?
Some people simply like to keep their belongings to themselves. Be sure you’re on the same page when it comes to sharing anything, from clothes to groceries. Also, think about shared spaces. How do you designate drawers in the bathroom or space in the fridge? Or, would you both be okay making those spaces more communal?
2) What’s your confrontation style?
Disagreements happen and will likely occur when sharing a space with someone. Establish an effective way to resolve conflict when it arises and before a situation escalates.
CoHousing Houston, an urban village inside in East End, Texas, USA suggests asking yourself, “Am I willing to trade a little bit of convenience for a whole lot of connection?” They go on to say, “Sharing space with people means you might not get to have things exactly your way all the time, but it also means that you won’t suffer from isolation or loneliness.”
3) What do you like to do after work? On the weekends?
The answer to this question can tell you whether this person is generally a homebody or likes to spend their time away from home. If you enjoy hosting get-togethers or other in-home activities such as cooking or meditation, try to work out a schedule so your and your roommate’s events don’t coincide with one another. Or maybe you discover you have common interests and can establish a connection around that.
“If you have decided to live in a shared space, this question can be critical,” states Urban Campus, a Coliving Community. “Moving to a new city alone is a big step, and you should be proud of yourself for getting this far, but you don’t have to do the rest alone. Creating genuine experiences, visiting new places, and surrounding yourself with like-minded people are what we believe to be important aspects of your life, so even if you move here alone, you will be a part of something bigger.”
So now we ask you, what question do you wish you would have asked an old roommate before having made the big move? Or is there a question that you already have in mind for your future mates? Take a look at the other 25 potential questions author, Julia Weaver wrote about!
