Roommates
By bkittybaby
@bkittybaby (87)
United States
February 7, 2007 4:03pm CST
I have my own home and I just made it through the end of the first year. As all new homeowner's know, they hike up your taxes and insurance at that point. That is where I am now.
It was great the first year. I had freedom, independence, the pride in knowing that this was all mine. Now what I have is more bills than I can really manage. I could maybe make it, but I don't want to have to worry about money all the time.
So I have been thinking about getting a roommate. I have been putting it off because I lived with my fiance and his best friend right out of highschool. We learned real quick that being good friends doesn't mean you will be good roommates!
There is definitely a lot of stress involved in getting a roommate. What if we don't get along? What if they are a total slob? What if our work schedules just clash, since mine is always changing? What if they never pay bills on time?
Then there is the other side of it. This is MY house, meaning I will have to deal with whatever they do to MY property. What if they destroy things? What if I have a hard time kicking them out? I know I would write up a good contract that would give me the option to kick them out when I needed, but they could wreck things anyways.
I have thought about trying to room with my little brother, as he currently still lives at home. The problem is, we don't get along that great. Now that we don't live together, it has gotten better, but we still get on each other's nerves if we spend too much time together. I could definitely use the money though. And he would be someone safe to move in. He is also getting a new job where he would travel a lot. That could make it easier. But if he will never be there, why would he want to split half my bills when he can live with mom and dad for dirt cheap?
So I have this dilemma. Do you have any advice for finding a roommate, or what kinds of things to ask to screen a roommate? Any war stories or good stories about this to share? I would love to hear your thoughts.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@kgwat70 (13387)
• United States
21 Mar 07
I own a townhouse and have been doing the roommate thing for the past 5 years. I have had some good roommates and then I have had some bad ones as well. It can be difficult trying to find the right roommate. You should ask them questions about their personality, likes and dislikes, career that they are working and maybe goals. I like to joke around to see if they have a good sense of humor and find out if we have anything in common. I just interviewed two people this evening and they both seem really nice. I have not had any problems with things being destroyed. You can always to a background check or ask for references.
@mama_of_two (268)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I could tell you one thing about roommates. They stink! If I could live by myself again, I would. I never had to deal with roommates until I moved here to Florida, and, due to being so expensive to live in Miami, you have to have a roommate. Plus, right now, I can't work outside of the home until the baby gets a bit bigger.
Anyways, my best advice for you to do is to interview potential roommates. Talk to them by meeting them by doing lunch with them or whatever you think is appropriate. This way, you can see what type of person they are, such as are they a messy eater or do they have polite manners. You can tell a lot from a person who eats. Once you have done this, then invite them to your home and let them hang out with you - basically, become friends with them. If you think that they are appropriate for you, then ask them for references and check them out. This way, you can find out if they pay their rent on time or not.
I would also do a public record search at your local police department or online to see if they have ever been arrested for violent crimes, theft, etc. You don't want to have someone who has been to jail and convicted of a horrible crime. You just never know now who can do what and what they will do.
The last time that I had really bad roommates is when I was trying to kick this one guy out, and he wouldn't leave. He basically blackmailed me in letting him stay there. It was horrible, and now I am very leary of how people are who need a place to stay.
@vkkesu (78)
• United States
7 Feb 07
Welcome to the real world. lol. The bills will continue to get worse, just like the taxes.
I have a couple of friends who when through a room mate finder company and really liked it. They screened everyone and had extremely in depth interviews and applications.
I did have a friend move in years ago and it was really tough! I hated having people come and go from my house I didn't know...but my room mate did know them.
You could talk to your brother and try it first, but a real sit down w/ rules would have to be settled first. An agreement that you are room mates and could back out if it didn't work would have to be made. Good Luck
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