Housemates and Moving Out

Foreword

This is the first blog in the financial section! What a way to start things off by complaining about the rental market. Well, I suppose this situation is commonplace almost everywhere.

This is the first blog I have finished and posted in a while. There are many private drafts sitting around here. I should finish them sometime.

Living With Housemates

I am lucky to enjoy the idea of living with housemates. With the right people, I would happily spend every day with them. I do not need to be dating someone to want to do that. Sharing a house allows me to split the rent with other people, share chores, and gives everyone some company. There are added struggles, like a higher cost of living, but again, we would have multiple incomes.

Unfortunately, I do not have a choice. Renting is an impossible task where I live, so I have to live with other people either way. God forbid you want to buy a home. The only way to do that is to be stupidly rich. Cheap homes will set you back at least $700 (USD$500) per week.

As much as my preferences make it easier for me, I am still troubled. Just because I want to live with others does not mean I want to live with anybody. I am very selective when it comes to people I want to be around all the time. My worst fear when it comes to moving out is living with people I do not like. Even worse would be if we were friends when we started. There are many horror stories about friends moving in together, only to hate each other by the time the lease is up.

In order to move out, I will have to live with at least two other people. I have one person who has agreed to move out with me. I am optimistic about this prospect. I am not optimistic about having to find another person.

There are so many qualities to look for in a housemate. There are the superficial things, like hobbies, cooking preferences, and what furniture they would want in a shared space. Then, there are the more important aspects. How do they feel about parties, big or small? What about guests staying overnight, or couples? When do they turn off the lights, and when do they expect silence, if ever? I want someone I can get along with as a person, yes, but I need someone I can handle being around 24/7.

As online as I am, I do not cope well with getting to know other people in real life. I have gotten much better at socialising, but it is still very difficult for me to maintain any connections. Most of the people I talk to in real life I do not expect to know long-term. This makes the idea of living with a stranger very daunting.

Ideally, the third person would be someone my friend and I both know. At the very least, I prefer the idea of one of us knowing them. That way, someone can vouch for them. This is an unlikely outcome. My friend does not know many people, either, let alone anyone we would want to live with.

In the end, we will most likely have to live with a stranger. What a shame! I hope this person does not mind moving in with two people who already know each other.

Really, I do not want a stranger in my home. Obviously, it would be their home too. I just want to do things without the awkwardness of a random person. There is a lot more that has to be negotiated when there is another person there. Many of the silly hypothetical plans my friend and I make will be harder to execute when there is an outsider to take into account, if they can happen at all.

Rent is Expensive

As I said earlier, the average home costs at least $700/week. No average person can afford this. To make matters worse, prices are still rising. $700 is the minimum. I am unsure how much flats/apartments cost, but I doubt there will be one that fits my needs. As apartments go, they are smaller. More research will have to be done.

I do not want to live in a townhouse. Here, townhouses are not cute, tall, brick buildings. They are greyscale, cramped boxes with tiny yards and walls too thin. I consider them worse than the suburban nightmares of the 1950s. At least the houses of the 1950s all had driveways! Some complexes do not even have driveways! They are poorly lit, never have hardwood flooring (a personal ick, but still), and are just so dreary. As much as I just complained about size, I would choose a smaller, traditional home in a heartbeat just for the character. Every new housing complex I see angers me.

I have less to talk about here when it comes to affording to rent. I must look into budgeting more. It will be essential. Other than that, I need a separate bathroom. The people I know who share a bathroom hate it. Air conditioning is a must for the sake of my own health. Solar power is desired for the sake of electricity bills. If the property is not a unit, it must be fully fenced and have undercover parking, preferably a lockable garage. Bonus points if it has built-in storage, hardwood floors, and a good dishwasher.

Conclusion

Well, this is all I have to say at the moment. As much as I feel like a YouTuber for asking, I do want to know what property requirements people have. Could you handle sharing a bathroom? Do you want the property to come furnished or unfurnished? Do people have any budgeting tips, or know of any good resources?

Until next time,
Dolly ☆