subject: How to Survive Living in Flatshare [print this page] Author: Padz Ltd Author: Padz Ltd
As city centre rents continue to rise, many people are choosing to live in shared accommodation such as flatshares to help spread the cost of living. Flatshares can also be a great way of keeping up your social life and making new friends. Living in a flatshare is not without its problems though and sharing a space with other flatmates is always a compromise. Often the two biggest problem areas are kitchens and bathrooms.
Managing Flatshare Kitchens
Kitchens in flatshares are often the number one problem area, with unfinished washing up and arguments over food being the two biggest complaints.
One of the best ways to deal with flatshare washing up and to make sure that each flatmate pulls their weight and that the kitchen stays tidy is to agree a washing up rota. Each flatmate takes it in turn to do all the washing up for the entire flatshare. If they don't do it one night then they also have to do the next nights washing up as well.
Fridge space is another common issue with the fridge containing five different cartons of milk for each of the flatmates, with one that went off a week ago. An easy solution to this is for flatmates to agree a flat budget for basic essentials such as milk, bread, butter and essential cleaning products. All flatmates pay a set amount in to the budget each month and flatmates take it in turn to buy the essentials. This can save dramatically on fridge space, and also prevents those arguments about stealing each others food.
Managing Flatshare Bathrooms
The other classic problem area in flatshares is the bathroom. The key here is timing. Flatmates need to agree upon a schedule for the mornings to allow everyone to use the bathroom and still get to work on time. Once the sequence has been established then all flatmates need to stick to the schedule so that the next person will get their slot.
Bathrooms cleaning is the one task that no flatmate wants to volunteer for. The best and most realistic solution here can be to just hire a cleaner for this space. The cost of an hours cleaning once a fortnight split between all of the flatmates is negligible and it allows all the flatmates to have a more pleasant experience each morning.
Living in a flatshare can be great fun, and with just a few simple steps those classic problem areas in kitchens and bathrooms can be resolved.
When living in flatshare the two biggest problem areas are often kitchens and bathrooms. By just agreeing on a few simple routines flatmates can find a flatshare a far more enjoyable experience. About the Author:
PADZ Ltd was developed to provide better communication between agents, landlords and tenants, PADZ offers comprehensive property to rent and houses for rent services and works on a global scale.
