From house parties to hummus pasta (don’t try it, trust me), the transition to a student house brings its pros and cons. On top of paying bills, taking the bins out, and organising viewings for next year’s property, students are also faced with the realisation that hallmates aren’t necessarily the perfect housemates. So, here are ten tips to help you take the stress out of shared spaces.
Make a cleaning rota
Whip out that Excel spreadsheet and stick a termly rota on your fridge. With this simple change, everyone will know what task they are responsible for, to avoid underlying tensions and keep the house spick and span.
Put your mess in your room
Every house has a coat that lives on the sofa or a pile of books that “Don’t take up too much space” at the bottom of the stairs. As a general rule, if it’s yours and it doesn’t belong in the kitchen or bathroom, dump it in your bedroom before someone ends up tripping over!
Hide your special stuff
Does that jar of Biscoff spread look emptier to you? If confrontation terrifies you as much as it does me, avoid the drama by keeping your treasured food and valuable items in your bedroom. Problem sorted!
Label food and shelf space
The keys to a peaceful kitchen are a sharpie and some white stickers. Set out everyone’s separate storage space and label identical boxes of cereal to avoid unnecessary food-based “Who done it?” scenarios.
Have a ‘borrowing’ policy
Part of living in a shared house is acknowledging that everyone is human and therefore will forget to buy milk every now and then. Rather than mercilessly keeping your stock under lock and key, show some lenience if your housemate asks for an emergency supply – one day, you will want the favour repaid!
Stay on top of bills
Bills included? You can skip this one. For the rest of us, sorting out and paying for bills is a daunting process usually taken on by the bravest (and most organised) housemate. Show some appreciation for their efforts by transferring your contribution to them on time.
Keep the group chat at meme-level
You heard me: do not, I repeat do not send that passive aggressive message about someone’s lack of personal hygiene on the group chat. These things are much better said in person, no matter how awkward it may seem for you.
House nights out
All too often, the connections we had with our housemates in first year can become blighted by the mundaneness of living together. Organising nights out and the odd day trip can go a long way in keeping things fun!
Make time for house meals
Agree on a date to cook a house meal and keep to it. While lighting the candles and cooking up a roast may seem a little over the top, the great conversations and slightly heated monopoly games will create memories that you can treasure in years to come.
Live in your own time zone
Like to have your dinner at 5pm? You do you! The student week is hectic and varied and a shared house can often feel crammed. Keeping to individual time scales is the perfect way to remedy any feelings of cabin fever.