Flat share

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KaMoS

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I just bought a 2 bedroom flat and I'm considering getting flat mate. My motivation is purely financial, a passive income will help a lot. I'm easy going and I get along with people quite easily.

Just want to know how you feel about this? I specifically want to hear from people who have done this before.

Edit: See my latest post, need some tips on flat sharing...
 
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Just remember, whomever you get to live with you is another person (crazy, I know!) with their own way of doing things, their own filthy habits and their own issues.

You'll be lucky as hell to find someone you get along with and who doesn't step on your toes.

If you don't have to live with someone then don't.
 
Lycanthrope said:
Just remember, whomever you get to live with you is another person (crazy, I know!) with their own way of doing things, their own filthy habits and their own issues.

You'll be lucky as hell to find someone you get along with and who doesn't step on your toes.

If you don't have to live with someone then don't.
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+1

I have also thought of doing the flat / house share thing since I moved to Cape Town 2 months ago, but then I start thinking what if the person is a party animal that has no privacy norms?

Also my problem is that I am studying and working, and when exam time hits it is me and cramming time, thus any disturbance is a big problem.
 
Lycanthrope said:
Just remember, whomever you get to live with you is another person (crazy, I know!) with their own way of doing things, their own filthy habits and their own issues.

You'll be lucky as hell to find someone you get along with and who doesn't step on your toes.

If you don't have to live with someone then don't.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I understand that everyone has their own quirks and personality. I'm a very good judge of character, so I'll make sure that I 'interview' the person first and maybe get some references, before moving in with them.

I tend to do my own thing and most of the people that I hang out with socially are similar, pity they don't need a room to move into...
 
KaMoS said:
Agreed. I understand that everyone has their own quirks and personality. I'm a very good judge of character, so I'll make sure that I 'interview' the person first and maybe get some references, before moving in with them.

I tend to do my own thing and most of the people that I hang out with socially are similar, pity they don't need a room to move into...
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Where is this flat?
 
I've done it a few times it's really not so bad. One thing that can be problematic is if the one flat mate has a girlfriend then it's always awkward. In the previous place I lived in the guy had a girlfriend and they were always there on weekends so I spent most of the time in my room as I don't want to sit with them the whole time.

I recently bought my own place and instead of living there I rented out the whole thing and is living very happily in a Commune.
 
TheGuy said:
I've done it a few times it's really not so bad. One thing that can be problematic is if the one flat mate has a girlfriend then it's always awkward. In the previous place I lived in the guy had a girlfriend and they were always there on weekends so I spent most of the time in my room as I don't want to sit with them the whole time.

I recently bought my own place and instead of living there I rented out the whole thing and is living very happily in a Commune.
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I think that people should respect one another but if there is a communal place in the house, i.e. lounge, I will sit there WITH them because it's communal. If they want private time they can go to the room, that's a private place for them to do whatever.

One of my buddies raised a similar concern, when he asked me how I would handle couples. My answer was that I wouldn't take on a couple but to share the room and if someone moves in that has a partner, we'll have to set some ground rules regarding sleep overs, visits, food, etc. I understand that everyone needs someone, but you need to respect each other's space. If there's that mutual respect then I think things will work out OK.
 
I have lived with friends, strangers etc and things can get a little insane.
Make sure you set rules from the start. Things like but split shelves on the fridge, for you and your flatmate. Dishes should be done by whoever makes them and on the same day (most of the time), splitting of cleaning materials, other people staying over etc.

Trust me when i say this, even the most easy going people snap sometimes. I once went insane over a burger that my flatmate ate (i had a takeaway, left it in fridge, and had been thinking about the sucker the whole day). It was because there were other things building up and i just picked that thing to go psycho on.

How old are you? I had some killer times as well with my flat mates, i was younger though and it was pretty cool to come home , open some beers and have a night turn into a blast!
DO a credit check on the flatmate as well, and make sure insurance covers all items in the place
 
tau1z said:
I have lived with friends, strangers etc and things can get a little insane.
Make sure you set rules from the start. Things like but split shelves on the fridge, for you and your flatmate. Dishes should be done by whoever makes them and on the same day (most of the time), splitting of cleaning materials, other people staying over etc.

Trust me when i say this, even the most easy going people snap sometimes. I once went insane over a burger that my flatmate ate (i had a takeaway, left it in fridge, and had been thinking about the sucker the whole day). It was because there were other things building up and i just picked that thing to go psycho on.

How old are you? I had some killer times as well with my flat mates, i was younger though and it was pretty cool to come home , open some beers and have a night turn into a blast!
DO a credit check on the flatmate as well, and make sure insurance covers all items in the place
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Thanks for the advice. Hope to see more informative post like this one...
 
I am doing this currently. For me the problem is just with house cleaning etc. But I learned to live with it. I just got a maid in once a week and I can work with the rest of the week. It is just if someone didn't help it would get overwhelming really quickly.

And if you get a neat freak like me, you might get irritated with him/her really quickly. Instead of splitting the fridge why not pool money together and get the essentials together. R300 ought to be enough, if you guys don't regularly cook.
 
I have been through the same thing as a tudent AND when comming back from overseas. A friendly tip: forget about laying groundrules...these get broken leading to fights. The biggest isues in sharing are:

1. Dirty dishes
2. Noise
3. Cost of food and essentials.

So I suggest:

1. Buy a dishwasher
2. Find the most boring flatmate by extensive interviewing.
3. Get a housecleaning service that provide ALL their own cleaning products.
4. Do NOT have a communal fridge...we each had our own barfridge in our rooms.

Sounds crazy but it WORKS...otherwise sharing ALWAYS becomes a nightmare especially if you work.
 
Johnone said:
Was at Royal Ascot a couple of weeks ago. The apartments look quite posh; a little small though.
But for how much are they selling those apartments?
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Depends on the complex and the unit type, it varies from R600k for 1 bedroom to R1.2 for 3 bedroom.

It is a nice well looked after community. And the levies are reasonable.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using MyBroadband Android App
 
Interview the prospective tenants.

I have had flat mates before and they have all become my friends over the years.

Also, get a deposit.
 
KaMoS said:
Depends on the complex and the unit type, it varies from R600k for 1 bedroom to R1.2 for 3 bedroom.

It is a nice well looked after community. And the levies are reasonable.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using MyBroadband Android App
Click to expand...

So, did you buy cash, or are you paying off the bond? Are you looking for a flatmate to help pay off your bond? There's nothing wrong with that. I just think personally you shouldn't before hand say to whoever you interview to stay with you, that that guy is buying the place for you. People tend to get emotional about money.

How does that saying go: Die een se dood is die ander se brood...

For you it's passive income; for the other it's quite an expense/liability.
 
Johnone said:
So, did you buy cash, or are you paying off the bond? Are you looking for a flatmate to help pay off your bond? There's nothing wrong with that. I just think personally you shouldn't before hand say to whoever you interview to stay with you, that that guy is buying the place for you. People tend to get emotional about money.

How does that saying go: Die een se dood is die ander se brood...

For you it's passive income; for the other it's quite an expense/liability.
Click to expand...

Bond. I don't see it as the flat mate paying off my bond pr helping me. It's an additional income, I can pay my bond on my own. It's a mutually beneficial agreement, that's how I like to see it.

I will make it clear that I have a bond and that paying me rent is helping me out financially.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using MyBroadband Android App
 
I am currently sharing a place with a friend. And although we both have our irritating habitats (she leaves her used teaspoons on the counter and i constantly lock her cat out the house quite by accident) we get over it and move on. We havent split up the fridge or anything. We each pool in R300 for food a month and theres never any arguments. We have a maid that comes in once a week and the dishes are done by us on rotational basis. We have been living together like this for 6 months.

Screen whoever you move in with and make sure they fit YOUR lifestyle and personality. Ie.. if you arent a party goer make sure they dont intend inviting 30 ppl over every weekend etc.
 
I once shared with people I didn't know and would never do it again. The aggravation was not worth the money.
 
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