Pros and Cons of Roommates: Should You Get One?
Wondering whether or not your moving out plans should include a roommate?
Moving into your first apartment is a big decision, but decided whether or not you want someone to join you is even bigger.
There are pros and cons of roommates and living alone, so it’s important to weigh your options carefully before making a decision.
Pros and cons of roommates
1. Pro: Save money on rent and bills
One of the biggest advantages of having roommates is that it’s much cheaper than living alone. When you have roommates, you can split the cost of rent, utilities, and other household expenses evenly between everyone who lives in the space. This can help you save a lot of money each month, particularly if you’re on a tight budget.
2. Con: Lack of privacy
Having roommates means sharing your living space with other people. That means that privacy is often at a premium. Even if those people are friends or family, someone being in your space all the time is often way too much. If privacy is important to you, then living with roommates may not be the best option for you.
3. Pro: Don’t have to eat alone
Eating by yourself can be a lonely experience for some of us. If you live by yourself there are bound to be days that you’re eating alone… probably a lot of them. But if you have roommates, you can share meals together and spend some quality time in the kitchen. You may even find that your roommates are better cooks than you are!
4. Con: Your stuff might get damaged or lost
When you live with other people, there’s always a risk that something might happen to your belongings—whether it’s an accident or intentional damage. Of course, this is always a risk when you live by yourself too but chances are you’ll be the one to blame. To protect yourself against these risks, make sure that all of your valuables are properly insured before moving in with your roommates. You might also want to set up some roommate rules that you all agree to before hand too.
5. Pro: Potential life-long friend
Roommates can be great companions, and having someone to live with can give you someone to chat with at the end of the day. We all need someone to talk to from time to time, and it’s nice to know that there’s always someone around when you need them. With roommates, you always have someone nearby who can lend a sympathetic ear or offer some words of wisdom. Pending you get along…
6. Con: Might not get along
You may not get along with your roommates—and that can be a big problem. One of the biggest potential downside of having roommates is that they may drive you crazy! It’s important to choose your roommates carefully so that you’re sure that you’ll get along. But even then, there’s no guarantee that things won’t go wrong at some point. If you do wind up having disagreements with your roommates, be sure to communicate openly and resolve them as quickly as possible so that they don’t cause any lasting damage.
7. Pro: Someone to hangout with
Whether you’re watching TV, playing video games, or just hanging out, it’s always more fun with friends. And if your friends just happen to be your roommates, then you’ll never have to worry about being bored—or feeling like a third wheel when all your coupled-up friends want to do is spend time with each other.
8. Con: Need to check if you can have visitors
Living with another person means you need to take their feelings into consideration, and that might mean not having people over whenever you want. If you have a roommate who doesn’t like bringing people over, or is uncomfortable with strangers being in the house, then it’s important to respect that and accommodate their needs.
9. Pro: Extra set of hands
Doing things by yourself — like putting together a bed or moving your living room furniture around can be a real pain by yourself. Having a roommate means having an extra set of hands around that can help you out. It can make things considerably easier.
10. Con: Compromise is real
Living with roommates does require some level of compromise. For example, if you’re a neat freak who likes things a certain way, but your roommates are messy slobs, then you might have to adjust your expectations a bit. The same goes for noise levels, sleeping habits, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
11. Pro: Help with the chores
Unfortunately, becoming an adult doesn’t mean leaving the chores behind. Chores are an inevitable part of life, and growing up simply means taking on bigger chores. But they’re a lot easier to tackle when you have someone to help you out.
12 Con: Roommate drama is real and it’s no fun
Anytime you put two or more people together in close quarters, there’s bound to be some conflict. While it’s totally normal to butt heads with your roommates from time to time, roommate drama can quickly spiral out of control if it’s not dealt with properly. If you find yourself constantly arguing with your roommates, it might be time to sit down and have a frank discussion about your expectations and boundaries.
13. Pro: You can make new friends
Making friends as an adult can be a real challenge, which is where roommates come in. If your roommate is a new-to-you person there’s the potential that they’ll come with a set of friends. Maybe you’ll hit it off with one of their friends and make a new friend in the process. There’s nothing more exciting than adding another friend to your roster, so give it a shot.
So, should you get a roommate?
All in all, there are both pros and cons to having roommates. It ultimately comes down to what’s most important to you and what kind of lifestyle you want to lead. If saving money is your top priority, then getting roommates is probably the way to go.
But if having complete control over your living situation is more important to you, then it might be better to live alone. Whichever option you choose, make sure to weigh all the factors carefully before making a decision—after all, this is one of the first big choices you’ll make as an adult!
