At first glance, sharing an apartment seems synonymous with friends, parties and a lot of freedom to do whatever you want, right? Not so much!
Sharing an apartment requires much more than the willingness to make new friends.
Responsibility, division of tasks and sharing of expenses are some of the significant details that impact the decision of whether or not to share an apartment.
Want to find out if this is the best option for you? So keep following the post with us.
Split apartment: what are the advantages and disadvantages?
Friends and social life
One of the biggest advantages of sharing an apartment with a friend or friend is the possibility of greater social interaction.
You are never alone and you can always count on the other person’s friendship for the good and bad times of everyday life.
Expense division
Expense sharing is another big advantage, especially if you take into account the high rental price of real estate in big cities.
So, if you want to live in a privileged location, close to work and college, for example, choosing to share the apartment and, consequently, the expenses, is a great deal.
In addition to the rent, water, electricity, gas, property tax and condominium fees are also shared.
Privacy
However, there is a big problem in the division of the apartment: the privacy (or rather, the lack of it).
When sharing the apartment with a friend or friend, both you and the other person lose the possibility of enjoying the space as a whole, in addition to being limited when you want to receive visitors.
Lifestyle
The difference between lifestyles must also be considered. This can be either an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on the affinity between you and your companion or companion.
Imagine if you do the organized and straight-forward type and start to live with a person who is completely disorganized? The possibilities of fights and disagreements are great.
Now, if you share an apartment with a person who has the same lifestyle as you, then things are much easier.
Tips for sharing an apartment with a friend
Made for each other
The tip here is very similar to the previous topic. In other words, you need to be clear about the personality, habits and lifestyle of the person who will share the apartment with you.
Ideally, this person should have a lifestyle similar to yours. This means that if you study and work, it would be interesting for your flatmate to do the same. Thus, your goals and interests will be aligned and coexistence becomes easier.
Also consider whether the person is of the bohemian or “homey” type. A partner who stays up late, enjoys having friends over, and having parties may not be your best option if you are the type who sleeps early and enjoys a quieter life.
This tip is also valid for those who want to share an apartment with a friend or longtime friend. It may even be that you do the “best friend forever” type, but on a day-to-day basis, with the division of responsibilities and expenses, friendship can start to show signs that it is not going well, especially if you have different rhythms of life.
Choose trusted sites
Nowadays there are websites that make the connection between those who have an apartment to share with those who want to rent a shared space.
But do this only on appropriate sites, don’t place ads on social media or common classifieds. You run the risk of attracting people completely out of your reality.
We brought a short list below with some of these sites, keep following.
do an interview
Before closing the deal with the person, call them in for a conversation, preferably in person.
Use this time not only to ask questions, but to analyze the person’s behavior. It is in these moments that small details reveal many things.
Search for extra information
In addition to the profile analysis and the interview, look for extra information about the person. And where is the best place in the world to do this? On the social networks!
It is on these platforms that you will be able to discover the person in detail. See the places she frequents, what she thinks about commonplace matters, among other things.
Rules for sharing apartment
To ensure harmonious coexistence, there is no other way than to establish some rules for everyday life.
See below for the main rules for your apartment.
1. Division of tasks
The first thing you need to do is share the household chores with your new partner.
In general, simple day-to-day tasks should be shared equally, such as washing dishes, preparing meals, taking out the trash, sweeping the house and feeding the pets (when applicable).
You can set a calendar by separating the tasks for each and post it in a visible place like the refrigerator door.
Common environments such as kitchen, living room and bathroom should be included in the list. Rooms are the responsibility of each resident.
However, it is always worth cultivating common sense and adopting the idea of getting dirty, cleaned, picked up, kept. So, the apartment is always tidy and no one is stressed.
2. Sharing common spaces
Some rooms in the house are used in a shared way, such as bathrooms, laundry area and kitchen.
In these places it is interesting to keep some rules to ensure that everyone has the same right to use.
If the residents have similar hours, then the time for using the bathroom, for example, needs to be established so that no one is harmed.
The service area also needs to be divided. Establish a day and time for each resident to wash and iron their own clothes.
In the kitchen, common sense and good conversation apply. That way, everyone takes advantage of the space when they need it.
3. Schedules
Set times for the routine inside the apartment, especially at night.
This is especially interesting for those who have different working hours. You can establish, for example, that between 10 pm and 6 am residents must cultivate silence.
The same can happen for bathing times so there is no tumult when using the bathroom.
4. Personal belongings
There are common objects and personal effects, especially in the bathroom.
You can combine a part of the closet for each one, or stipulate that the belongings will be in the rooms, for example.
The important thing is to take care of your own things and not leave them lying around, so that products and clothes are not damaged or lost.
5. Visits, meetings and parties
Pay close attention to this topic. It could be that you and your companion or flatmate have the same friends, but it could be that the crowd is totally different.
And in this case, coexistence problems can occur because of the noise and even the use of drinks.
Establish days and times that these social meetings can take place and, always, conversation is the best way. Also remember to give advance notice.
6. Cleaning on time
In addition to day-to-day tasks, it is also important to ensure complete cleaning of the apartment, including washing the bathrooms and kitchen, cleaning the windows, among other “heavy” tasks.
You can choose to hire a cleaning lady and share this expense, or choose to do the cleaning together.
7. Common refrigerator
The refrigerator is another common space that residents will need to learn to share.
And here it is important to establish some rules. First, don’t hide food. This is a selfish and inelegant attitude. Prefer, instead, to determine spaces in the refrigerator for each resident.
Thus, the person knows what belongs to each one. Another idea is to label pots, lunchboxes and packages with the person’s name.
If you share meals, establish what is for collective use and what is for personal use.
8. Inventory of the apartment
Just in case, it costs nothing to do an inventory of the apartment before receiving the new resident.
This means photographing and writing down everything that already exists in the apartment, including furniture, appliances and other utensils. Also record the state of conservation of each of these equipment.
That way, when the apartment is delivered, it’s easier to know the costs that will need to be divided.
Sites to share apartment
Check out some sites that you can safely use to share an apartment with a friend or friend.
easyroom
Easyquarto allows you to rent or find apartments to share. There are several options throughout Brazil, but with a greater focus on sharing apartments in student republics.
Moovein
Moovein is another safe and reliable option for sharing apartments. The site has free and paid functions, highlighting the elaborated profile that it makes of users.
roongo
At Roongo it is possible to rent and offer rooms all over Brazil. The profile of users is quite variable, ranging from young students to seniors.
webroom
The Webquarto has numerous room options throughout Brazil, with detailed description and photos. You can either rent or advertise houses.
And then ready to share your apartment?
