Not sure whether to live alone or to live with others? It may seem like living in your own place is the only solution available, but it might be time to consider the alternative. With rising rents on the horizon, sometimes it just isn’t affordable to go it alone. That reduction in rent isn’t always worth the stress that often comes with living with others.

Here, we review the pros and cons of living in a shared apartment – factors you should consider before deciding to keep a place to yourself or to swallow your pride and move in with others.

Housekeeping duties

It goes without saying that housekeeping duties can make or break your time living with others.

Here, living by yourself comes with some great advantages. You can keep the place as tidy or as messy as you desire. There is nobody looking over your shoulder to tell you what to do, or to hold you to account. That being said, every housemate has to have the same standards.

For example – if one flatmate is tidy and the other is messy, things won’t turn out very well. But if both flatmates are messy, they will get on like a house on fire – a dirty house on fire, of course.

Even if both flatmates are tidy, things might not turn out very well. One may have higher standards than the other. So even if both flatmates are very well intended, some habits can begin to get on your nerves. When you’re living with someone for months on end, and after returning home from work after a very stressful day, these small things add up.

Rent

We mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth reiterating: living with others is invariably cheaper than living on your own – often much cheaper!

Rents continue to rise inextricably and, for many, it has become unaffordable. You can split bills and save more over the long term. Your deposit is also going to be lower, too – reducing your initial move-in costs.

That being said, lower rent does come with added costs. We mentioned some of those personal costs above. Not everyone believes that lower rent costs are worth the stress of having to deal with the day to day frustrations of living with others. It doesn’t matter if it’s your best friend – you can quickly fall out with them as their habits become next to unbearable. Your best friend can swiftly transform into your worst enemy.

Friends

The social habits of your flatmate can make or break the experience, too. An introvert is unlikely to enjoy sharing their home with an extrovert. One might enjoy parties, the other might enjoy relaxing each evening.

Sometimes you become great friends with your flatmate. It might be rare, but it happens. Then again, you can always become worst enemies too. There have been many documented cases where one flatmate has either attacked or even killed their flatmate. While these events are rare, you just never know who you’re moving in with – whether they’ve had a serious mental health background or not.

Conclusion

We’ve reviewed some of the factors you need to think about. You need to review your financial situation – whether you can afford to live by yourself.

You also need to think about the type of person you want to live with.

Are they clean? Are they an introvert or extrovert? Are they mature and are they showing signs of being a responsible adult? Do you find other people’s habits grate on you very easily?

These questions will help you decide whether to live by yourself or whether a shared apartment is the right solution for you. Where you live has a massive impact on your mood and happiness. Make the right decision and it can make all the difference.

Triumph is the leading property management company throughout Las Vegas. Check back to our real estate blog for even more great tips on property and how you can improve your home.