GET IT ALL

How does dust and dirt happen?  It's a fact of life. Every home requires a certain list of tasks:

• Cleaning the kitchen
• Cleaning the bathroom(s)
• Dusting and vacuuming
• Washing floors
• Taking out the trash
• Taking out the compost
• Doing the recycling

These are common. In addition, a home may have a particular set of needs for instance maybe:

• A green house to be watered
• A wood stove to be cleaned of ash
• Firewood to be split and carried in
• A hot tub to be cleaned

Some households may choose to hire outside cleaning help rather than manage the tasks, some property owners may feel they are responsible for all space except the portion the Home-Mate(s) rent. However, the agreement, living under one roof all can have responsibility for sharing the tasks.

Maintenance tasks take time and effort. Unless the home is something that is rented where the landlord takes care of outdoor tasks there are tasks around the property that need to be done. Mowing lawns, shoveling snow, and weeding flower beds are much less onerous when the tasks are shared with fellow Home-Mates. In fact, the care for flowers and vegetables and the creation of a garden can be a shared pleasure.

A Home-Mate can feed the cat when you know you won't be home at dinnertime or let the dog into the backyard when delayed by traffic. Going away for the weekend or a vacation? Again, the Home-Mate can help out. There are many variations on this theme depending on the preferences of both people. When more than one Home-Mate has a pet a fair exchange of trading tasks can be a big help.