Sociability
Is home a haven of retreat from the world? Or is it a place for friends to gather? Is your shared dwelling simply a place to sleep and store clothes? You don't have to be in agreement with your Home-mate(s) on this. One person may simply need a place to sleep and keep clothes, while another may host large dinner parties. This can work very well, provided all are in agreement about how the space is being used. But if one person needs quiet by 9:30 p.m. and the dinner parties usually end at 11:00 pm, with noisy comings and goings, there will be conflict. Think about what you want and need around sociability.
Sources: Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates
Contributors: Annamarie Pluhar
Recommended Books: Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates
Television
In the average American household, the television is on for more than four hours a day. Many households have a television in every room in the house. Some don't have a television at all. What are your habits concerning television? What are your preferences for what you watch and when? What can you live with in terms of having television on in the kitchen, living room, and other common areas? What "must you have" concerning television and what would you "like to have" in your living space?
Sources: Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates
Contributors: Annamarie Pluhar
Recommended Books: Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates
Alcohol Consumption & Drug Use
Think about your tolerance for drinking and drugs. If you are a non-drinker, moving into a home of heavy drinkers is not going to be a happy arrangement. If you like to use recreational drugs, you shouldn't move into a home that says "no drugs."
Sources: Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates
Contributors: Annamarie Pluhar
Recommended Books: Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates