Sometimes when we are out on our own it is not easy to afford rent, utilities and other bills. Their may come a time when we have to find a roommate to help with the expenses. Once you have decided on getting a roommate, the first thing you should do is to start asking around. Casually mention to friends, neighbors, co-workers etc. that you are looking. Their are also several other places to look and advertise. Try your local paper, look at bulletin boards in coffee shops and other places. Online resources have become quite popular these days with people looking for roommates try craigslist.org or roommates.com. For a fee you can also use a roommate referral service. After you have a promising prospect you will need to take the next step. Finding out if your compatible.
You will basically need to set up an interview. You can do this over the phone or email.It is better over the phone it is a little more personal. Just asking a few simple questions can basically let you know if you want to meet them. I personally have had a couple of roommates and I screened them over the phone. The basic questions to ask would be do they work? What hours do they work? But the easiest way to do this and avoid wasting your time and theirs is to let them know your rules. Such as looking for a non-smoker, no pets, quiet mature working person. This is very important that you lay down your rules. You don’t want them to move in and then have a major problem. Another great suggestion is to mention cleaning rules. Basically I tell them to clean up after themselves and help at least once a week with basic cleaning in the kitchen and living room. Their bedroom and if they have their own bathroom is their responsibility to keep clean. You don’t want to seem like a drill sargent but you need to let them know their are house rules.
Remember do not make a choice out of desperation. Trust me! You will regret it. Once they have passed the telephone interview it’s time to meet. You want to make sure you have a roommate that is easy to talk to. If you don’t it will be hard to bring up any issues that might come up. This part was hard for me. I do enjoy company but not all the time. You have to make sure you ask about them about house quests. Hopefully they will be honest. Here is an example you let the roommate move in and a few days go by no company. Then all of a sudden their significant other starts to come over allot. Then their spending allot of nights over. You have to set the ground rules. Tell them you can have one overnight guest one night a week or no overnight guests. Whatever you feel comfortable with. I highly recommend drawing up a roommate agreement. Just put in the agreement the amount of their expenses, and the household rules. If they sign it hopefully they will abide by it. Just be patient and you will find the right roommate for you!
