What Makes the Perfect Housemate? We Do Some Digging

Have you ever house-shared? For anyone who’s ever had to share their home with a housemate, you’ll know that house-sharing can be the best thing in the world or the bane of your life. There are certainly perks and pitfalls that come with living with a total stranger. Will they be the type of person who enjoys a cosy night in and goes to bed at 10 o’clock, for example, or will they love a 4AM loud music session? Finding the perfect housemate can sometimes be a process of trial and error, but there are certain common traits that are desirable any time a new person moves in. Can you guess what they are? We’ve broken down the top traits of a ‘perfect’ housemate so that when it comes to finding a new one, you’ll know exactly what to look for. Happy house-sharing!

Smoking or non-smoking?

Now that smoking is a far less common habit in the UK, it should come as no surprise that the majority of housemates would prefer to live with a non-smoker than a smoker. The primary reason listed for this was that smokers were more likely to start smoking indoors and create a smoky environment for those who didn’t. If you’re on the hunt for a new home, ditch the fags, change your listing to ‘non-smoker’ and you’ll have more chance of getting a viewing!

Best friends or strangers?

Whilst you might assume that most people would want to live with their best friends, a study from comparethemarket.com revealed that 61% of people would rather not live with their best friend! This was for fear that they would fall out, and given that your housemate will likely see you at your very best and very worst, this is more understandable. 22% said that they would actually prefer to share with strangers, which suggests that the remaining 78% would like to live with somebody that they know – if not a best friend.

Top 5 Housemate Traits:

A 2016 study from Betta Living revealed these as the best traits for any housemate. Read and take note!

1. Tidy
2. Hygienic
3. Humorous
4. Thoughtful
5. Thrifty / good with money

3 Most Common Housemate Bugbears:

And now, the ones to avoid. Here are the most common issues that crop up time and again with frustrating housemates!

• Not washing up. Dishes piling up in the sink and around the surfaces is never a pretty sight, and this mess was listed as one of the most common irritants of living with housemates. Wash it up, put it away and keep everyone happy!
• A housemate eating food that isn’t their own. If you’ve ever lived with a food snatcher, then you’ll know the pain of opening the fridge to find that your much-anticipated dinner has disappeared!
• Not sharing cleaning duties. Nothing is more frustrating than living with a housemate who doesn’t even know where the hoover is, never mind how it works. Communal areas are quick to clutter, and so sharing out the cleaning is listed as one of the best ways to ensure that the house stays harmonious.

And there you have it! A quick and easy guide to what makes the perfect housemate. How many of these traits can you apply to yourself? If you’re looking for a new place to rent, then get in touch with our MoveNow Properties team. We have plenty of properties available in Wakefield and the surrounding areas.