When it’s time to leave your family and get a place of your own, you will need to decide if you want to live alone or get a roommate. Finding a roommate is not always an easy task as there are several factors to consider when choosing someone to share a home with. One thing to consider is compatibility, do you have several things in common or do you enjoy doing the same things? You are going to spend a great deal of time with this person because you will be living in the same space, cooking in the same kitchen, and watching TV together in the same living room. You will definitely want to take your time when selecting a roommate.   Roommates are generally expected to live harmoniously with the promise of sharing the space and expenses equally. If you have more than one roommate you can run the possibility of running out of hot water, high electric bills, shared amenities and designated cleaning schedules. Whether you are looking for one person to move in with you, or looking to move in with more than one person, it is smart to put some planning and preparation in finding the right roommates. Here are a few tips that can help you create a peaceful friendship with your new found roommate.   Thinking ahead can prevent a dreadful incident later down the road. If you notice red flags that could potentially lead to unpleasant living conditions in the future, try to settle it before moving in together. Getting to know your roommate before moving in can potentially solve some of the issues you may come across, such as lifestyle choices or expected living conditions. People who plan ahead, knowing their roommate for more than a month before moving in together, tend to live more harmoniously and therefore can be more considerate of the people they live with. You will definitely want to determine how your prospective roommate lives prior to signing a lease together. If he/she watches TV and what kind of shows they like, if they like to stay home alone or go out late at night, if they like loud music, have certain eating habits, their degree of cleanliness and so on. You should spend a significant amount of time getting to know your roommate before you move in together. There will be no perfect match, but knowing all of the habits of your possible roommate can help make your living conditions happy and comfortable for both of you.   Looking for an ideal roommate can be like looking for a significant other, you should look and listen for tip-offs and red flags regarding how your prospective roommate lives. Investigate a little bit while you’re at his/her house, are the dirty dishes left in the sink for a long time? As there an abundance of empty beer cans left in the garbage can? These can be signs of how your potential roommate lives which can also help determine if their personality will be a good fit with yours. If you see multiple negative habitual practices that you won’t be able to live with, you may want to look for someone else to move in with.   As all of us know cleanliness is important, make sure that your roommate will stick with the agreed upon chores and avoid conflict. Although you may not expect your home to be spotless all of the time, you will at least want it to be fairly tidy. You can assess the cleaning habits of your prospective roommate by asking about his/her cleaning style. You can then gauge their response to determine if cleaning is of no priority to them or if they will want the home spotless all the time.   By following these simple tips, it can help you identify a compatible roommate so both of you will be happy. Once you find a roommate, you can then start looking for a place to rent. Browse our vacancy list to see what we have available or call a leasing agent at (417) 337-RENT (7368).