The cost of living in the Bay Area is high, which means many renters decide to have roommates in a multi-bedroom apartment. Living with roommates has its pros and cons. Financially you are doing yourself a favor, but you may come across some personal challenges with your roommates and small amount of space. Central Self Storage has some advice on how to be a good roommate by utilizing your own space and resources near the Bay Area.
Tips on how to be a good roommate
Living with roommates can come with uncomfortable conversations, disagreements, and more. To prepare and avoid this from happening you will need clear communication with your roommates. Whether your roommates are your best friends or someone you just recently connected with, don’t be afraid to share your expectations.
Start with a conversation. This will help you all in the future by avoiding misunderstandings and uncomfortable conversations down the road.
3 topics to consider discussing
In order to be a good roommate, you should to listen to your roommates’ expectations relating to topics like these:
- Explain what you are comfortable sharing (groceries, clothes, toiletries, etc.).
- Make it clear what cleaning tasks you expect your roommates to complete on a weekly basis.
- Create boundaries upfront on how you feel about visitors, such as significant others.
Once you have shared your ideas, come to an agreement. Divide the responsibilities among you and your roommates in a way that works best for each of your schedules. Have an understanding of your roommates’ boundaries and consider how you can be respectful whether that be with your noise level or completing your chores.
Don’t forget you can only control your own actions as a roommate. As time goes by you might have to remind your roommates of your expectations, but they may also need to do the same in return. Expectations can change, so be consistently honest and allow your roommates to be the same.
How to best utilize your small space
A shared space means shared belongings. Your apartment may be small, which means you should designate which areas are personal or communal. In the communal spaces, find an organization system that works for you and your roommates to best utilize the storage you have. This space should contain things that are clearly defined as personal or shared.
As for your personal space, you can organize your belongings in a way that works best for you. You may find that you only have a small amount of personal apartment storage. After utilizing the storage you have, only keep what you absolutely need in your apartment and what fits comfortably. Don’t clutter your space with clothes or furniture you don’t always use because that’ll just overwhelm you and your roommates.
Take advantage of a Central Self Storage facility near you
For your items you don’t need all of the time or are saving for a future living situation, choose a storage unit from Central Self Storage in the Bay Area. To find which unit size would best suit your needs, utilize the unit size calculator.
