Finding Roommates

By iGrad Published September 23, 2009 | 226 Views

• Posted In:
• Lifestyle

Finding A Roommate.

These days, it’s pretty easy to find a roommate. It’s finding the right one that is hard. There are tons of online and offline resources. iGrad happens to recommend easyroommate.com. However, sometimes putting a flyer on a message board at the local café can work just as well. Also, The Chamber of Commerce often know a great local resource for roommates.

Choosing A Roommate.

The key to successfully choosing a new roommate is to start planning how you will select your roommate before you search. Creating a roommate selection process lets you become more organized which allows you to focus on choosing the right roommate.

The ideal roommate selection process involves 6 distinctive steps. The advantage of breaking down the process into steps is that it allows you to concentrate on each part individually without being overwhelmed by the "big picture". So, what does the selection process to find your perfect roommate involve? Let's take a look at each of the 6 steps in detail.

• Plan Questions for Initial Inquiries

  You will need to decide on 4-5 questions you would like to ask during initial telephone and email inquiries. This way you can find out more about a person and decide if you like to invite them to a roommate interview.

• Create a Short List and Schedule Interviews

  Putting together a short list shows you which people closely match the profile of your perfect roommate and would be good candidates to become your new roommate. When scheduling interviews, it's a good idea to meet with potential roommates a few hours apart, so that you don't need to cut interviews short due to the lack of time.

• Interview Potential Roommates

  Roommate interviews can be formal or informal and can be held at any place. For example, you could hold casual interviews over coffee in a local café. Before you start interviewing, you should decide which questions you would like to ask each potential roommate. These questions will help you decide whether a person is the right roommate for you. We have included a list of Potential Questions to Ask a Potential Roommate

• Select a Roommate

  After interviewing all potential roommates, you will need to discuss and select with all existing household members a new roommate. You can do this by comparing each roommate against your perfect roommate recipe.

• Check References

  Talking to people who have lived with your chosen roommate will help you decide if that person will be the right roommate for you. If they haven't lived with roommates before, try speaking to their friends or family as they can help you discover any hidden surprises.

• Ask Your New Roommate To Move In

  Before asking your new roommate to move in, it's a good idea to sleep on your decision overnight. If you still feel confident about your choice in the morning, it's a good sign you've made the right decision.

Potential Questions to Ask a Potential Roommate.

• Have you ever had a roommate before?
• What, if anything, bothered you about your past roommates?
• Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend or other friend who will be staying here frequently?
• Are you promiscuous? (Do not be afraid to ask this one. If you don't want strange people sleeping over a lot, and explain that this is the reason you're asking, it will establish what you consider unacceptable behavior ahead of time.)
• What is your occupation?
• What are your work hours?
• What time do you generally go to sleep and wake up on weekdays and weekends?
• Did/do you have any credit problems?
• Are you willing to co-sign the lease and any other shared fee contracts?

If the person you're talking to refuses to sign these documents, ask why. This is VERY important: trying to hide past credit problems, or reluctance to co-sign the lease, could be a strong indicator of a deadbeat. (Remember, one of the only reasons your roommate has to not cosign the lease is because he/she wants to get out of paying.)

• Discuss whether you will be paying equal rents for equal rooms or if one of you will have a significantly better room (and therefore pay more).
• Do you consider yourself messy or neat?
• Are you willing to help clean common areas, e.g. wash dishes, mop floor, clean fridge, bathroom, etc.?

  If you're freakishly neat and you pick a messy roommate, you'll either end up cleaning twice as much or breaking kneecaps.

• Are you a heavy or light sleeper? If we wake up at different times, will you be able to sleep through an alarm clock?
• If you're sharing a bedroom, this is ESPECIALLY important, as well as, "Can you sleep with the light on?"
• Do you smoke? Drink? Do drugs? If yes to any, how often?
• Do you have any pets? (Remember to find out if pets are allowed in your building.)
• Do you have any major medical conditions?
• What do you like to watch on television
• What music do you listen to?
• Do you listen to music loudly or softly?
• Do you play any musical instruments? When do you usually practice?
• How often do you have guests over?
• Will you want to share costs for food?
• Are you the type that likes to share clothes, CDs, computer, etc.?

Share your roommate stories with iGrad. You might just help another iGrad member avoid the same mistakes you have.

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