Top Questions To Ask Your Potential New Housemate
05 Aug 2022
When it comes to shared accommodation or coliving, housemates can make or break your experience. Although it is hard to control the housemate atmosphere, we try our hardest to make sure all our members get along. Take a look at our coliving etiquette here! Whether or not you are the new flatmate or you have someone else moving in, asking questions during the viewing is important to gauge whether it’s a good fit between yourself and the other housemates. We have devised a list of some of the top questions you should ask your potential new roomie(s). Of course, you don’t have to ask all of these questions (this isn’t an interrogation) but pick a few that you think can help you find out more about this person! :)
Their experiences
1. How long have you been living in (current city)?
This question is an easy one to get the conversation flowing! Not only will it tell you more about them and their experiences but it will also tell you whether they know a lot about the city! You can either explore the new city together or they can give you some recommendations for things to do! Naturally, you can then follow up with this question:
2. What do you do for work?
Finding out what someone does for work is always interesting. There could be a chance that you work in the same industry which automatically can give you something to build a relationship over. If they work in a different industry that can also be interesting and create another topic of conversation.
3. Have you stayed in coliving before? Did you enjoy it?
If the housemate/s have lived in shared accommodation before, chances are high that they will easily navigate around any flatmate issues. If they have you can ask them whether they enjoyed it. If they didn’t enjoy shared living this could be a red flag to watch out for. There might have been a one-off incident that caused them to say this so it is worth asking them why!
4. Where did you live before (current city)?
This question, like some of the above, can help you learn more about the person and gives you the opportunity to potentially explore similar experiences.
Their habits
5. Are you an early riser or a night owl?
Knowing whether your future roomie gets up early in the morning or stays up late is important to know when it comes to aligning schedules or setting quiet hours in the house. For example, if your room is near the kitchen or bathroom you don’t want to get woken up (be it at night or in the morning). So it’s key to establish quiet hours in advance.
6. Do you enjoy cooking? Do you have a favourite recipe or dish?
Cooking is an integral part of coliving and flat sharing! Whether you are cooking for yourself or planning a feast with your flatmates, it is always important to know what everyone is like when it comes to food. Finding out about their favourite dishes can again give you something to bond over or it could also help you learn new things.
7. Are you more organised and neat or a little more on the messy side?
Communal areas, such as the living room and kitchen, should be kept clean. Even if some of the housemates don't care about cleanliness, a certain standard should be kept. Some coliving operators have weekly cleaning of common areas as well as private bedrooms but housemates should agree on basic things such as taking out the bins and washing dishes after use.
8. Do you enjoy staying in or going out more?
There is no right or wrong answer here, again it is just a good question to gauge their personality and interests. If you are viewing an apartment and everyone loves going out but you prefer nights in then maybe you should reconsider whether this is a good home for you (vice versa too)!
Their schedule
9. What’s your day-to-day schedule like?
This will help you understand how you can align your schedule with your new housemates. For example, if they like exercising in the mornings maybe you could do that together. If they like cooking meals in the evening you could see whether you can do food shops together, etc.
10. Will you be working from home or going into the office?
This is definitely one of the more important questions to ask. Since the pandemic, working from home or remotely has become (and still is) quite popular. If you and your flatmates are both/all planning to WFH it may take a few days to see how it’ll work best. If you take a lot of calls you may have to work from your room to avoid disturbing your housemate and vice versa. You both will also have to check whether you enjoy a quiet workspace or whether you both like having background music.
11. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time or on the weekends?
Another great question to see what your roomie is like! Do they enjoy going for hikes, reading books, ordering take-outs, or watching movies? All of these things can help you see whether there are similar interests and hobbies you could do together or in a group!
Their expectations
12. What are your expectations from us, your housemates?
It is important to also ask your flatmates what they expect from you! Keep it fair and bear in mind that they may also have expectations from you. This opens up the conversation and creates a peaceful and transparent atmosphere.
13. Do you have any pet peeves?
This question is good to help you understand how problems can be avoided without them even arising! When they tell you, think about your habits and whether there could be any problems. Also, think about your pet peeves and whether there are certain things you can't stand people doing!
14. What are your thoughts on communal shops (e.g. laundry detergent, bin bags, toilet paper)
Some households like splitting the cost of the communal shops for things such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, dishwasher tabs, bin bags, and so on. Others like creating a rota or checklist to keep track of who bought what. Others just buy everything for themselves. Check with your flatmates how they would like to split these costs.
15. Do you enjoy hosting dinner (parties)?
If you personally enjoy hosting dinners or parties it would be good to know if your future flatmate(s) do too! They can either help host if they enjoy it too, or you can discuss with them how to best plan these types of events so that it's convenient for everyone (so that it doesn't bother anyone).
Their personality
16. When and where did you go on your last holiday?
This question is purely to get to know them a little more. Do they take time off (are they workaholics or do they give themselves a break), what kind of holidays do they enjoy? Are they beach-goers, temple visitors, or avid hikers?
17. How would your friends describe you?
A typical interview question but also another great question to gauge someone's personality and whether or not you would get along! :)
We know that there are many things to think about when you are viewing a new apartment (we have devised a list of general questions to ask, here). But asking your housemates questions is important too! At Casa Mia Coliving you don't need to worry about whether or not you and your housemates are going to be a good fit. Not only do we make sure that our community is made up of like-minded individuals (we have also implemented a pre-selection questionnaire to see whether they are suited to coliving) we also organise social events for everyone in the community to get to know each other, have a look at our community page here. This way you will not only make friends in your home but within the Casa Mia network. You can also find a blog on how to break the ice with your new coliving housemates, here. Once you have gotten over that first awkward 'hey' it'll be smooth sailing from then onwards!
