It’s always a learning experience to meet someone new. Now, whether this becomes a pleasant experience or not is in your hands. To prevent awkwardness and just plain miscommunication, it is necessary to just flat out discuss certain things with your new condo roommate. You’ve done well in finding the right condo roommate so now it’s all about keeping that them around and building a relationship beyond association through sleeping space proximity.
Some of the things to discuss with your condo roommate include:
Who you are
If you want to learn more about that person you’re going to be splitting the condo bills with, expect to share a few things about yourself. You don’t want to overwhelm anyone so stick with the basics. No need to pour your heart out on your first chat how you’ve never been able to find someone new when your ex left.
The animal issue
Beyond the cats-versus-dogs condo roommate arguments, you want to know where this new person in your life stands when it comes to animals. Condos generally don’t allow pets so this shouldn’t really be a problem, but this will let you avoid unnecessary tension that will get in the way of bonding as roommates. Apparently, not everyone is into I-Can-Has-Cheezburger so you have to be careful.
Domestication 101
At this point you will have already learned a couple of skills that will help you tend to your home. Hopefully, so did your new roommate. No one expects you to be a Martha Stewart, but knowing how to clean up after yourself is an excellent way not to make your roommate want to leave.
Music preference
There’s nothing like mutual love for a band to instantly build bonds with a total stranger. Even if you did have different tastes, this will give you an opportunity to explore genres you just never had a reason to listen to. At the very least, you’ll also be able to discuss how loud music has to be to be appreciated inside your condo.
Food preference
There’s nothing more awful for a strict vegetarian to see slabs of meat in their freezer so do make sure the subject of food preference is discussed. More than just getting a general clue on whether they like Italian or Japanese, this will also clue you in on food allergies and nuisances. Vegetarians and carnivores can co-exist and a discussion will facilitate that.
Clothing preference
If you’re a girl, you’re probably well-versed on the importance of a wide-ranging wardrobe. If you’re going to be roomies with one and you’re luckily generally of the same size, you’re potentially looking at doubling your closet size. You may even win yourself an instant stylist to give you that much-needed update on your look. But even when you’ve become the “bestest” of friends, never forget to ask first! No one likes people pawing through their stuff without permission.
Waking hours
Some people are morning persons. Some people are not. Many just don’t have the luxury of waking up when they want to. This is important to discuss with your roommate so you can both be considerate of giving each other shut-eye. People have been killed for far less than simply disrupting their roommate’s beauty sleep.
Personal belongings
Different people will have different circumstances coming into a roommate agreement. And with these circumstances, come literal baggage. Sometimes it’s for everyone’s peace of mind; sometimes it’s just not logistically possible to cram a lot of furniture in a one-bedroom unit. To make room for them, you may have had to let go of a few of your things so your roommate should also be open to the idea that they just can’t bring everything with them to your place.
Security threats
A condo in the Philippines is generally kept safe by building management through a number of measures. You should have no problems with security but you just don’t know how persevering your roommate’s psycho ex is. That’s why you’re going to want to know if there are any such concerns your roommate will be bringing when they start living with you.
Are you a party animal?
One of the most interesting topics to discuss with your condo roommate is what they do with their friends. You’ll learn a lot about your roommate this way and more about the people they hold close to their heart. Knowing what they do for fun will also help you strike a balance in your lives to achieve lasting peace in the condo.
Is there someone special?
No one really likes surprises, most especially the kind where the other party doesn’t have clothes on, so it would be a big help if you have at least an idea of what to expect. Privacy is important so knowing that the other will require it from time to time will aid you in coming up with a schedule that works for everyone. If you had someone special, you’d want the same kind of consideration, right?
Is interior design your forte?
If you’ve been living in condo or other real estate properties in the Philippines for a while, chances are you’ve already figured out the look of your unit. If you’ve kept it more or less generic, then you should not have any problems with your roommate. If you want your roommate to feel more at home in the condo though, it may be a good idea to introduce quick home improvements that will incorporate their preferences. Talk to them about this. It’s not just you living in it, after all.
Creating personal space
Since you have a roommate, this automatically lessens any kind of autonomy you may have been enjoying before. There’s just another person there and that will force interaction no matter how sociable you are. It is important that you let your roommate into your life but that doesn’t mean sacrificing personal space. You are your own person and so is your roommate.
Adult matters
Talking about how to split bills is hardly an interesting topic but get it out of the way at the soonest time possible and you’ll sooner enjoy your talks with your neighbor. Think of it like getting the formalities out of the way. It is unpleasant but necessary, but if you’ve got a roommate who’s at least got a third of the mindset of a proper adult, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Ground rules
Order is necessary for peace and you get that by making some rules very clear. You don’t have to go Sheldon Cooper on your new roommate, but at least agreeing on certain points is important. To make it fair, have your roommate draft a handful of rules as well that they’d like you to adhere to. Don’t forget to compromise!
Making the most out of the experience
If you look at roommate stories, you’ll see that tons of them usually turn out with complete strangers becoming the best of friends. Still, the horror stories are just as real so you also have to be on your guard. Start off on the right foot though and you may have nothing to worry about.
