Tips For Living With Roommates

1 Thou Shalt Clean Up After Yourself

There are few things more annoying than cleaning up someone else's dishes, clothes, or bathroom mess. If you're choosing to live with roommates, you're signing up for a shared living space. While not everyone is a clean freak, it's common courtesy to clean up after a personal mess you've made.

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2 Thou Shalt Share the Household Duties

Image Source: My Fabulous Life

Upon moving in together, it's important to discuss how basic household duties will be divvied up. Will you alternate who buys things like toilet paper, paper towels, and soap? Are you on the same page about how you'll be splitting the bills? Be honest with your roommate about expectations to avoid unpleasant confrontations down the road.

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3 Thou Shalt Keep Clutter to a Minimum

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You might have slight hoarding tendencies, and that's OK — you do you! But unless you're living alone, you should be aware of how much space your knickknacks are taking up, and you should try to save the clutter for your own bedroom.

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4 Thou Shalt Be Open to Others' Tastes

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Living with other people means potentially making compromises when it comes to a decorating style. You'll likely be bringing together different items from past apartments, dorms, or homes, so there might be some clashes! If you're the interior guru of the group and absolutely can't stand a certain piece of furniture or wall art, just talk about it politely and offer any solutions you might have.

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5 Thou Shalt DIY Together

Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

The best and easiest way to hone in on your apartment style is to get creative with DIYs. If you and your roomies decide on fun things to make together, like these paint-dipped candleholders, the space will feel more like home to each of you. Get creative — there are so many fun options!

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6 Thou Shalt Create a Fun Living Room

Image Sources: Sally Wheat Interiors and Domino

The living room is where you and your roommate(s) will be hanging out together most of the time, so it needs to be an enjoyable place for you both. Whether you're watching TV or doing homework together, the living room should be comfortable and spacious enough for everyone, so make wise choices when it comes to the furniture and decor.

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7 Thou Shalt Designate a Space For Entertaining

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jae Payne

No matter if you and your roomie have the same group of friends or totally different buddies, you'll want to make sure you have some space for entertaining when people come over. A DIY bar cart is the best budget-friendly (yet chic) option for entertaining in both small and spacious places.

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8 Thou Shalt Be Respectful of Personal Space

Image Source: Design by Homepolish West Coast Creative Director Orlando Soria and photography by Tessa Neustadt for Homepolish

Living with other people is fun, but everyone needs personal space. Make sure to be respectful of your roommate's room, and always be courteous about how loud you're being late at night and early in the morning.

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9 Thou Shalt Talk Openly About Problems

Image Source: Kristi Murphy

Grossed out by your roommate's mysterious Tupperware that's been lurking in the fridge for weeks? Mention it! But in a nice way (e.g., not with a passive-aggressive Post-it note taped to the fridge). There are bound to be some conflicts that arise when sharing a living space with one or more people, so communication is the key to creating a happy, tension-free environment for everyone.

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10 Thou Shalt Follow the Golden Rule

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Living with other people means you'll get comfortable with each other, but it's important not to overstep boundaries. You might be eyeing those supercute shoes lying on the floor, but always ask before you borrow your roommate's clothes, eat his or her food, and before you let a friend sleep in your roommate's empty bed.

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