Any good reasons to have a roommate?

[SunnyCee]

Right now I live alone in a studio, which I really love. The only problem, it's kinda far from everything, but I can afford it and I like the place a lot. The only roommates I've ever had were in college, and they were all HORRIBLE situations. I would consider having a good friend as a roommate, but everyone I know it already set in their situations, so it wouldn't work out. Also, I'm kinda a neat freak and I like my privacy. But I was wondering...if money weren't an issue, should I consider a roommate when my lease it up?

[shorty]

I've never voluntarily had a roommate before (only in college dorms when they assigned them). It is more expensive, but I like my privacy.

If it really came down to financial issues, I would consider a roommate, but I'd be worried about getting stuck with someone horrible. Another reason why I might consider a roommate is because it might be nice to have someone around, I guess. If I moved to another city, it might be nice to have someone to hang out with (assuming we get along).

But it's all up to you and what you like. You could always try living with a roommate for a while to see what it's like.

[SpaceMonkey]

It is kind of hard to tell from your post, but what are your reasons for considering a roommate? Is it just because you want to move to a more expensive area? Or you are just curious about what it would be like?

[Bman120]

I'd say it comes down to who you choose as a roomate. If you can get someone who respects your privacy and respects that you are a neat freak, it could work out pretty well. On weekday nights or weekends if you stay in, you'll have someone to talk to about stuff and someone to watch tv or a movie with which can be better than watching it alone sometimes.

For me, I like my privacy and I need my alone time so living in my own space is best. The only person i'd feel comfortable living with would be an SO if I felt she was the type id want to move in with.

[mishl982]

I like having roommates because I enjoy the companionship and it does really help with paying rent. I've also been fortunate that I live with people who I get along with very well.

Although in about another year I'm hoping to live alone, just because I'd like to have my privacy and think that everyone should learn to live completely by themselves at some point. It's only a matter of time before a man and kids come into the picture.

[winneythepooh7]

Keep in mind as well that sometimes "friends" turn out to be the most horrible of roommates. I've been there/done that and moved out to "preserve" the friendship.

[Chameleon]

Assuming you can find someone that doesn't irritate the heck out of you, having a roommate can help combat loneliness and help you financially. Personally, there are very few people I would choose to remain in close quarters with for an extended period of time.

I am thankful that a roomie situation with a new co-worker fell through last year, she found somewhere much closer to work for the same price. She would have been the clingy, super cheap, whiny sort and I would have had to kick her out months ago (assuming I didn't drive her so nuts that she would have left without any prompting). The stress wouldn't have been worth the extra money.

[WorkInProgress]

I like being around people too much to want to live alone. I'd rather live alone than with a shitty (or even just a "blah") roommate, though. There are definite positives to living alone, though, and I can understand why a lot of people prefer it.

[wordsmith]

I always lived with others, until I was about 25, and enjoyed the companionship in 99% of the circumstances. It should be noted that I'm not an intensely private person, don't really have any major personal space demands (grew up as part of a six-person family in a small home with one bathroom, sharing a room my entire childhood/teenage years), and a lifetime of that sort of conditioning kind of caused me to grow up without being too particular about privacy/space.

When I had roommates, I always appreciated the sociability of living with someone, even if we were more "friendly" than friends (though in many/most cases, we came to become friends). I would be skeptical of roomming with a preexisting friend, though. My best roommate experiences have been with people I was acquainted with, but where we didn't go it with an already established years-long friend dynamic. I find that friends don't always feel like they need to extend friends who they live with the same type of courtesy you might somebody who you have a polite, but less intimate relationship with. When you room with someboy you know more as an acquaintance, manners/best behavior/top notch consideration tend to come into it more. With a friend, it's easier to fall back on the "But we're friends, so so and so shouldn't really mind such and such."

I also liked the expense sharing aspect of things.

When I first lived alone, it was a hard adjustment to get used to the more solitary social aspect of things. Initially, I was inviting people over all the time, or on the phone all the time, because an empty apt. and nobody to converse with at the end of the day, built in, felt odd to me. But now, I'm totally used to it, and appreciate the solitude, as well. I think living alone is something that's definitely worth doing, just as I think living with roommates is.

I still miss the expense sharing, though.

[BLK95TA]

Keep in mind as well that sometimes "friends" turn out to be the most horrible of roommates. I've been there/done that and moved out to "preserve" the friendship.

i will agree on this as well...i have been there and almost lost a really close friend over it...

[CTGirl]

I like being around people too much to want to live alone. I'd rather live alone than with a shitty (or even just a "blah") roommate, though. There are definite positives to living alone, though, and I can understand why a lot of people prefer it.

I much prefer being around others and get lonely too, but not enough to want to do the roommate thing ever again. I've had a really bad friend-turned-roommate situation, and I've also come to love the freedom of living alone.

Its more fun to just have cool neighbors than roommates.

[winneythepooh7]

I've also had girlfriends who haved lived with guys (totally platonic living situations) and have said that guy roomies are the best. That may be another angle to look into (although I know, I know, problems could still arise).

[Winter Storm]

I'm kinda a neat freak and I like my privacy. But I was wondering...if money weren't an issue, should I consider a roommate when my lease it up?

For those reasons alone, I can't see getting a roommate. I have my moments when I get lonely but though I like good company, at the end of our time, I still like them to leave and give me my place back. Not worth it to me.

[Quench]

When I first moved out of my parents house, I lived with a good friend of mine. I loved it because of the companionship. I never had great roommate situations in college, which was something I felt I missed out on. However, my friend ended up moving out about a month and a half or two months after we had just signed to renew our lease. It is a very long, annoying story, but the end result was that a friend of hers who I knew slightly moved in with me. Which ended up being a complete disaster. I didn't have the companionship with the new roommate, which was disappointing but not the end of the world. The bad part was that she was horrible about expenses and apparently made all kinds of noise in her bedroom at night. I never heard her, but the lady downstairs was constantly complaining. And since my roommate worked an odd schedule and was rarely around at normal hours, I was the one who dealt with complaints about noise, bounced checks, ect., ect. She also had two cats that she did not care for properly. I live alone now and am much happier except for the increased expenses.

[CoolAZN]

I think I would like to share a place with someone; after living by myself for almost two year in a city where I have no friends yet (also that I lived at home while in school, so I did miss out a lot of that “college life”). Having someone can definitely help out with the rent cost especially in an expensive market area. (The place where I reside is very reasonable now, but that might not be in couple of years as it is growing dramatically, especially the overflow of people coming from the east.) The companionship is the main thing I do miss the most; eating dinner by your self gets a tad bit lonely, no one to discuss those netflixs movies after viewing them, reading gets tiring after awhile, chatting on the phone is not the same as someone actually there conversing with you and just plain boredom. Other then that, living by yourself is quite rewarding as to understanding and learning about who you really are.

[Musicvixen24]

NO...there is reason at all to get a roommate at all. Unless you are super close. I am having so many issues with my current issues, from her never paying the bills on time, turning our place into a brothel, The ultimate point came when we went grocery shopping, she slipped away when it came time to pay the bill. when we got home she proceeded to hide 2 canisters of doritos. Then she went shopping a few weeks later(whooop ti do) I did not eat any of her food, and then she had the nerve to ask me to pick up ...., i said b#!@h please. I am counting the months.

I've never had a good roommate, this is better because I have my own bed and bath, so I can lock her out.

DON'T DO IT...pay the extra money, i wish i had

[Ciderhillnh]

Ive lived alone and Ive lived with roommates...some good some bad.

I say to save on costs live with a roommate, but make sure the apartment/house set up is one where it will work.

I lived with a girl and we had to share a bathroom......she was a bathroom hog I was not. So if I had to pee really badly, or was planning on going out, there were times there were issues.

All I can say is be open, honest and as up front about how you live with anyone you meet to potentially live with. It saves much energy and annoyance later.

My advantage now is that I own my condo, and anyone who moves in has a month to month lease...they can give me 30 days notice should they want to move out and if Im having issues with them and want them out, I just have to give them 30 days notice as well. Saves much heartache.

[cache]

I live with roommates, 4 of them actually. But we live in a huge house, and I have the master suite that is bigger than some studio apartments I've been in. It is nice to always have people always around to hang out with, but it is also nice to have plenty of my own space. Living with one other person can be trying, but living with a few everyone's quirks get dilluted. No one is that annoying when there are 5 of you. I have had some messed up roommates but never reallly had any major problems with any of them. Maybe I am the crazy one.....;):

[steve sperd]

I have two roommates, one who is my sister, and she is getting annoying to live with. Actually she is planning on moving to Arizona to be with her bf in May, and I am conflicted because I think it's a bad move on her part but I also kind of want her to move out of our apartment.

Also I live with a guy I met from an ad I put up on craigslist, and he is a nice guy, and even let's me use him music recording equipment which would cost me hundreds of dollars otherwise. But I know he is having money problems so I am starting to worry he won't be able to pay the rent, or worse he will steal from me.