5 of the most annoying things about sharing a University house

Sharing a university house sounds like fun. You’ll soon learn that this isn’t always the case – arguments about bills and the washing up can rapidly escalate into genuine tension and animosity, and these are often only the start of the problems. Here are five things that will cause you to grind your teeth, want to commit acts of violence against your friends and generally change you from being a moderately rational human being into a seething mass of resentment.

1. Cleaning is important

Many students don’t recognise one end of a vacuum cleaner from another. If you’ve started university without taking a gap year, it’s fairly safe to bet that parents will have been responsible for the cleaning at your home. If you’ve moved to your shared house from university accommodation, the cleaning will have been taken care of by professional cleaners. Once you’re in the house though, the cleaning is your responsibility. Stock up on the right products – www.broschdirect.com can help – draw up a rota, and stick to it!

2. Division of labour

A dirty carpet won’t get any cleaner by moaning about it. Cobwebs usually signify that a good dust is in order. Funnily enough, dirty dishes left in the front room overnight won’t magically transport themselves to the kitchen and end up sparkling clean in the cupboards. Make a rota when you move into your shared house, it won’t always work but at least you’ll have made a start on living communally.

3. Music isn’t always magic

Tolerance is great in theory, but if you’re revising for your finals and your flatmate is exercising their music system speakers to their maximum potential in the room next door, the two of you will fall out. Now’s the time to introduce your housemate to the joys of earphones. Revising for exams is stressful at the best of times, and the last thing anyone wants is the loudest drum and bass track in the world seeping through the walls when all you need is peace and quiet. Alternatively, you could simply put the earphones on yourself in order to block out the noise.

4. Paying bills

Arguments about money are always difficult. If there’s a group of you living together on a minimal budget, paying bills is going to be a problem. You will need to sort out a house bank account and pay the direct debits through that account. Some houses are on pre-paid meters, which can lead to hours of debate.

According to The Guardian even the most efficient student houses will face problems trying to cover their fuel costs. Before spending money on booze and parties, you’ll only feel artificially warm for a couple of hours, put aside some money into a communal utilities fund. It’s really not much fun cooking while wearing your duvet.

5. Check out the landlord

If you don’t want to live in rat infested squalor during your student years then check out the landlord before you move into your shared house. This article revealed that three quarters of student renters had problems with their landlords. Life is hard enough without dealing with cockroaches and other bugs, especially if you’re paying for the privilege.

Tags: house sharing

Category: Student News