Why Moving Out Is Never Easy

Whether this is a past or present situation for you, living with another person is no walk in the park. Yes, there are definitely times where it just works and you two live extremely well together. Then, there are other, more common situations, which is where it's incredibly hard.

What can make sharing your living space so hard is the difference in personal habits and preferences. Everyone was raised differently and how you grew up often affects the way you will live on your own. If you grew up with parents who enforced weekly chores, cleaning up after oneself etc. you're likely going to live like this when you're by yourself.

Comparably, if you grew up with a more easy-going family, where chores were not stressed and you were able to do as you pleased, you're likely going to carry this on with you into your adult years.

Most of the time, living with someone or picking a roommate in general is luck of the draw. You may be best friends but this does not mean you're going to be the best of roommates. On the other hand, sometimes you end up living with a total stranger and you two could not be more in sync when it comes to how you enjoy living.

It's up in the air how these situations will go until you're actually living in them.

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness is a big factor that influences how you feel about your living situation, and for me personally, the most crucial. Some people are neat freaks, and others really could not care at all. You also don't want to create tension by making the suggestion that your roommate should clean more or improve the way they take care of the place, but sometimes you just have to. This can be awkward to say the least, but it's better than living in an environment that is your own and feeling uncomfortable.

It's uncomfortable to ask this question because it honestly feels a bit like playing the role of a parent, so it's normal to feel some role strain here. You really just want to be compatible roommates and it can be hard to approach someone with this request because you have no idea how they'll react.

Pitching In

This can apply to more than just one area of living but in this sense I'm referring to your roommates willingness to offer some help or contribution to your home. It's definitely fair to split the costs of the everyday essentials like toilet paper, paper towels etc. However, it can sometimes end up that only one of you is purchasing these items, and the other person or people are not offering to chip in.

Sometimes it's as simple as bringing their attention to it, and other times it's a bit more difficult. I've lived with people who just see the world in a completely different way than myself, and felt that they did not need to contribute. While this is clearly not acceptable, it helps to keep in mind that they were most likely raised in a different way than you were.

It's best to stress that you will not buy items for the whole apartment if they do not chip in. This way you can only use these items for yourself, and they will have to get their own, or they take the hint and start helping you out.

Personalities

Perhaps the struggle isn't necessarily the way your roommate(s) takes care of your home, but maybe it's a deeper issue. If you chose or found a roommate by random, this is a common problem. When you don't know someone you're living with, it goes three ways: You're best friends, you're not necessarily friends but live well together, or you absolutely do not get along.

Personalities can clash and while this is a part of life we all have faced at some point, it becomes significantly more difficult when you have to share such an important part of your life with them: your home.

It's not easy to live with someone who you disagree with on everything, and though this may not be the case for everyone, it can definitely happen. In this type of circumstance it's best to take the high road, bite your tongue and keep things civil.