The five most important factors when selecting a roommate
Robin Mwesigye
We recently conducted a survey for some of our group members to identify the most important factors when selecting a roommate. We had a long list of respondents and data (thanks everyone!!) and here are the top five factors that people consider when selecting a roommate.
Friendliness
Most respondents would like a roommate that is friendly and cordial. If you think about this one, it really isn’t a surprise. The truth of the matter is we spend a lot of time at home and this means spending a lot of time around the people we live with, so it always helps to have someone friendly around to make the experience more enjoyable.
Cleanliness
The definition of cleanliness is a subjective one, but most people agree that cleanliness is an important factor. How neat and tidy a place needs to be depends on the person you ask, so we recommend putting together a chore list or at least agreeing on how often different areas and items need to be cleaned. Once you have this out of the way, you’re less likely to have arguments about cleanliness.
One of the most important factors that came up in our survey is gender. Most of our respondents in our survey said they felt more comfortable living with a person of the same gender. We didn’t go into details about asking why, but if you notice a lot of postings where people specify the gender of their potential roommate, don’t be surprised.
Quietness
Quietness like cleanliness is a subjective factor. The point here is to establish what is acceptable to all roommates as far as quietness is concerned. This includes things, like what time you go to bed, how often can guests come over, how late can guests stay, house parties etc. If you can establish this earlier on, then it is less likely to become a problem down the road.
Liking Similar Activities
Most of our respondents like people who like similar activities as them. This goes back to our first point about spending a lot of time around the people you live with. If you like similar activities, then chances are you’ll have a lot of fun stuff to do together.
If you have any other ideas, please comment below,contact us or comment on our social media.