With rent constantly rising in most cities, co-living offers a way for people to enjoy living at a lower cost in sought-after locations with amenities. And in order to have a better co-living experience, it is best to get along with your housemates.
Co-living offers convenient, affordable and flexible housing and a community. But it doesn’t end there. It also removes the difficulties that come with traditional leases. When you move in, you only need to bring yourself and your luggage. All apartments come furnished and ready to move in, and you will get to meet your housemates whom you build a sense of community with.
Discover the benefits of co-living, and the bonding activities you can do with your housemates to get to know each other better.
A Guide to Co-Living
Living with a housemate can be a great experience. You have someone to share the burden and responsibilities of the apartment with and even if you aren’t the best of friends, having a dependable housemate is a valuable thing.
When living with a housemate, you can save money. Not only will you share the cost of the apartment, but you can also split the cost of furniture, household essentials, Wi-Fi, and utilities. You’ll also share the chores, and take turns cleaning the apartment. When you and your housemates work together to maintain the apartment, everyone can enjoy a better co-living experience.
While there are many great reasons to live with housemates, living with someone you do not know can be a daunting experience. It’s best to start with an open mind and hold weekly meetings to discuss any issues together and suggest how the house could operate more harmoniously.
Bonding Activities for A Better Co-Living
1. Go on a shopping trip
When you move into your apartment, you will realise there are many things you didn’t pack, like food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, extra decorations and more. Before you head out, ask your housemate if they would like to join you. This will help create an easy conversation, and you’ll both be able to save money by splitting the costs of necessities like cleaning and kitchen supplies.
2. Volunteer Together
Volunteering is a great way to bond with your housemate while doing good at the same time. By putting your skills and time to use, you and your housemates can enjoy great personal benefits, including improved health, mood and developing a sense of purpose.
Talk to local organisations in your area, understand their struggles and where your volunteer efforts could be needed. Some of the best volunteer activities which volunteers of all ages can take part in include:
- Childcare
- Teaching
- NGO support
- Environmental conservation
- Elderly care
- Community development
3. Decorate Your Apartment
While moving in, take some time to decorate your apartment together. Find some fun posters or visit a local thrift store and find one statement piece to decorate your home with.
If you and your housemates are crafty people, there are many projects you can do together such as making a decorative chore list, a door sign with your initials, and more. It also encourages time for talking and getting to know one another.
4. Cook Together
Set aside one or two days a week where you and your housemate can cook together. Even if everyone is cooking their own meals, this is a great time to bond with your housemates! Enjoy each other’s company, with everyone bustling around the kitchen and chatting about their day.
Having a meal with your housemates is a great way to boost your mood. When you eat together, everyone feels safe and happy, and our bodies are flooded with positive hormones and emotions.
Moreover, when you eat with others, you tend to eat more slowly. As a result, you will feel full faster and eat much less compared to when eating on your own.
5. Arrange A Day Out
Take time to explore the city or neighbourhood together. It is a great way to get to know your new city and learn about its history and traditions whilst connecting with the people you live with. It is much more fun and safer too, compared to exploring a new city by yourself.
You can also take note of the restaurants, grocery stores and local attractions you can visit with your housemates in the future.
6. Exercise Together
Having your housemate also be your gym buddy can help you develop a great bond. This way, you can motivate each other to eat healthily and try new exercises.
7. Have A Game Night
Playing games with your housemates is a great way to get to know each other. They are great to break the ice and get everyone laughing and talking together. Popular games include:
Heads Up!
- You can download this app on your phone and play it anywhere. In this game, someone holds the phone to their forehead, and the rest of their team has to act out the topic on the screen without saying what it is. It gets everyone excited really fast because each session is only a minute long.
Two Truths and a Lie
- Two Truths and a Lie is a great way to learn interesting things about the people you will be living with. Each person takes a turn listing two truths and a lie about themselves, and the rest of the players have to guess which is a lie. As the game progresses, the lies and the truths can get more challenging to distinguish, making it an entertaining experience for anyone involved.
Cards Against Humanity
- An incredibly popular and hysterical card game, match cards to make offensive and hilarious phrases or provocative statements and compete with your housemates to see who is the funniest.
8. Watch Television Together
Whether it be a romantic comedy, a horror movie, or the latest series on Netflix, find something you and your housemates enjoy and watch it together. It is a great way to talk about something you both share an interest in.
9. Have A Catch-Up Session Every Night
Communication is crucial in building a relationship and bonding with your housemate. Take some time at night to talk about your experiences during the day. Whether you’ve had a good or bad day, your housemate will be there to listen.
The first impression of meeting new housemates can be different for everyone. The key to sharing a great bond is to communicate. You have to get to know each other well to know each other’s choices and avoid things which make you feel uncomfortable. Therefore, if you are new to a city, try these bonding activities with your housemate, and you may end up with a new best friend.
A Smooth Renting Experience with Rumah-i
Rumah-i handles all aspects of your renting experience — from a smooth application process to housekeeping, moving, laundry services and more. Our services are carefully curated for our community to help you have a great living experience.
Tenants looking for their dream home can download our Home Renting App, available on Google Play and the App Store. If you own a property and are looking for tenants, our rental management service makes renting hassle-free for you and your tenants.
