A Reminder Why Good Housemates Matter

Happy New Year! As we start the year there is a lot of uncertainty around. As if it is not enough to have talk of conflict and of stress on the financial system, for some there is the additional stress of finding a new home. We aim to help, of course.

This January reminds me of the early days of the pandemic back in 2020, when people were similarly on edge and unsure of how things would develop. Just after the peak of Covid (June 2020) we did some research and asked users of Cohabitas how they felt about house sharing, given the recent difficulties; people had been asked to stay at home and had not been at work. They had spent a lot of time in their homes/rooms and had not seen family and work colleagues for many weeks.

Increased intereste in Buddy-ups

One thing that stood out, was increased interest in buddy-ups; where two people looking in the same general location, or with similar sharing preferences (Vegetarian, LGBT, ‘easy-going’…) get together to share accomodation.

This was partly becasue viewings of house shares were on hold. People with a spare room were nervous to invite people into their come, and most tenants (and landlords actually) were happy just to sit tight. Most landlords/home owners treated their lodgers/tenants well.

High anxiety demanded good housemates

Our house share preferences research found that many people had a good experience of sharing during Covid. This reinforced our belief that sharing was not just about the financial benefits, but also about feeling ‘at home’ and feeling comfortable.

At the time Nick said “The pandemic has caused a ‘big re-think’ for many people and house sharing has been shown to provide valuable social support as well as being financially advantageous. Anecdotally we know that many mature sharers had a ‘good’ lockdown. Now they realise what is important in a housemate and in a home and are using our site to find the best housemates and house shares.”

That sort of support seems important again as we face new uncertainties. So please when you do find good housemates, cherish them! They’ll be there for a cup of tea and a chat; for a sigh and a wonder ‘what it’s all about’ and maybe even for a laugh that will lighten the mood.

Here’s a shout out to Anne-marie from Sharing Housing in the U.S. who said in her recent newsletter ‘Community and belonging help. Being with others is more comforting than being alone. Because I work on encouraging people to live with others, I am aware that there might be a relationship between the high rates of social isolation/loneliness in our culture and the anger and negativity that dominate our national situation. More people should live together!’

Sharing Housing helps people (mainly in the U.S. find and keep good housemates, offering online classes and checklists. If you sign up for their newsletter you’ll receive Anna-marie’s musings in your inbox each month. A little something to make us realise we are a part of a world-wide community of house sharers.