Things you need to know before considering renting with your friends

***

Are you one of those people who like to be independent?

Pay for your own home. Pay for your own bills. Learn to cook for yourself. But you cannot shoulder all the expenses yet because you're not a daughter or son of a millionaire or you are just about to start to move out. You might have savings but it will only last for a shorter of time. So your option is to share apartment with your friends.

In my case, I had to live first to my aunt to find a job so I can provide for myself before I left her house. Its a classic tradition of probinsiyana going to the city to work. After three months I started to live with in the barracks and then 2 years later I started living with my friends.

Honestly, I only pay about 1813 php per month for my house rentals including water and electricity. The place where I am renting is also safe from addicts, but not safe from floods. 😆 But yeah its very very cheap.

If you start to live with your friends, it won't be as easy as you think.

You really don't know your friends until you shared a roof. This saying never gets old.

It might go on as the start or ending of your long friendship. Here is why;

• Friends and Cleaning

Your friend might be as lovely as you see, but not as clean as you think. Everyone wants a clean environment but the big question is who knows how to clean? Or even wants to clean?

It has been one of our dilemma, cleaning. Its as if that nobody wants to clean and its frustrating at times. Specially when your friends are both the eldest sibling of their family. They like to instruct, not act. 😆

But lately we have already managed to have a weekly cleaners of our bathroom. Well we are living for four years after all and we're pretty much agree on things. And on not so many things. 😆

I have work until saturday and I feel really tired when I come home. So the only time I can only help to clean is on Sundays.

And there's a lot to clean. Its not only bathroom. Its a lot. Kitchen sink, fans that already accumulated dirt, floors, even throwing the garbage must also be scheduled. Because you know. Haha.

So before even considering to live with friends, ask yourself are you really okay with cleaning? Or at least establish all the grounds before moving in.

• Friends and Cooking

There are few people that knows how to cook, even I, don't know. I am really focused on studying on college, and I really like to eat not cook. But lately I am learning and studying it. Man its easy! No need a wand just magic (sarap) . 😆

But cooking is not the problem, its the cost of the food. It seems like no one wants to spend. 😆 But not all roomies are like this.

When I am on the barracks or staff house, I get along with the people there, we contribute equally and Its really nice. On my latest roomies, well I buy, I cook and I share it with them. But its a little bit okay, because I am not that good in cooking. 😅

Also, sometimes, I provide for the rice coming from our province hoping to get free meal. But I already managed my expectations. Haha.

So my advice here, if you guys like to eat at home, set a budget and make a pot of money just for the food.

• Friends and Bills

Tissues, cleaning materials, laundry of sheets, curtains and bills. And more bills. Well apparently, most of this should be shared. And you wouldn't believe it but sometimes you will be asked to pay it first, and they will promise to pay you later but yeah its not gonna happen. Haha.

Well thats the truth. Because they forgot about it. Unless you really are the friend who asked for it later on. Well you should be!

Its not much but these are I think the least list of concerns I have while l am living with friends.

Well renting to the place where you don't know the people around you is much scarier than living with friends.

I had this friend who rent as bedspacer and someone stole her belongings even her money. Its really sad that people resort to stealing. In the end she hated Manila and went back on the province and work there and so far she is doing great.

These are the list of the many scenario. I'm still lucky to have friends like I am living with now. 😜 But living with friends its just temporary.

***

Thank you again for reading! If you tried renting with friends let me know what did I missed!

Thanks to Tierra Mallorca @tierramallorca for making the lead image available freely on Unsplash 🎁 https://unsplash.com/photos/JXI2Ap8dTNc