The dishes aren’t done, the rent is late, and there is something in the fridge that might not qualify as food. Bad roommates; we hope to avoid them, but taking a chance with classified ads may place you in the middle of roommate hell. Fortunately, there is relief. PadMatcher provides you the ability to search for a roommate that works well with you and takes the mystery out of the apartment search. Once you sign up and start finding roommates you can begin sending messages to see if you’re a match! After that you can start the process of inquiring about listings as a group, rather than on your own. But before all that you need to figure out what suits you best, here are some tips on finding the perfect roommate.
1. Cleanliness
I’m sure we’ve all had a messy roommate at one point in time, to some people it doesn’t matter and to others it can be a nightmare. The key is finding out ahead of time so you don’t get locked into a lease with someone who deserves to be on “Hoarders.”
2. Atmosphere
What kind of atmosphere are you looking for with a roommate? Are you a recent graduate still looking to go out on the weekends? Or have you landed a serious job that will require quiet downtime and a calming atmosphere? Let your potential roommates know your preferences, unless you’re fine with waking up at three in the morning to the sound of your roommate and their friends singing “Sweet Caroline.” This simple task will take you one step closer to finding the perfect cohabitant for your apartment.
3. Area of Choice
Are you a fan of Italian food and hoping to live in the North End? Or do you want to be right by the historic Fenway Park and take in the action of the Red Sox? Figuring out what area in Boston suits you best can be an easy way to filter out apartments as well as roommates. Obviously, listing several areas will make it easier to find someone, but if you’re set on a specific place then you shouldn’t have a problem finding a roommate who will take in a game at Fenway or walk the streets of Beacon Hill. Each Boston neighborhood is different and you should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each.
4. Price Range
This is another obvious, yet pertinent, point to attend when finding someone to live with. Some people have the financial capacity to pay for that beautiful upscale apartment downtown while others are on a budget and would prefer something a bit more modest. Let people know your price range and be willing to be flexible, but not too flexible, you don’t want to break the bank. Which brings us to our next item.
5. Occupation and Income
An easy way to tell if someone is going to be able to afford the apartments you’re looking at is to know what their occupation is as well as their salary. To make the process even smoother you can post your credit score to assure any future roommates that you won’t leave them out in the cold and can be trusted to pay rent on time.
6. Values
Roommate conflicts are bound to happen. Whether they occur over the dishes being washed or something far more existential, there is a simple way to reduce them. Make people viewing your profile aware of the values that are important to you. These can range from humor, to politics, to cleanliness, and anything in between. When you find someone who shares the same values as you it takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process.
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7. Compatibility
Of course we’d all love to live with our best friends and never have a care in the world, but then we realize our best friends are slobs, always running late and might not be the ideal candidate for a roommate. That’s where compatibility comes into play. The features we offer on PadMatcher help find the perfectly compatible roommate of your choosing. The key is to find someone you’ll get along with, not necessarily a best friend, and who won’t give you headaches when it comes to the apartment finding process.
8. Honesty
Perhaps the most important of all, is to be as candid as possible when screening potential roommates. Ask tough questions and be prepared to answer everything honestly. The goal should not be to get everyone to want to live with you, but rather the right person. If you are a slob, then embrace it because you are not the only one. Do you really want someone constantly asking you to clean up the kitchen or take out the trash? Honesty will be the key to avoiding situations like that.
Some important questions to ask are:
• What are your work hours?
• How often do you have visitors?
• Are you in a relationship? If so, how often are they over?
• Do you have any allergies?
• What furniture do you plan on moving in?
• How often do you clean?
• Do you clean up immediately or do you let your apartment get bad before cleaning it?
• When you clean, what do you do?
• What are your weekends like?
• What are your pet peeves?
