Top Tips for Successful House Sharing

Most students don't get much of a say as to who they live with in halls of residence. Thankfully after the first year at university you can pick and choose your housemates when you move out of halls and into houses or flats to rent. Sheffield universities attract a real mix of people so to avoid a year of misery living with people who drive you mad, follow these top tips below...

1. Ask your friends well in advance of your second or third year if they would like to share houses or flats to rent. Sheffield has loads of student accommodation available but leaving it until the last minute will not only mean that your ideal housemates may have arranged to live with other people but also that the pick of the accommodation has gone. If you find you have to share with new people then meet up with them first to get an idea of what they're like and if you'll be happy living with them.

2. Be honest with yourself as to whether you could actually live with your friends. The ideal scenario is that your flat will resemble the TV show Friends but in real life the people you are closest to don't always make the best housemates. Instead of selecting people on friendship alone, think about everyone you know at uni including classmates, current housemates and friends then ask the people you know you will get on with the best.

3. Choose to live with people who want to live in the same area as you do when you're looking for flats to rent. Sheffield has a wide range of popular student areas so decide where you want to live before you decide who you want to live with.

4. From the outset outline how the bills will be divided, including everything from rent to broadband, and how these will be paid. Don't forget to outline how you will all pay for items such as toilet roll and washing up liquid too.

5. Cleaning can be another issue which can lead to arguments so to prevent dishes and dirt from piling up to the ceiling, settle on a cleaning rota before you move into any flats to rent. Sheffield does have a great selection of professional cleaning companies if it all gets too much, but it's best to clean as you go along to prevent arguments and illnesses.

6. It can be really annoying if your housemates have their boyfriend or girlfriend to stay pretty much every night so before everyone moves in decide on the ground rules for guests. If a guest stays for the majority of the time then they should be expected to contribute to bills and rent.

Settling on all of the above will give you and your new housemates a much better chance of actually enjoying where you live and could save you stress and money. For more information on flats to rent in Sheffield contact MAF Properties on 0114 272 6006.