The Key to Successful CoLiving
HEYANNA’s mission is to match the most compatible flatmates in a quick and stress-free manner. We truly believe that finding a good match in a CoLiving environment is one of the most essential aspects of sharing a flat successfully. However, since everyone is a little different, we thought that it would be helpful to share some of our CoLiving experience with you. This guide will help you to avoid any possible tensions and distress with your roomies, so that you can enjoy the perks of CoLiving!
How to introduce yourself to a new CoLiving Crew
No matter if you have done an interview or so called “WG-Casting” before or if you are a complete newbie, we have some essential tips for you to ace any upcoming interview you will have with a potential new CoLiving Crew. YOU GOT THIS!
Make sure to be as responsive as possible and keep an eye on any new notification in your portal and email inbox. There’s nothing more annoying than having people who get back to you two weeks later. We recommend to reply within the first 24–48 hours but do not wait longer than that.
Make sure that your pictures are appropriate and do not solely select group pictures to avoid any confusion. What we consider as appropriate are pictures with a natural smile, natural background and maybe even show any of your hobbies. Please do not upload any pictures from your last night out that show you in an intoxicated state. Also, we do not expect you to upload “professional” mug shots since we are not an employer either. Just be yourself and you will be fine!
Think about your strengths and what you can do to contribute to the day to day life of your CoLiving Crew. It might be just simple things like your passion for making desserts or cooking in general. Another plus would be your emphasis on the things to share you’ll bringing with you. Again, everyone has different preferences, expectations etc. so keep an eye on the vibe of your new potential CoLiving crew.
How to avoid or solve tensions with your roommates?
Sebastian and I used to be roommates for over two years and shared our apartment with two other students. We were all coming from different backgrounds and had different ideas sometimes when we had to figure out certain situations concerning our CoLiving Crew. Here’s our Top 5 list of tips we would like to share with you!
1. Be considerate
Since you’re sharing a space with other people, it is very important to be mindful when it comes to your flatmates’ routines, needs and privacy. In this case communication is the key to success. Make sure to acknowledge your roommates’ sleeping/study schedule, their opinion about having (overnight) guests over, throw parties or using each other’s stuff. It is always a good idea to ask your roommates first before you do something that might disturb them in the first place. Also, certain things such as blasting music in your room late at night or causing a lot of noise by slamming the doors are things that can easily be avoided to not starting unnecessary arguments.
2. Compromises
Since not everything will turn out the way you you were hoping for, it is very important to be open for compromises when you have roommates. Being stubborn and insistent will lead to long discussions and tensions with your CoLiving Crew. Try to find a compromise with which you will be able to deal with and situations like this will not be an issue for you anymore. In the end it is not only your home — it is everyone’s, which means you need to respect that.
3. Cleanliness
Even though you’re sharing an apartment will not take the responsibility away from you to keep your CoLiving space tidy and clean. While everyone might have a different perception of what is clean and what not, we at HEYANNA try to determine this right before you even match with your new flatmates. By showing different pictures of a kitchen for instance, we will be able to find out more about every individual’s perception of cleanliness. Another tip would be to split up the tasks in your household and to take turns frequently. We used a so called “Putzplan” aka a cleaning schedule. It can be old school and paper based or digital which will also be provided on our app. This easy trick will help your CoLiving Crew to keep all the common spaces clean and tidy. It is also worth mentioning that you should always clean up after yourself and do not expect that someone else will take care of it.
4. Split Costs
Every apartment will have some common spaces which will require things such as cleaning utensils, toilet paper and other products that are used by anyone. Instead of having everyone buying their own stuff, it might be wiser to share certain things in your household. Therefore, you will need to have a shared budget for these kinds of spendings or you can easily use apps such as Splitwise to keep track of your CoLiving transactions. Also, it will be helpful to keep a digital shopping list so that everyone will have a better overview of any upcoming purchases.
5. Community
CoLiving also involves having a community of people you are living with. Therefore, it is important to be open for conversations, spontaneous cooking projects, game nights etc. Obviously, this will not be the case all the time. Everyone will need their alone time and it is important to respect that. However, do not just hide in your room all the time and find excuses for every single social event your CoLiving Crew is planning to do. So take an active role in connecting with those you are living with. That is the beauty of CoLiving — being surrounded by people who can give you a feeling of community!
Happy CoLiving everyone! How do you like this post? What topics are we missing out? We will continue this series soon and would love to hear from you. In the meantime you can subscribe to our newsletter on our website (we won’t spam you) or follow us on Instagram :)
