If you find a room online, it’s likely you’re about to be living with a group of total strangers. If you’ve ever needed to make a good first impression, it’s now.
These are people who could make your personal life hell for the next year. But they could also be pals for life. So here’s how to give yourself every chance of getting off on the right foot.
1. Ask for Permission and Forgiveness
Even if you know something is going to be totally fine, ask permission to do it. People who have been there longer than you will appreciate the gesture of you not wanting to disrupt their patterns. OTT respect is the cloak you all must wear until you all get pissed together for the first time.
2. Wake and Bake
Make sure you bake something in your first week. Why? You will establish yourself as a domestic superstar (which is a big deal to those you share a home with), plus you can share out the treats and you even make the whole house smell amazing. Just make sure you wash up promptly!
Can’t bake? Pop a few scratch cards under your flatmate’s doors. It’ll cost roughly the same as a tray of brownies and if one of them wins, that’s the rent sorted for a while!
3. Learn the Brews
Learning how people take their tea/coffee in one go will instantly set you up as a reliable, conscientious housemate. It’s never weird to ask once, and if you remember first time, you can then offer to make a round to ingratiate yourself to the gang.
4. Show an Interest…
People don’t necessarily want a new best friend, but they do want a person they can at least small-talk with. So drop a few token questions, but keep it super neutral.
How neutral? Well, it’s only too easy for “Are you single?” to read “You better not have a significant other coming over all the time”, so say things in your head a few times before speaking them. Remember – the real bonding will happen out of the house (i.e. the pub), or not at all.
5. …But Don’t Pry!
These are people who may already feel a little intruded upon by your very presence. They can’t escape from you – you live in their house – so asking too many questions might make them a little defensive. Showing interest is good, but a lot of questions might just sound judgy and devious.
