Living with friends can seem like a great idea at first but it may not necessarily work out the way you imagine. While living in the ASU dorms may have somewhat prepared you to live with others, living with a roommate in your own apartment is not the same thing. There are additional factors that come into play that could easily damage a friendship if not handled correctly.
Money Complicates Relationships
While you and your best friend may have a wonderful relationship, living together can add financial strain to the dynamic, especially if you don’t view or handle money the same way. In a roommate situation, both parties have to be financially responsible. If one person slacks, it could mean getting kicked out, no longer living together and possibly the end of your friendship.
More Time Together, More Likely to Fight
Living together means seeing more of each other as well as seeing your best friend in a new light. While before you may have spent huge amounts of time together it will not equate to living with each other. Once you’re sharing the same space for long periods of time, you’ll see more of your best friend’s quirks and bad habits, which may lead to arguments.
It’s Harder to Hold a Friend Accountable
When it comes to paying rent, bills or simply keeping up with apartment responsibilities, it can be a lot harder to hold your best friend accountable to do their fair share. It’s normal to have a soft spot for a person that you hold dear but it could also be bad for your friendship. If you find yourself cutting them slack with chores or paying their share of expenses, you could end up resenting them for making life more stressful.Make sure to tell your landlord you’re moving out as well as your roommates to avoid any issues in the future.
It’s Harder to Appreciate Someone That’s Always There
Part of your friendship is that you appreciate your best friend, but it’s harder to appreciate someone that’s always around. It’s more likely you’ll find the person annoying because you see him or her so often.
Living with Your Best Friend Will Limit Your Social Circle
Having your friend in the apartment right there with you can make it tempting to just stay in more often, making it easier to avoid meeting new people.
It Will Be Harder to Live with Others
At one point or another, you’re almost certainly going to have to move out and live with another roommate. Living with your best friend prior to having an adult roommate can make it harder to adjust to typical roommate boundaries.
Living with Your Best Friend May Keep You from Growing Up
A best friend can sometimes serve as a crutch that prevents you from growing up and facing your own fears as an adult. While in some situations that’s great, it can be harmful if your best friend is paying for your share of the bills, helping you with chores or doing other things for you that you should be handling as the mature adult that you should be becoming.
It Will Make Working from Home Distracting
Times are changing and employers allow you to work from home now. Some even require you to do so during bad weather or to reduce office expenses. Having your best friend as your roommate means you are more likely to get distracted while you try to get work done at home.
It Can Limit Your Living Options
If you’re adamant on living with your best friend, you have to take their financial options into consideration, which could limit your living options. If he or she makes significantly less than you, you could end up somewhere cheaper than you want.
You Could End Up with a Sleepover Feeling
The feeling of being with your friend is associated with fun, parties and maybe a few irresponsible college memories, making it easy to slip back into your younger self during a time when you’re supposed to be maturing. This is actually a big sign it’s time to move out of your parent’s place.
For more living advice, check out the Heers Management blog where you can find tips on everything from how to survive a Phoenix summer to how to deal with roommates.
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