When you don’t have a friend or at least an acquaintance who you might live with, you will have to share your flat with a complete stranger, no matter what might be your reasons to move. Naturally, you want to make sure you’ve found a good candidate for the role of your new roomie. You’ve come to one solution – search the Internet, but that brings more questions, like What are good websites to find roommates? Sure, you can post an ad on Facebook, but how reliable is that? Here’s one that is – Craigslist. But How do you find a flatmate on Craigslist? – you might ask. We understand your concerns and we want to help you out in your quest for potential flatmates. So, let’s take a look at some of the best roommate websites.
5 Best Roommate Websites to Help You Find a Cool Roomie
Your friend just moved out and you need a new roomie. Or it’s you that is moving out of your old apartment. In any case, you’ve begun to wonder about the most reliable roommate websites where you can find a new housemate. Sharing personal space and your life with roommates is not that easy. So, we understand that you have a lot of questions troubling you, like How do I find a reliable flatmate? How do I rent out a room to someone?
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#1 Craigslist
Craigslist is, without a doubt, one of the top-recommended websites for anything you might be looking for, roommates included. You can either post your own listing or search through the posted ads to check if there’s anything you might be interested in. Whether you’re looking to rent a place or you’re browsing through other people’s posts, detailed listings are the right way to go. Be careful as there’s always a possibility of running into a scam, so don’t send any money until you’re completely sure the person you’ve found is reliable and, well, legit. How much does this service cost: free of charge.
#2 Roomster
Do you like scrolling down Facebook for a long time? Then you’ll like this one. Roomster is another excellent website where you can look for your new flatmate. This one is excellent for all the social media fans out there as it allows users to link their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the website, which eases the (re)searching process.
Nonetheless, keep in mind that you need to subscribe and pay $5.95 for a three-day trial to get this feature. The cost for two weeks is $14.95, while for four weeks, this number rises to $29.95. If you’re not willing to subscribe right away, you can still post a listing and upload photos for free, and you can receive messages from potential flatmates, too.
#3 Roomi
Roomi offers a secure way of finding your potential match. There’s no need to worry about scams because Roomi does a background check before the users can post their listings. It’s easy to follow the approved accounts by following the profiles that have a badge – these are the users who have completed all steps of verification.
When it comes to cost, it is free to create an account and use the site. However, if you’re the one posting a listing and you’d like it exposed, you’ll have to pay a fee ($2.99 for three days or $9.99 for ten days).
#4 SpareRoom
SpareRoom gives you the chance to personalize your search so that you have greater chances of finding your perfect match. You are about to share your living space with this person, so it’s essential that your personalities match as much as possible. SpareRoom is completely free to use, so you can forget about any fees. Once you find your potential flatmate, you can use a secure messaging system to communicate with them. The site is safe and easy to use.
#5 RoomieMatch.com
Not only does this website focus on finding you a perfect match based on your personality, but it has a rather high-end security system. There are actual human reviewers going over every submission, making sure the website is completely scam-free. As its name suggests, RoomieMatch.com acts like a real matchmaker, which means it works on finding perfect roommates based on your location and shared views and interests. So, if there’s someone you could get along with, these suggestions will be sent right to your inbox. This is excellent if you’re moving with a pet, for instance, as the site can check right away who shares your love for animals and doesn’t mind living with one.
Moving in With Roommates – Things Roommate Websites Don’t Teach You
You figured out the best time of the year to move and where you should move, so it is time to find somebody to split the rent. When looking for roommates online, the above mentioned can help you narrow your choice down. You can also rely on Reddit, Padmapper (excellent site when you’re looking for a place to rent), or even Facebook. There are a variety of choices. However, none of these can tell you what your guts can about moving day. So, while they can be of enormous help, keep in mind that you should always meet with this new person you’ve chosen before signing or even just promising anything.
Keep in Mind This: Your Roommate Should Be Someone You Feel Safe and Comfortable With
If you’re moving to another state alone, you’ll need someone to talk to, spend your free time with, and, most importantly, someone who’ll be there for you if you need it to avoid relocation depression. Don’t forget to check the general safety of your future neighborhood if you’re relocating to the suburbs. You should also avoid rushing to move into a smaller home or go house-hunting alone, without giving a chance to coliving because it will also help you reduce costs when moving. Of course, you can’t turn your roommate into your best friend in one day, but still, you need to look for a person who makes you feel completely comfortable, as well as safe. In case something happens, you need to know that the person sleeping in the next room is someone you can count on.
You should also learn how to deal with moving stress and relocation anxiety, so you could ease the transition and not be completely reliant on someone else.
Tips for Living with Roommates
To make sure you live in peace and get along well, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Set some ground rules
- Split the bills fairly
- Respect each other’s schedule
- Make a chore chart
- Make sure you hang out and get to know each other
Final Word
You’ve donated unwanted items but you can’t figure out the best way to move your IKEA furniture? Did you find a flatmate, but you’re having trouble with packing tips and tricks and creating a photo inventory? Whether you don’t know how to pack glassware, how to pack clothes for relocation, box up books or you and your flatmate are wondering how to organize unpacking successfully, know that you can always plan your moving budget and hire professionals movers for the job. They can also provide you with auto transport services in case you want to transport your car across the country, and explain to you how does car shipping work.
Feel free to rely on recommended expert movers who can offer professional packing services and provide you with all the boxes and packing supplies to avoid making common moving mistakes while you focus on finding the perfect match and changing the address when you do.
