I Have 10 Flatmates 😬

The trouble living with too many people

If you make the wrong choices when it comes to flat sharing, you can end up with a whole bunch of flatmates that you have nothing in common with. The good news is that, with the help of a little technology, it’s now easier to make sure you find the right people to set up home with.

Having trouble remembering everyone’s name and what they do? Then you’re probably living in an overcrowded household. This can happen with student lets, although it’s increasingly becoming an issue in professional accommodation. Many landlords, in order to maximise their profits, are going for homes with multiple occupation – while it’s great for them, it can be bad for you and your flatmates, particularly in a place like London where accommodation hunting is fairly competitive.

Living with too many people can mean several things. First, you hardly ever get time to yourself or a moments peace. That’s going to be more of a problem when you have a busy or stressful job and all you want to do in the evening is sit back and relax. It’s no fun when you’ve lost your mojo and one of your flatmates has decided to invite his own workmates over for a little shindig or puts his latest Marylin Manson download on full blast.

You’re also more likely to get a real conflict of different personalities the more people you have in one place. In a group of ten people, it’s unlikely that all are going to get on like the proverbial house on fire. That means there’s more chance of arguments and disputes breaking out. This can cloud the atmosphere and put everyone on edge.

Then there’s managing the resources. It’s less easy to discover who’s stealing your morning cereal if there are ten of you compared to just three or four. Then there’s who gets dibs on the living room TV and what programmes you watch. It can all get a bit messy, to say the least.

If you’re living in London on a budget, then opting for a big flat or house share often makes sense because it helps reduce the costs. But you certainly have to be careful about which location you choose and the people you share with. On the plus side, with ten people in the property, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be able to make friends with at least one of them.

Many people tend to look at accommodation first and who they’re sharing with second, when it should actually be the other way round. A great flat mate should be right at the top of your list – after all, you want someone you’re going to get on well with and have fun.

Accommodation in London is expensive and good flat shares and flatmates are hard to come by. But why should you take the risk of sharing with too many people or forgo the chance to make great new and long lasting friends? You could, of course, simply continue to answer those flatmates wanted ads you find online.

Or you could try to match your next flatmate and accommodation up a little better. One way to do this is to download the cityflatmate appthat has just come out. This works a little like a dating app and tries to match your requirements as closely as possible to compatible flatmates. This means you can see what sort of people you’re likely to be sharing with, what they are into and whether they fit your requirements.

It’s always a good idea to know what you’re getting into before you make a commitment. The app gives you the chance to tailor searches so you get better results across a range of parameters. It’s a lot better than taking an ad hoc approach and hoping you find the perfect city flat and flatmates. If you want to avoid the potential for getting stuck in an overcrowded house, it’s a good option to consider.