Don’t really know who you’re living with?
While you may well be the most sociable person on the planet, meeting and getting to know a new flatmate can be an uneasy experience. You want things to go well. You want them to like you and vice versa. You want to be a perfect match….
You’re hoping this is going to be fun and brilliant and life affirming.
However, you may be thinking: What if it all goes wrong? What if I don’t like them? What if they don’t like me? What if they come and go at all hours? What if they’re untidy? Finding a great flatmate can involve a little potluck, especially in a busy city like London. So we’ve provided some tips that will help you to get along with your new flatmate.
Take It Slow and Progress Naturally
We get to know new people all the time. However, we don’t always ask them to move in with us. If you’re starting a new job, it’s all about getting to know and bond with everyone in the office. Join a sports club and you’ll find a whole host of new people to build relationships with.
When you’ve answered that flatmates wanted ad, it’s a similar thing. It might be one person or several to get to know but the key is to take it slow and just be natural. In other words, be yourself and trust in yourself.
Socialise With Your New Flatmate
Of course, one of the best ways to get to know someone is to go out on the town with them. A drink or two is a good way to relax and get you both talking. Another option is to veg out in front of the TV with a box set or two. Throw in a pizza and bottle of wine or a few beers and you’ve got the perfect environment for building a long-term, flat-sharing relationship.
Try to be as flexible as possible when it comes to choosing what you want to do – remember the key is to get to know your flatmate and build up a rapport not argue over whether you should be watching Game of Thrones or binging on the latest episode TOWIE. If you have shared interests such as fitness, going for a run in a nearby park can be a great way to kick off your relationship.
Do Something New
One of the quickest ways to bond with someone is to do something new and challenging together. This helps set up a sense of camaraderie which makes you more likely to appreciate the other person. It can be something as simple as doing the first shop together, repainting a room or something more extreme like going for a country hike (you might like to draw the line at mountain climbing or bungee jumping).
Choose Your Flatmate Wisely
Another way to make sure that you bond successfully is to use today’s technology. It’s long been an important tool for online dating and can be a great option for flatmating.
Smart searching for flatmates in cities like London is now easier with the CityFlatmate app. Available on the App Store and coming soon to Google Play, the App provides a simple platform for finding your perfect flatmate. By completing your profile and answering a minimum of ten questions, CityFlatmate’s matching algorithm aims to introduce you to people who are most likely to be compatible sharing a house with. With CityFlatmate, you can choose who you want to live with. Find someone who loves what you love by searching through our profiles.
Love dinner parties? Love action movies? Love pets? With CityFlatmate, you can choose from hundreds of profiles, select those who sound like your perfect flatmate, within a few clicks, meet up and go flat hunting together.
Flatmate speed-dating is also a great tool for finding potential flatmates. By meeting face-to-face in one location you can quickly get to know each other. It gives you a much better chance of finding someone who you can gel and bond with in a shorter space of time. As we all know, finding the best place to live in London isn’t the only challenge today’s city slickers face. So take every opportunity to get out there and meet potential flatmates.
The main key to bonding with your new flatmate, however, is that you have to make the effort. In any friendship there’s always a bit of give and take. We would advise you to so be open-minded, friendly, and be prepared to try new things.
