Choosing the Right Roommate 

If you want to get the most out of your Lubbock apartment budget, then getting a roommate is the ideal solution. However, finding the perfect roommate that suits your lifestyle and won’t drive you bonkers can be a real challenge.

Don’t despair – there’s plenty of fish in the sea. While there’s no foolproof formula for finding the perfect person to share an apartment with (yet), here are some wise and stress-free tips for selecting the ideal new roomie in Lubbock.

Don’t Rush

Give yourself plenty of time to find that special someone who can pay rent on time and not murder you in your sleep. Start by asking trusted friends and family members if they can recommend someone who is also looking for a new living situation. Someone who’s known to you or vouched for is more likely to be an amiable and trustworthy companion.roommates lubbock

Know What You Want

Are you an “early to bed, early to rise” kind of person? Then living with a night owl is a recipe for disaster. If you’re health-conscious or a vegetarian, you may not want to habituate with someone who smokes or regularly cooks meat. Neat freaks should never live with slobs. If you have a certain vice you can’t live without – brewing your own beer or waking up half of Lubbock with your tuba solos – make sure you are up-front about that with your potential new roommate. And of course, if you are a pet parent, you’ll want to find someone that will love your furry baby as much as you do.

Give Yourself Choices

You’ll want to have a few different options because getting people to agree on important details can be like herding kittens. Your dream Lubbock apartment might be in a complex that is not in a great location for your potential roomie and their current job or school.

Be open minded

Sometimes the best person to share an apartment with is someone you least expect. Persons of the opposite sex can make fabulous roommates as long as you respect each other’s boundaries.

Let the Robots Decide

Another option is to use a roommate matching service, like Roommates.com or Roomster. Potential house mates will post their photo and a little about themselves, or you can browse through listings of people who are searching for someone like you.
You can also search for the ideal person to share your crib with on social media or Craigslist – you will be sure to receive some interesting responses. Just remember to always meet strangers off the internet in a public place, tell someone where you will be, and always do your research.
Several Lubbock apartment communities offer roommate matching services, especially those apartments near Texas Tech, and most of the time this service is free of charge. Ask your leasing professional if they can assist you with finding the right match.

Money Talks

A crucial thing that must be done before any leases are signed is having that dreaded conversation about money. If you are signing a lease that covers the entire apartment, then you will need to have ground rules about when rent and utility bills are due and how they will be paid. Everyone has a different financial situation, so it’s important to make sure the person you decide to live with is secure enough to pay their bills on time. No one wants to be stuck holding the bag on the first of the month. You may even want to consider an apartment with individual leases to ensure you're not financial responsible for your roommate.

Make a Plan

Once you’ve made your decision and covered who’s paying what when, you should discuss things like:

  • Are you splitting groceries? Who’s doing the shopping?
  • What’s the cleaning schedule? Are we hand washing or using the dishwasher?
  • What happens if one of you loses your job?
  • What if someone must move out suddenly and unavoidably?

Have emergency contact info for each other in case anything happens and agree on somewhere to put a spare key. Keep healthy communication open with your new roommate and always approach problems with diplomacy and proactiveness.

Finding your dream roommate for your new Lubbock apartment can seem like an insurmountable drag, but it’s actually a snap if you follow these easy steps, stay focused, and do your research. Good luck!