If you had to choose between living alone in a studio apartment or sharing a 2 bedroom apartment with 1?

Question

roomate, what would you choose, and why?

Answer 1

Done both in my day. Here's the advantages/disadvantages in my opinion.

Roomate.
Pros
Cheaper. Not only rent and utils but realistically you share food, entertainment and other costs. Difficult not too.

A little insurance against a rough month. If your car drops it's engine and your roomie is reliable, then you can probably work out a partial rent contrib and pay back the roomie over time.

Opportunities. Through your roomie you'll likely meet people. Might be you hook up with your next gf by meeting a friend of your roomies gf. You might wind up with a better job, find a great spot to party, aquire a new interest, form a band and so on. This to me was the best aspect of having roomies.

Some household chores can be split and your more likely to actually do them as you are not the only one who has to put up with it. So you get a cleaner place for 1/3rd less effort.

Cons

Lack of privacy. Your roomie can pop in at any time. So doing the wild thing with that hot waitress you ran into last night is not a good option unless you are into exibitionism.

Space issues. How do you fairly subdevide usable space. Who's junk is cluttering who's space. Where do you put it all.

Incidental damages. The Movie that gets scratched up by your roomie, the fish that died when the Jack Daniels bottle fell in it and sat there overnight, the items that wander out of the bathroom, kitchen cabs, fridge. Most minor stuff but irritating. You want to shave but find out your roomies gf used your last razor. Somebody used your deoderant at one time. The roomies cat/dog took off with your last toothbrush and so on. Even if it was one of your friends who did the destruction/theft, you have no way to know and blame goes automatically to the roomie. Just as you get the blame for any incidental damage to your roomies stuff.

Sleep patterns. If you and your roomie don't have the same schedule a good sleep can sometimes be hard to get. Generally best to pick a roomie you can physically intimidate :) They tend to be quieter.

Just as you sometimes need a hand or a loan so will your roomie. Comes with the territory. People tend to become a tribe when living together and many resources intended or not become comunity shared. Roomies rarely come by themselves. They bring friends and friends of friends. Sometimes a few of these people hold the couch down a night or two or even longer.

Personality issues. Often people who are great friends living apart find they cannot abide each other when you see them every day for weeks, months sometimes years at a time.

Musical tastes. Always get a roomie that likes the same thing in music. Never get one that likes your beverages. Two peeves of mine are drinking my last beverage and having to listen to a music form I despise. Instant conflict there.

Finding a roomie that consistantly covers thier share of the bills is not always easy. Many folks just don't keep up with thier share in a roomie situation. Especially if you care more about the lights being on than they do. Having to kick a friend out is a really hard thing to do. However if you are about to be on the streets unless they start pulling htier share of the load what are you supposed to do? By deffinition you need the income so you wind up picking the first person you think will pay thier share of the bills and that you can live with. Sometimes these first persons can be a really bad experience.

Studio
It's your place.
Full privacy.
No incidental damages. No friends of friends dropping by.
Only one music taste matters.
If the fridge is empty you know it's your own fault.

On the downside you don't get to meet as many people. There is no net there so when something happens you are SOL.

When I was young, especially in my partying days it was roomates all the way. Sleep didn't matter then. Money was to pay bills and buy essentials like more beer. Didn't have much to damage or destroy.

Now that I'm older and more settled I'd chose the studio in a heartbeat. Years of living in roomate situations leaves me quick to get upset about little things. Living experience baggage you could call it.

Answer 2

If it's a question of money, choose the cheaper, you don't want to be making ends meet forever. On the other hand if you are happy on your own, studio if you can afford it. Roommates can be fun to have around but for a while, I shared an apartment with a very close friend and we found out how different we really were, we managed to maintain the friendship because it was a long standing one - so be careful who you share with!!!

Answer 3

It depends on the kind of person I have to share my apartment with. Normally since everything is temporary, my current decision would be based on proximity of apartment to office, comforts I can have in the apartment after considering my affordability; proximity to shops and restaurants etc., After considering these if I can have all these and the pleaseure of the company of somebody I know and if we can get along well then the sharing otherwise the studio.

Answer 4

I most definitely would choose the former over the latter... and I have. I had too many bad experiences living with roommates during college. The clincher is that, when I bring home girls to bed, I don't have to worry about anyone overhearing everything when they moan really loud during sex.

Life is good when you have your own place. Plus, I make over $50,000/yr, cost of living is cheap where I live, and there's no sales tax on anything you buy.

Answer 5

The studio apartment, I`ve tried the roommate thing three times and it was difficult. Different hours different interests to much hassle.

Answer 6

If it's someone that's responsible and I'd feel comfortable around, the companionship and shared experience would be nice so I'd take the 2 bedroom...otherwise I'd rather have the privacy and no roommate hassles.

Answer 7

I'd choose the studio because I personally would like my own privacy and space.

Answer 8

Definitely alone, even if it's a small space. You can decorate it the way you like & you will have your privacy. I've lived alone, & with roommates & living alone is great! Good luck with whatever decision you make!

Answer 9

I would go with the studio. That way I could have my girlfriend move in with me without offending a roommate.

Answer 10

I would chose the two bedroom apartment
so I would have someone to live with me.But thats just me.I don't like to be lonely.But some people may enjoy living alone.