While starting university and moving out of your family home is very exciting, living with strangers for the first time can be a jarring experience. You'll have to get used to your house mates' quirks and habits, and well as work out whether they can be trusted not to touch, use, or eat things you've bought.
We've put together a list of five essentials that will help to make your house share experience much easier. Read on to find out more.
Crockery and cutlery
Whether you're the type of person who always washes their plates after using them, or you prefer to wait until you have a big batch to clean at once, you're going to want your own collection of crockery and cutlery. We would recommend choosing those with a distinctive design so you'll always know which ones are yours. It's also wise to buy a few plates, bowls, mugs, knives, and forks in case you have friends round for tea.
For affordable crockery and Cutlery, Wilko is the place to go. They have a kitchen essentials section, which includes everything you'll need, as well as the likes of kettles, dish drainers, and tea towels that would also be good to have.
Recognisable food boxes
Many student house wars have started over some stolen food. So, to keep things peaceful, make sure everything you put in the fridge and cupboards is clearly marked as yours in some way.
The easiest way to make sure nobody mistakes your food for theirs is by putting everything in unique food boxes that will be recognised as yours. This will make it clear that your things are off limits, but will seem much less passive aggressive than writing your name on everything. Plastic Box Shop has a huge range of plastic food boxes that come in all shapes, sizes, and colours. Pick up a selection to keep your food fresh and safe from theft.
Cleaning supplies
When you move into your house share, you're likely to find that everyone has a different idea of how clean and tidy a home should be. If you prefer things to be spick and span, make sure you and your housemates discuss buying cleaning supplies in the first week of moving in. Start with simple things like a dust pan and brush, cleaning sprays, sponges, and washing up liquid. Then, once you've spent some time in your new home, you'll be able to work out what else you need.
Extensions leads
There are never enough plug sockets in a house share. There are just too many phones that need charging, and hairdryers that need using. So, to maximise the sockets that you do have, invest in a couple of extension cables.
Argos offers a wide range of extension cables that can accommodate up to 10 plugs. Give them a browse and pick up a couple that will suit your needs.
House share smartphone apps
When you're living with a group of people who all have different schedules it can be difficult to get organised when it comes to buying and budgeting for communal essentials. Fortunately, plenty of apps aiming to solve this problem have launched in the past few years.
Splitwise, for example, allows you to keep track of who has paid their share of the rent, bills, and any other expenses you're all responsible for. Similarly, Chorma will help you and your housemates to stay on top of your household chores by sending updates and offering rewards.
It's important that you're well-prepared when you move into your first house share. Take all of these essentials with you and your experience is bound to be a comfortable one.
