Written by 
- The Savvy Promise
At Savvy, our mission is to empower you to make informed financial choices. While we maintain stringent editorial standards, this article may include mentions of products offered by our partners. Here’s how we generate income.
Most young adults have, at some point or another, lived in a shared house. In fact, with the soaring rent prices, more and more people live with housemates well into their mid-to-late twenties, or even thirties. However, like all good things, this must come to an end, so keep your eyes peeled for the five signs that it’s time to go solo.
You’re older than everyone else
It was cool when you were all 20 years old and you had the same interests and appetite for partying, but when you’re over 25 and the roommates that are on rotation are all college students, you’re gonna have some trouble. It’s simply a case of differing priorities. They just wanna have fun, but you’ve already gone through that phase, and all you really want to do is have some quiet nights in and maybe do some cooking and watch a show.
You’re the only one doing chores
Look, a house needs to be maintained. That means cooking, cleaning, doing dishes, doing laundry, etc. Back home, mum (or dad!) did it all for you, but in a shared house situation, someone usually ends up filling that role, and it better not be you. Typically, the most responsible person in the household finds themselves the designated mum, so you’re the one scrubbing, dusting, washing, cleaning, vacuuming, etc. Don’t be Cinderella; if you’re gonna maintain a home, make sure it’s your own.
Your space is not respected
A shared house doesn’t also mean shared personal space or shared belongings. Unfortunately, that’s what usually happens, anyway. Who hasn’t fallen victim to stolen milk from the fridge and people using your stuff without asking? No matter how close you are, going into your room while you’re not there is not ok, using your things is not ok, eating your food is not ok. If the only way you’re going to get the respect for your space and personal property that you want is by moving out, then do it.
Your housemates have no boundaries
When you have to share space with strangers, or even close friends, boundaries are essential. Otherwise, things can become really weird, really fast. This means that no one can walk around butt-naked, leave unmentionables lying on the bathroom floor, trim their nose hair in the sink, have loud sex, have strangers at the house for all kinds of dubious activities, etc. You need boundaries in order to remain sane, and if you can’t enforce them, then you’re better off getting your own place.
Your housemates are filth monsters
No one can prepare you for discussing personal hygiene and disgusting habits with adults you are sharing a bathroom with, but it’s going to happen, anyway. People are filthy creatures, some of them more than others. You might have the misfortune of encountering housemates who a) don’t shower, b) don’t wash their clothes, c) don’t do their dishes, d) don’t wash the bathroom, e) don’t take out the trash, f) leave trash all over the house. Do I need to go on? No. Move out and save yourself.
Did you find this page helpful?
This guide provides general information and does not consider your individual needs, finances or objectives. We do not make any recommendation or suggestion about which product is best for you based on your specific situation and we do not compare all companies in the market, or all products offered by all companies. It’s always important to consider whether professional financial, legal or taxation advice is appropriate for you before choosing or purchasing a financial product.
The content on our website is produced by experts in the field of finance and reviewed as part of our editorial guidelines. We endeavour to keep all information across our site updated with accurate information.
Approval for home loans is always subject to our lender’s terms, conditions and qualification criteria. Lenders will undertake a credit check in line with responsible lending obligations to help determine whether you’re in a position to take on the loan you’re applying for.
The interest rate, comparison rate, fees and monthly repayments will depend on factors specific to your profile, such as your financial situation, as well as others, such as the loan’s size and your chosen repayment term. Costs such as broker fees, redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, aren’t included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts may result in a different comparison rate.
