By Aaron Swartz

Apartment living has its perks and its disadvantages. Roommates may actually fall into either camp depending on who you are. On the one hand, living with other people can be a lot of fun, can keep you from being bored, and can be a great boon to your social life. On the other hand, sharing a space with other people can be trying in the extreme, which means picking both the right roommates AND the right space can have a huge impact on your experience living in your apartment. To help you match people and space together, here are a few factors you should keep in mind when looking for the perfect apartment and roommates.

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Cleanliness

One of the age-old struggles of living with roommates is cleanliness, and it’s no wonder why. Some people are neat freaks, some people use the floor as a closet, and when those two kinds of people live together there’s inevitably going to be conflict. When it comes to picking your roommates and picking your apartment, thinking about cleanliness is incredibly important. What kind of person are you? Are you willing to live with people who don’t share your values around cleanliness? Is there enough private space in the apartment you’re considering for you all to express yourselves the way you want, or will communal spaces be the majority of the living area? While cleanliness is a question of roommates, the degree to which your roommates’ mode of living affects you will vary based on the space you’re living in. It’s important for you to consider before committing to living with people in a space that isn’t conducive to either your health or well-being.

Social Life

Everyone is different when it comes to their social life. Some people have a lot of friends and are out all the time. Some people have a few close friends who they spend a lot of time with. Some people like to host parties, and others just like to spend time on their own. When picking your roommates and your apartment, it’s important to think about what your expectations are for socializing. If you want to invite people over a lot, you’ll need roommates who are comfortable with that and an apartment with enough space to host. Similarly, if you’re the quieter type then you might want a smaller, more cozy space to share with your roommates. Communicating your desires well will help ensure you match your apartment and roommates perfectly, giving you the ideal living situation.

Cooking

College students as a general rule are not known for their culinary skills, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the kitchen of your new apartment. The kitchen is one of the most important parts of any home, and it can completely rule out certain apartments if the kitchen doesn’t meet your needs. When selecting your roommates and your living space, figure out how much cooking you all will be doing. If you want to be using your kitchen a lot, then moving into a space that only has a microwave won’t exactly meet your needs. Similarly, if none of you love to cook then you don’t necessarily need a restaurant-level kitchen.

Bathrooms

Anyone who comes from a big family knows it to be true, sharing bathrooms is rough. There’s never enough space, someone’s always in there when you need it, and getting ready in the morning takes a schedule set three years in advance. Picking an apartment with ample space for all your roommates is important, and no part of the home better crystalizes that fact than the bathroom. Make sure all your roommates know what they’re getting into when it comes to important shared spaces like bathrooms. If people have an issue before move-in then that’s a good sign you might want to look for a bigger space — if you can afford it — or different roommates if not

Special Needs

As we’ve said, everyone is unique, and the biggest challenge of matching apartments and roommates comes in finding a space that meets the needs of everyone you’re living with. That’s why it’s important to consider any special needs you or your roommates might need to factor into your apartment. For instance, maybe someone has bad ankles or uses a wheelchair. An apartment on the fifth floor is probably not the best for them unless it has elevator access. Maybe someone experiences chronic pain and takes frequent baths, meaning an apartment without a bathtub won’t meet their needs. People have different wants and needs, and meeting those needs is important. Consider what you and your potential roommates need to get out of your space.

Apartment hunting is hard, and so is finding roommates. You shouldn’t do either of them independently though; they’re better tackled together. With this list you should have an idea of important factors to consider while looking for your new apartment, making sure you find the perfect marriage of roommates and living space.