She knew she hated dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. It didn’t seem so important when she interviewed to live with others in a large house. She fell in love with the room, the house and the location. She noticed the dirty dishes but internally she shrugged and thought, “I can live with it.” So […]
Read More...Red Flags in Interviews (and How to Recognize Them)
I’ll get to the red flags, but first you need to understand the situation. Catherine, in her early sixties, lives in a small town in New Hampshire. She owns a house with four bedrooms and large piece of land. She likes living with others and finds her housemates through a combination of networking and craigslist. […]
Read More...We Need to Talk
Does “We need to talk” make you nervous and tense when your partner, friend or home-mate confronts you about a necessary conversation? Communication with anyone, but especially with your home-mate, shouldn’t make you nervous. In fact, you should welcome it because apart from discussing an annoyance, it also opens the door to having an honest […]
Read More...How Kara Selects Housemates She Loves
“I wouldn’t live any other way!” says Kara. She’s had different housemates over the last ten years. “I always want to have a housemate. I enjoy it and it’s such an easy way to supplement my income. I always make sure I have enough space for another person.” Benefits She likes the companionship — being […]
Read More...Can You Spot the Mistake Kathy Made?
Here is a story about a mistake Kathy made. She had a disaster of a housemate. It is what many people are afraid of when they think about sharing housing. Read it and see if you can spot how and when Kathy stumbled in selecting this person to be a housemate. Kathy says, “When I was […]
Read More...When Genna Met Sally — Furniture and Meals
This is Part 6 of the story. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Sally shook her head as she contemplated the idea of her four-bedroom house full of furniture, books, pictures, and the assorted accumulation of a life lived raising children. “I’ve got so much stuff!” Genna lifted her hands and […]
Read More...When Genna Met Sally — Dogs and Holidays
This is the fifth part of the Genna and Sally story. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Sally took a sip of tea. “That might be just fine. I see so many dogs at the shelter. Every now and then there’s a sweet older dog that someone had to give up because they’re moving. […]
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