There are a lot of benefits to living with a roommate.  In fact, many of us don’t have a choice; we wouldn’t be able to live independently in an apartment here in Austin, Texas without someone to share the costs.  And to find a good roommate, like finding a good wife, is something you need to spend time to achieve.  Nothing is worse than waking up every morning with someone you could cheerfully kill.  It’s not that they’re necessarily a bad person, it’s just that they have habits that aggravate you. 

Do you remember Neil Simon’s play, “The Odd Couple?”  Jack Lemmon played the part of a fastidious, almost obsessive compulsive, neat and tidy character and his life was a misery because he lived in an apartment with a slovenly, unkempt, disorganized slob.  Not a bad person, neither of them were, really.  And that’s the whole point of the conflict, they were just incompatible, but were shackled together as roommates in an apartment for the term of the lease.  Don’t let this happen to you! 

It’s not only true in the play and the television series spin-off, that the first law of finding compatible co-dwelling companions is establishing similar standards of tidiness and hygiene.  Not identical, mind you.  You just need to be in the same universe in this matter.  It’s true—if there is always hair in the sink, unwashed plates in the kitchen, and clothes left on the couch, and you are unable to ignore them, you are setting yourself up for conflict. 

Like a marriage, this relationship will involve you in discussions about the second most intimate matter of life—money.  A subject that can always lead to conflict.  Remember, you will be splitting electricity, gas, cable, the internet and other utility bills.  If you are reluctant to express yourself clearly for fear of giving offense, and you have managed to choose a roommate who has never had to deal with these matters, is oblivious to the day-to-day minutiae of living independently, the potential for conflict will always be there.  It’s not necessarily that the other party wants to avoid paying their share, it requires open discussion regarding each person’s responsibilities.  So choose a roommate who you can discuss intimate matters with. 

Be ruthless in your selection process.  A close friend, someone you’ve known for many years, isn’t going to necessarily make the best roommate.  You might not only spend a year in misery, but you might also lose a best friend. 

The first step, just as in buying a car, is to make a list of the qualities that are important to you and evaluate your own lifestyle and preferences.  Include in your list questions like:

• What’s your attitude toward sharing domestic chores?
• Do you like to stay up late?
• Do you have any Austin apartment pets? (It might sound like a silly question, but there are stories of a flat-mate turning up on the appointed day with 2 Dobermans!)
• Do you smoke?
• Do you like music? Do you listen to music at night? (It might sound petty, but if you’re a lover of the classics and your roommate is a hip-hop fan who likes to listen to Fifty Cent at midnight, you’ll realize the wisdom of the question.)
• Do you like to have friends over and entertain?

This may be the most important decision you make when choosing your new apartment here in Austin, Texas.  Be selective. Be objective.  Be ruthless in weeding out anyone who doesn’t meet your standards. Austin, Texas may be a great place to live, work or go to school, but conflicts in your apartment with a room mate will detract from every aspect of your life.