It’s a match made in heaven. You and your best friend binge-watch the same shows, order the same thing at Chipotle, and even use the same type of laundry detergent. So, what could possibly go wrong if you two tried to live together?
Before you sign a lease with your best friend, weigh the pros and cons to make an informed decision. Living with your best friend can be an incredibly rewarding experience…or it can leave you spelling B-Y-E to your B-F-F.
PRO: No awkward, walking-on-eggshells, getting-to-know-each-other phase.
You two know each other so well that you can finish each other’s sentences. That means you won’t need to go through the painfully awkward phase in which you learn each other’s weird habits, pet peeves, bed times, and cleanliness standards.
However, although it feels like you know each other better than anyone else, you never really know someone until you’ve lived with them. Don’t believe us? Think about that embarrassing thing your siblings know about you that no one else does!
CON: You could get stuck in high school (socially speaking, of course).
If you and your high school best friend are thinking about moving into a college dorm together, you’ve probably already given this some thought. College is a time in your life when you get to reach out into the world and make new connections with different people. You’re supposed to expand your horizons and get out of your comfort zone.
If you worry about falling into a rut or getting bored, you may want to consider taking the risk of living with someone completely new. Your best friend will understand!
PRO: No bad vibes, or bad roommates.
(And by bad vibes, we mean an unbearable or uncomfortable living situation.) We’ve all heard the horror stories of terrible roommates doing terrible things: keeping pet rats and not cleaning up after them, throwing crazy parties every weekend without permission, not refilling the Brita water pitcher after using it—all the stuff that would grind anyone’s gears.
With your best friend, you can set the vibes to maximum chill. And if he or she is doing something that bums you out, you’ll feel more comfortable telling them.
CON: Your fights will remind you of WWE Smackdown—or worse, A Quiet Place.
When you know someone well enough, your “conflicts” take many forms, whether that’s a heated debate or a full-service silent treatment. In most instances, the little things—like dishes left in the sink—won’t be cause for a blow-out. But little things can add up, like bits of banana peels in a twice-compressed-but-still-overflowing kitchen trash can.
Toward the end of your time spent living with your best friend, if you’re not careful, you two could end up more like enemies on the opposite sides of a battlefield, waiting for the spark that starts a war!
PRO: Bye bye lonely. Hello happy.
Everybody gets lonely every now and then. But when you have a roommate who moonlights as your best friend, you’ll likely be a little less so. It helps to have someone there to talk to, bounce ideas off of, share a laugh with, and get advice from. You and your best friend will be there to get each other through thick and thin. It’ll be almost like living with an adult sibling. Your friendship could blossom as a result.
CON: Friendship = ruined?
Dun-dun-dun! This con is probably at the very top of your list of concerns when you’re thinking about living with your best friend. Friendships change, just like people do, and living with someone is never all sunshine and roses.
The fact is: no one can predict whether you and your best friend will thrive when living together, or whether you two will drift apart like oil and water. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth the risk! You stand to gain a once-in-a-lifetime living situation, plus the opportunity to grow and learn with someone you care about.
Once you’ve made your decision, either to live with your best friend or fly the coop, you can find the perfect new apartment on ApartmentSearch.com.
