When you finish university, the biggest questions that most people have is where they’re going to live now. You might not necessarily want to stay sharing a flat with your uni mates, and if you haven’t met someone yet, then that rules cohabiting out. Because you’ve lived relatively independently for the past few years, you probably won’t like the idea of moving back in with your parents either. For most, this leaves only one option – Living by yourself. If this is something that you’re considering, then here are a few pros and cons for you to think about.
Contents
Pro – You Have Creative Control
One of the greatest things about living alone is that you can decide how you want to decorate every single room of your home. For some, this is quite the challenge, but growing up is all about challenging yourself. With a whole house to yourself, you can decide everything from the furniture in the living room to the shower curtain in the bathroom, so that everything is to your taste and style.
Con – You Can’t Escape Chores
Of course, one of the major downsides of being able to decorate everything however you want is that you also have to clean up after yourself when it’s all done. In fact, when you live alone, you have to clean up all of the mess you make. You won’t be able to take turns doing the dishes or cleaning the bathroom, so, unless you want to live in a pit of filth, you’re going to have to do it all alone.
Pro – There’s No Drama
If you’ve ever lived with roommates, you’ll know how quickly arguments can break out. If someone has eaten someone else’s food, forgot to get their share of the rent, not washed the dishes when they were supposed to, or is taking too long in the bathroom, then there is going to be drama. When you live by yourself, you don’t have to put up with any of this, which is quite the breath of fresh air.
Con – It Can Get Lonely
As nice as it is not to have to listen to arguments 24/7, sometimes the silence can get pretty deafening. Because you’re not constantly surrounded by your friends, you can start to feel lonely the second you’re alone. You’ll also notice that you start to feel more paranoid than usual and that you become very aware of every noise in the middle of the night, just in case it’s an axe murderer (don’t worry, it probably isn’t).
Pro – Guests Can Come Over Whenever
Luckily, you don’t have to put up with the loneliness, because, when you live by yourself, you can have guests come over whenever you like. You don’t have to ask anyone if it’s okay if you host a party or curry night, because it only affects you. You can also have guests stop over whenever you want for however long you want, without having to check with your roommate if it’s okay.
Con – Schedules Get In The Way
Unfortunately, while you may have the tableware for curry nights or the perfect playlist for a party, if your friends are all busy, then there’s not much that you can do about it. When you don’t live with your friends, you’ll find that it’s a lot harder to find time to hang out with them, because your schedules probably won’t match. You also won’t have those random moments where you realise you’re both free for a little while and can spend with each other watching TV.
Pro – You Can Have Pets
When you live with roommates, having pets is difficult. For a start, there’s the issue that some of your friends might be allergic to or scared of certain animals. Then there’s the problem of when you leave, your friends will miss your pet, as they’ll have come to think of it as theirs too. When you live alone, this isn’t an issue, and you can have as many pets as your landlord allows.
Con – Bills Are Yours Alone
One of the biggest downsides of living alone is that you have to pay all of the bills yourself. For some, this won’t be too much of a problem, but for others, it could mean that you have to tighten your belts and make some sacrifices, such as renting a smaller apartment or cutting out non-essentials like your Netflix subscription.
If you’re considering moving out and getting a place by yourself, make sure you think about these pros and cons before you do.
No Comments