

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Charles Dickens may not have known it, but he perfectly summed up what it’s like living in a share house.
A rite of passage for many, living with strangers in a house together can be a delight…or a total nightmare.
Sure, it can be affordable (translation: more avocado toast) and a great way to meet people, but it can also seriously test your patience as a human being.
Here are seven experiences – both good and bad – that everyone who has lived in a share house has experienced.
1. The housemate who does absolutely nothing.
Coming home to a sink full of dishes while your housemate sits on the couch watching TV? Far more common than you’d like. Maybe it’s passive aggressive behaviour, maybe it’s just pure laziness. Either way, it’s infuriating. Of course, if it’s YOU sat on the sofa while your housemate gives you a look, then you may actually be this one. Do the damn dishes.

Image: New Girl.
2. The unpleasant bathroom surprise.
Talk to anyone about share house living and they're guaranteed to have a bathroom-related story. If you're lucky, it might just be a housemate or visitor with little respect for common bathroom decency and a tendency to leave behind a lingering scent - and not the good kind. For that, you can just subtly nudge them with a gift (trap the smell in the toilet with a pre-poo spray. What a good housemate you are!).
Top Comments
The marriage vows don't include "what's mine is yours".
The first line sums it up!! I have lost a friend through it, but also have some best friends for life because if it. Also allowed me to save money, invest in property and live in one of Australia's most expensive and beautiful suburbs - win-win!