Flat-sharing among adults, a trendy lifestyle

With the surge in property prices in major cities and their surrounding areas, it can sometimes prove difficult to combine housing comfort with financial comfort. A growing number of adults are turning to a lifestyle once reserved for students: flat-sharing. It allows each person to breathe financially and share a richer daily life. A look back at this forward-looking practice that is evolving and has many advantages, but also certain limitations.

The flat-sharing trend: for whom and how?

Sharing one’s home with people outside family ties can be done in various ways, especially as flatmate profiles have diversified in recent years.

Living together at any age

Several categories of adults are seeking flat-sharing. Young professionals wishing to prolong the lifestyle they enjoyed during their studies, or people going through a life change (divorce, relocation, etc.) for whom flat-sharing provides a rapid fallback solution.

This can also include commuters living in the countryside with their family but working in the city. Flat-sharing gives them an urban home for the week, at reduced cost. Indeed, in addition to savings on transport costs and reduced rent, many flat-shares are offered furnished.

Finally, we can note retirees’ interest in this practice, seeking companionship and to supplement modest pensions that no longer allow them to live comfortably on a daily basis. The pairing in this case is often with students, for a sharing appreciated by both generations.

From flat-sharing to coliving

The appeal of flat-sharing among these diverse people naturally brings renewal to how communal living is conceived. Within a traditional flat-share, each resident has a private bedroom, and sometimes a dedicated bathroom. The rest of the accommodation is shared, notably the main living area which serves as the place for sharing friendly moments.

In line with coworking, another way of thinking about this arrangement has emerged, called coliving (or shared housing). It is based on two fundamental principles: more privacy for daily life but increased sharing of common spaces. Within this framework, the flatmate has a more developed private space, including a kitchen or similar, and a bathroom. The rest of the accommodation is organised around what the flatmates wish to share together: coworking or particular hobbies. Themed flat-shares have thus appeared, with specialised spaces ranging from spas to a genuine business office.

What benefits come with cohabitation?

Flat-sharing or coliving, the basic principle remains communal living. Let us examine the advantages and disadvantages inherent in the phenomenon.

An arrangement with multiple advantages

Let us return to it once again: flat-sharing is primarily a means of saving on housing costs: rent, electricity and heating bills, internet access. This can give the possibility of accessing a more spacious and comfortable home. If you are a homeowner or about to become one, opening your door to a flatmate can facilitate the purchase of the property. And for obtaining a rental property, presenting an application with multiple incomes is likely to reassure a landlord.

Next, young or retired, sharing activities remains a major motivation for flat-sharing. Finding flatmates who share one’s interests makes the search more complicated but greatly enhances its appeal. And not living alone simply remains the priority for some people, notably retirees or those changing region for example.

A lifestyle with a few limitations

The advantages we have mentioned may have their downsides. In most cases, the lease is signed jointly between the flatmates, who must therefore assume any defaults by the others. In this scenario, it may be wise to assemble your team of flatmates in advance, in order to know them minimally and thus be able to choose the people to whom you will grant your trust.

And above all, not everyone is made to live with one or more stranger(s). The benefits of communal life can quickly turn into disagreements when differences confront each other. And despite the presence of at least one totally private room, the lack of intimacy can eventually become burdensome.

Take the plunge: how to find your flat-sharing arrangement?

Flat-sharing among adults is becoming sought after and it is not always easy to find your place. Here are some tips to help you.

Search avenues

Your first instinct will be the right one: yes, there are flat-sharing offers on the Internet. You will find them on the main property portals and on specialised sites. All the more practical if your need concerns a distant city or region.

For the case where your motivation is other than mobility and you are looking for a flat-share in your neighbourhood, do not hesitate to use word of mouth or posters: your advertisement could encourage someone who had not considered it to think about flat-sharing!

Think carefully about your profile

Finally, think before signing: what kind of flatmate will you be? What kind of person would be ideal to share your daily life? Do not commit to an elderly person if you like having friends over late, nor to a trumpeter if you are an advocate of silence yourself. As a vegetarian you might be bothered by your flatmates’ appetite for meat, and if you have a cat make sure they are not allergic to its fur!

In short, take the time to get to know your future life partners minimally. Admittedly the commitment is not necessarily lasting, however it will save you daily inconveniences that are easily foreseeable and which you can therefore avoid.

Cohabitation among adults, whether based on the principle of flat-sharing or coliving, is a phenomenon in full expansion. To the point that some go a further step by doing cohousing! The evolution of the property market is behind this, but not only. Our way of life is changing and establishing a family home is becoming less essential. Other affinities are being created, which encourage living together. Flat-sharing constitutes in this sense an issue to develop in tomorrow’s property market!