Should you live with your best friend or avoid it at any cost?


If TV shows and movies are to be believed, living with your best friend is the dream, and many hijinx and much hilarity will ensue. However, life is very rarely like the movies, and so is living with your best friend really such a great idea?

It’s not always a picnic

Living with anyone, whether they are your best friend, significant other, family member or a total stranger, is not a constant party. There will be days when one or both of you are irritable and snappy when someone isn’t pulling their weight with chores, or you are just a bit fed up. As long as you go into the situation knowing that it won’t be fantastic fun all the time, you are less likely to be disappointed.

Photo: BURST

Communication is key

If you felt as though your friend wasn’t doing their part in helping keep the place tidy, or you were fed up with the way they finished your cereal, would you feel able to talk to them reasonably about it? Could you discuss something without anyone being upset, or resorting to passive aggressive notes? It’s only natural that things won’t be perfect 24/7, the important thing is how you deal with it. One hard thing is that ranting about a housemate is usually done to a best friend, but if they are the same person, it can be a little difficult to vent.

Everyone needs alone time

When you’re not living together, you may wish you could spend every waking moment together; however, no matter how well you get alone, everyone needs a little alone time to recharge. It’s also important to maintain other friendships too, so try to give each other space.

Consideration and compromise

Even though you are the best of friends, you still need to consider each other’s feelings to remain that way! All relationships require a level of work, so don’t take your friendship for granted. If you know your BFF is super neat all the time, and you’re a little messier, try to keep common areas tidy, and she will be really grateful. Little things like replacing anything that runs out or saving her leftovers if you cook too much will go a long way to creating a pleasant environment.

Photo: BURST

It might not work

Perhaps you have considered all this and realized that you and your BFF might not be destined to live together, and that’s fine. It doesn’t change anything about your friendship, and it might be a better idea not to risk it! It can often be easier to appreciate someone when you don’t see them 24/7, so perhaps choose a different roommate and just hang out with your best friend regularly.
At the end of the day, it really depends on you, your best friend and your relationship. For some people, it really will work out and be the dream that Hollywood told you it would be. However, for others it is a sure-fire way to ruin a friendship, so tread carefully!

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