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Life

30th Jan 2018

From food thieves to ‘the couple’: 6 housemates that NO ONE wants

And if you can't relate, ask yourself - are you one of them?

Orlaith Condon

Brought to you by Pinergy. 

Moving in with new housemates is the ultimate lottery.

You can land on the big one and meet friends for life… or you can find yourself in a situation where you’re longing for the days when you shared a box room with your two sisters under the watchful eye of your parents.

Yes, getting the right housemates is a hard task, however, there are a few in particular that you really want to stay well clear of.

Here are six housemates that no one wants to live with.

1. The recluse

Definitely not the worst housemate you can get but definitely the most awkward.

Yes, the recluse is like the house ghost – you completely forget they’re there until you hear a creek of their bedroom floorboards or catch a glimpse of them as they sneak their dinner upstairs to their room.

While they are undoubtedly easier to deal with than others mentioned, it is the awkwardness of social interactions that earns them their place on the list.

2. The food thief

Is there anything more infuriating than coming home after a long, hard day to the knowledge that you’re going to have a lovely stir fry, only to have the dream dashed when you realise your housemate has stolen your chicken fillets because they “thought they were theirs”?

Answer – no!

While the old lesson of ‘sharing is caring’ is undoubtedly true, we have to draw the line when our cupboards are being pillaged and we have to start storing our food in our bedroom.

3. The couple

They’re both sound. They’re both tidy. They’re both on board with communal toilet roll. Yes, you may think you’ve hit the jackpot, however, combined these two are likely to cause a whole lot of stress.

From ganging up on you during housemate disagreements to making you feel like you’re third-wheeling in your own sitting room – a couple is the ultimate hit or miss when it comes to cohabitants.

Choose wisely, or live in regret until one of you moves out.

4. The social butterfly

In stark contrast to the recluse, someone who is too social can also be a headache inducer.

While you may think you’re only getting one housemate, you’re actually getting multiple as they will rarely come home on their own. Prepare for your home to become the pre-drinking location of choice for all their friends, with empty bottles of beer becoming part of the decor.

This character will also have you yearning for the life of the recluse just to avoid all the “mad banter” your social housemate is having.

5. The dirt gatherer

There’s a huge difference between being messy and dirty, and anyone who argues otherwise is more than likely the latter.

Yes, this is the housemate that will force the introduction of the cleaning rota. If you’ve ever wondered what happens to tea when it’s left in a mug for too long – be prepared to uncover the grim truth.

You will struggle to decide whether cleaning up after them is worth it or not, and whether they should be taught a lesson. It’s an argument you’ll never win with a housemate you’ll never change.

6. The stingy Sally

If there’s one thing we hate, it’s stingy Sallys. Whether it’s not chipping in for tea bags and laundry detergent, or being late with paying the bills – it’s an annoyance that only grows more infuriating as time goes on.

Again in an effort to keep things moving steadily, you take charge of paying for certain things. However, this is only a temporary solution as it is likely to drive you to permanent insanity.

What is needed here is some sort of accountability. Yes, we’re talking a close monitoring of the situation and while this may feel like you’re slowly becoming your mam and dad, it will make your life a whole lot easier.

Companies like Pinergy help remove any fighting over bills and get you out of being the one to pay every month. You can clearly see who has paid what and when, so everyone can pay their share equally.

This article is brought to you by Pinergy, the energy innovators. Understand and reduce your energy consumption, waste and cost through Pinergy’s smart technologies. Pinergy takes the stress out of sharing bills. With the Pinergy In Home Display and Smart App you can see how much energy you are using and multiple users can pay into the one account helping to eliminate arguments over bills. Check out Pinergy for more.