Flat Hunting

Who knows that finding a flat could possibly be this strenous and difficult.
New Year always comes with new challenge , and next year 2010 comes with no exception.
So here are some few (hopefully helpful) tips and some things that you ought to know before flatting ...that i would like to share :

1. Choose Carefully.When i say choose your flat carefully,i really mean it.You would be like duh,obviously.This sound absurd but when i say choose,flat aside,what about your potential flatmates?When ya going to flat for the FIRST time,it is definitely easy to focus on the good points of your future flatmates.Look ahead,and think deep what does living in hall thought u about?Familiarity breeds contempt,aye?Yup.Will it bother you if your friend is the bossy naggy uptight freak?You would think,nah its alright...since you've made it alive living with your mum.Nope,you very likely to be wrong.Most friendships turn ugly,and sour when you do not consider well,and i mean it (personal experience).Will it bother you if they come home drunk during your exams?Can you live with their weird habits and fussy eating?Can you cope with seeing someone's else pubes in the shower/toilet cubicle?However,differences can be embraced if you lay down your terms n discuss well with them in advance.
2. Getting well insulated is very crucial esp in a cold place like here.There is always one of us that will have a higher tendency to use up the power,driving the electricity bill down to debt.All the flatmates wanna save up except one ( ireally hope thts not me though...lolx).Its the matter of priorities,genetic studies taught us well that variation help us to thrive to era,both introns n exons and as well as the environmental factor constitute to one's well being.So do consider what is reasonable to you and are some flatties willing to pay more or less?Thus,plan and discuss not just abt the electricity consumption but also on expenditure on weekly groceries,water-heating,and other expenses.Before you go flatting.make sure you're not commiting yourself to a lifestyle you cant afford & think abt your future flatmates's spending habits.If you're the account holder for phone or power,you will be held responsible for paying the whole bill if your flatmate cant/wont contribute.To share the risk,GET THEM TO PUT THEIR NAMES ON DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS. DONT BE SHY !
   
3. Some of your flatmates (like me me me ) like quiet environment,while others like music tht rattles the windows...and then there's noisy sex,thin walls and early morning stompers,and late night pacer.It might be funny at first,but trust me,after a month...its nowhere near to stimulating your sympathethic nervous system (autonomic) and for any other limbic/arousal stimulations.They will just simply moralise the whole situation that it is their flat as well,their share,and their piece of cake,n they got the right to make themselves feel at home.So how do you deal with all these shytes.Often not just in the hall of residence,but in flatting too,one flatmate often doesnt participate in anything;in the whole flat bonding thing and the other feel dissed.Ask yourself what are your expectations of flatting? Are you the party flat or the I-am-so-asian-im-so gonna be- a med student flat? Or are you the flat where our friends come around when they feel deficient in Vitamin Cozy and Emotional Stability.Again , a bit of advance communication can clear up potential problems.

~THE BEGINNING OF THE END.~
Got something interesting off my uni mag,from my seniors and oso based on own personal experience in living in d hall abt how some students dealt with shits their flatmates have put up with.

• THE BOTTLER-Silently seething abt the problem ,personalizing everything you say and then unexpectedly you trip over their wire.Wicked =)
• PLAYING NASTY - getting some of your flatmates onside, you've got someone to bitch about the others with. Eee-ther , aiii-ther.
• PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE - ignoring the problem,avoiding the person thats bothering you,playing reverse phsycology ,slamming doors,being snarky.
• BEING A MUNTER -Playing practical jokes,like putting their cellphone in to lost property,or glad wrap on their toilet seat.

Moral of the story : most problems can be dealt effectively with a bit of diplomacy,negotiation and some level of tolerance.
XD