Share house rules 101: gadgets for happy cohabitation.
Real talk: sharing a house might not be quite like your teenage fantasy. There are clashing personalities, pots left soaking in the sink for weeks and food theft to the highest degree. Worst of all, Mum isn’t there to whip everyone into shape.
To ensure you’re not that housemate, we’ve listed the ultimate share house rules to follow. The key commandments? Keep it down, keep it clean, and keep it fair. Plus, we round up the simple gadgets every share house needs to achieve harmony.
Try to keep it down.
Don’t slam doors. Avoid smoothie-making at 5am. And keep your Hinge guests’ clamours to a respectable level.
When it comes to share house rules, though, not all noise is bad noise. And if you’re planning a party, you want the right amount. The key is choosing a speaker that keeps the party going without unwanted visits from annoyed neighbours.
A compact, Bluetooth sound system can move from room to room as the party does. We like the Wave Portable Speaker. Or go old school with the Crosley Voyager Portable Turntable. It plays digital music and vinyl for the best of both worlds.
Once the party’s over, turn your share home into a smart home with the Google Nest Mini. Known as some of the best technology for the home, this baby does it all. It will keep a grocery list, read your recipes and tell you the weather. And the simple addition of a Google Nest Mesh Router means everyone stays Wi-Fi friendly.
Try to keep it clean.
Sure, share houses sometimes resemble science experiments. The atmosphere alone is worthy of investigation. But a simple air purifier can help. The PURIFAIR Mobile Air Purifier makes for a cleaner living space. And it travels with you through the house, ridding the air of bacteria, viruses and pollutants.
Cleaning not your jam? Don’t stress. Technology gadgets for home cleaning are here to save the day.
Thanks to stick and robot vacuums, there’s now no need to lug a corded beast around the house. And the quintessential auto-cleaner, iRobot Roomba, can be turned remotely from your phone. Prefer a little manual labour? The i-Vac Ultra Light Plus Stick Vacuum Cleaner is light as a feather.
When your shower starts growing a new species, kick things up a notch with cleaning tools. The RotoScrub attaches to a drill (yes, a drill) for effortless – and powerful – shower cleaning. It’s so much fun; everyone will be fighting for their turn to scrub the bathroom.
Try to keep it fair.
Living in a sharehouse is a good lesson in how to treat people in life. Don’t steal others’ food. Don’t hog. And don’t be unreliable.
As a golden share house rule, the ‘first to rise, first to shower’ mantra can cause issues. Keep everything gravy with a shower timer, like this LCD Digital Clock from Catch. It’s waterproof, has suction cups and prevents blow-ups over cold showers.
Next, the kitchen. A timeless battleground of many sharehouse scuffles. Remove yourself from the drama with the right kitchen gadgets.
Having an air fryer can save washing up and make it a cinch to keep food to yourself. We love this 7L option from Air Fryers Australia. It’s dishwasher safe, has separate cooking compartments and heats up to 200 degrees.
An Apple Gift Card is a simple fix for the roomie who’s always late with their share of the bills. Use it for the premium version of the Splitwise app, and never miss a payment again. And for those who can never find a charger, the Crest 4-Port USB Charging Station saves the day. Every housemate can juice up without chargers going missing.
Put your house in order with Afterpay.
Sharehouse situations aren’t always like your favourite sitcom. But with some share house rules and the right tech, you can avoid it being a psychological thriller. To keep a happy home – and housemates – add some of these gadgets to your cart with Afterpay.
Late fees, eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply. See afterpay.com for full terms.
