Dating your housemate is seriously underrated

‘I may regret this article if there’s a messy break-up’

| UPDATED

Your mates said it, your Mum said it, even your Nan probably said it. The number one rule at university is don’t sleep with your housemate.

Sleeping with your housemate obviously creates some issues, like not being able to look them in the eye over your soggy coco-pops in the morning or having all your housemates jeer about the exact ‘ins and outs’ of your night. But it’s presumed that inter-house relationships are never anything more than one-night-stands because really, who’s stupid enough to think dating their housemate is ever going to end well?

However, getting into a relationship with one of your housemates could be one of the best decisions you ever make.

It’s intense

You literally can’t escape

There’s no denying that living mere meters away from your boy/girlfriend is incredibly convenient. Forget arguments over where to go for dates, boring journeys to meet the other and depressing days spent wondering when the next time you’ll see each other will be, they’re right there on tap when you want them.

But 24 hours a day seven days a week is a lot of time to spend with someone. Think how annoyed you got living with siblings or naggy parents. Too much time together can be a cause of problems.

You’ll find out about all the things they do that would probably have been kept secret until a year into a normal relationship, like how many days they’ll wear the same pair of pants for or how often they masturbate.

Some things are definitely better left to the imagination.

It’s never just dinner for two

Cheers

If sharing a pleasant evening in with a mouth-watering microwave meal and a bottle of Aldi’s “white wine” isn’t already romantic enough for you, other housemates around the table talking about their post-kebab shag last night will really top off that ‘love is in the air’ atmosphere you were aiming for.

Sharing really is caring

Because who doesn’t love an over-sized jacket?

It’s surprising how many items of clothing are actually unisex, and how much food you can take before you can no longer justify using the “what’s yours is mine” excuse.

It feels like 20 years of marriage after about 3 months

Living together is a huge step couples take after they’ve been together for a while and had long hard thinks about the future. But you’re already living together so collect £200 because you’re way past GO.

While it’s like being thrown in at the deep end, which is pretty scary, living together forces you to just be yourself and ultimately makes you super comfortable around each other. Maybe a little too comfortable…

There’s no such thing as privacy

Everyone loves a cuddle

Housemates have no boundaries. Prepare to be mercilessly third-wheeled and interrupted, especially during “alone time” by someone wanting to borrow the PS4 controller. Now that’s a mood killer.

No need to stress about pulling on a night out

Two more please

If you dance like an idiot, don’t worry! You’ll always have someone to go home with regardless of the shapes you cut. Alternatively there will always be someone to take you home if you have a few too many.

Arguments go viral

Seriously, everyone knows everything.

But at least that there’s no need to worry about cheating

Cheating is a logistical impossibility. If they’re not sleeping with you or in their own bed, send out the search party.

Budget for ‘Date Night’ 

It’s basically an essential.

When living together it’s really easy to just stay in all the time but getting to know someone means you need to spend time alone just the two of you (unless you’re into that kind of thing). But seriously, going out for dinner or coffee or just for walks is a really nice change and a way to double check how compatible you actually are.

It can be really great (unless you break up)

Living together forces you to be nothing but yourself in their company. Having started off in freshers as just mates you’re pretty clued up about them as a person and that understanding only gets better with time. You get to spend loads of time together as a couple and as mates which creates an intimate, trusting, fun and exciting relationship.

It is pretty great.

But who knows, I may regret this article if there’s a messy break-up.