Striking out on my own...advice.

[KukriKhan]

So 4 roomies, then?

A large enterprise. One advantage of such a half-squad of guys, is that the other 4 can pick up the slack when someone has a 'down' month, without wrecking everyone's finances.

Will you all be named individually on the lease, and how long is it? I assume the standard would be "end of the academic year", requiring a renegotiation afterwards.

Anyone willing to rent out a 5-bedroom joint to students has presumeably got lots of experience with them. I wouldn't count on ever being able to hoodwink that person.

Of course, we do expect pictures of the happy move-in day (and of your landlord and roomies).

gl & hf!!

[Somebody Else]

Oh, you'll need at least two fridges. Probably a third. One of which should be maintained with a stock of beer, tonic and champagne, lemons &c. &c.

Another thing, learn to wash up as you cook - it's much faster to clean pans and things before everything's encrusted on, and help stop the build up of massive towers of mouldy dishes.

Also, try to avoid neglecting chores because it's someone else's mess/turn. Do it, then talk to them about it. That way, at least there isn't a festering pile of whatever somewhere in the house.

[Fragony]

Just let it all come to you and have a good time. Work with a weekly budget at first, groceries can be pretty expensive, you don't want to call the last days of the month the whitebeansintomatoesausedays. Plan a little. Whatever you do not take a loan when you are short on cash, better to starve then to starve with debts.

[English assassin]

you don't want to call the last days of the month the whitebeansintomatoesausedays

Pah. When I were a student we had whitebeansintomatoesauceyears. And swedes. Never did me any harm etc etc. Fry some own-brand tomato puree, add some value spaghetti and "mixed herbs", why, you could almost be in Bologna.

Of course this is what happens when you set aside £10 per week for all food, so as to maintain the beer budget at a healthy level (beer does contain calories, after all, thereby killing two birds with one stone).

[Fragony]

Pah. When I were a student we had whitebeansintomatoesauceyears. .

It shows, oh the benefits of nutrition

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Will you all be named individually on the lease, and how long is it? I assume the standard would be "end of the academic year", requiring a renegotiation afterwards.

Annoyingly the standard lease around here is twelve months. Every place I've tried to rent has been the same. It's extremely irritating, as it means I'll have to pay over the summer when I'm probably not going to be there a lot.

As far as food goes, the two girls in the house are both fantastic cooks, and the house is actually above a kebab shop ( ), so I'm hoping we shouldn't have a problem there.

[English assassin]

It shows, oh the benefits of nutrition

Ah, cultural disconnect. You have to imagine me with my IA voice on, saying "eeh, when I were a lad, we were doon t'pit from dawn til doosk, an all'us ad fer dinner were coal."

To which IA replies "Looxury. When I were a lad I ad ter gerrup before us went ta bed..." etc.

It was a sketch but I can't remember where from, the Goodies?

[Banquo's Ghost]

As far as food goes, the two girls in the house are both fantastic cooks, and the house is actually above a kebab shop ( ), so I'm hoping we shouldn't have a problem there.

My piece of advice is to learn to cook yourself, and offer regularly to make these girls their supper. Not only will you avoid making the serious mistake of assuming that the girls should cook because they're girls, but they will tell their friends of your selflessness and ability - and you will be the recipient of some very welcome attention.

Even surer than cooking in a house with women, is volunteering to clean the loos. It's a dead easy job, but you won't believe the kudos you get for it. This works a gem when you get married too.

[Banquo's Ghost]

It was a sketch but I can't remember where from, the Goodies?

Python, who else?

[Grey_Fox]

Make sure you get a written contract from whoever you are leasing from and do not be afraid of taking them to task for breaching the agreement if the do.

Buy food in bulk. Get the 3 for 2 and 2 for 1 deals.

Do NOT strike up a relationship if at all possible with the girls you're living with otherwise it will be very uncomfortable if and when it falls apart.

[InsaneApache]

Ah, cultural disconnect. You have to imagine me with my IA voice on, saying "eeh, when I were a lad, we were doon t'pit from dawn til doosk, an all'us ad fer dinner were coal."

To which IA replies "Looxury. When I were a lad I ad ter gerrup before us went ta bed..." etc.

It was a sketch but I can't remember where from, the Goodies?

You'll be thinking about Ecky Thump!

Wrong side of the Pennines mate. (The right side for me )

A poor mans Python IMO.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

My piece of advice is to learn to cook yourself, and offer regularly to make these girls their supper. Not only will you avoid making the serious mistake of assuming that the girls should cook because they're girls, but they will tell their friends of your selflessness and ability - and you will be the recipient of some very welcome attention.

Actually, that does look a bit sexist now that I read it back. I was merely hoping to strike some kind of deal in which I'd do their share of other housework in return for delicious meals. Although perhaps it would be worthwhile to learn to cook myself.

[Fragony]

Even surer than cooking in a house with women, is volunteering to clean the loos. It's a dead easy job, but you won't believe the kudos you get for it. This works a gem when you get married too.

And my advice would be to read this very, very carefully.

[Andres]

Do NOT strike up a relationship if at all possible with the girls you're living with otherwise it will be very uncomfortable if and when it falls apart.

And when it does not fall apart, you'll end up married with her...

-->

[Geoffrey S]

One thing I consider most important, treat others as you'd want to be treated. Clean up after yourself as much as possible, offer to help out when possible, and try to eat with the whole house once every so often or do something else together. Do those things and life becomes a lot easier and more fun.

Actually, that does look a bit sexist now that I read it back. I was merely hoping to strike some kind of deal in which I'd do their share of other housework in return for delicious meals. Although perhaps it would be worthwhile to learn to cook myself.

Trust me, it's worth it. I couldn't cook at all a year ago. Moving out, cooking for myself (and seventy others, on occasion) taught me the hard and best way how to cook cheap, tasty meals. Don't rely on microwave dishes, no matter how tempting; I know they are in England and my nephews do it all the time, but its far more worthwhile to cook for yourself and doubly so if you can find cheap but decent fresh stuff. The last couple of months I've been trying a lot of new things, and decent cooking has worked wonders on more than one date (from both sides!).

[Kralizec]

Also, try to avoid neglecting chores because it's someone else's mess/turn. Do it, then talk to them about it. That way, at least there isn't a festering pile of whatever somewhere in the house.

Expanding on this advince, make sure you keep to the agreed schedule even if the rest doesn't always do so. Otherwise you really don't have good cause to point the finger at the others, do you? In my experience once such agreements break down it's very hard to get everybody to abide by them again.
In my place (3 people) we have a household box where people pay a fine of 5 bucks if they neglect to clean their part of the house for a given week.

And with 4 people I also recommend having at least 3 fridges. Us 3 can manage with one big and one smaller, but we couldn't possibly do so with an additional roommate.

[Geoffrey S]

Oh yeah, get your own (small) fridge. I got one cheaply from someone who was moving out of Leiden, and its more than worth the price if you want to stock up and prevent 'losing' stuff.

[LeftEyeNine]

BKS, you're accepting au pairs ? I'll bring an Xbox 360.

[Bijo]

Hmmmm, let me try and think of stuff. Avoid "competitive video games" if your roommates (or one of them) are(/is) easily irritated by loss. I've seen people get so pissed off because of games, it's not funny anymore, even if you win.

[Fragony]

Oh I forgot, liver, learn to love it.

[Dîn-Heru]

If the place doesn't already have a dishwasher, get one. I swear it is the greatest invention mankind has ever made.. Especially around exam periods.. Believe me, the dishes tend to reach skyscraper proportions when you have exams every other day and have to repeat 4-500 pages or so to each one.. Leaves little time and energy to do the dishes..

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Hello Din! Haven't seen you for a while.

Thanks for the tip.

[Geoffrey S]

Perhaps. I always do the dishes as soon as I've finished eating, if only because I only have the one and not enough other stuff to be able to leave it for a day... only takes five minutes, tops.

[Dîn-Heru]

@ BKS, no I am pretty much a lurker these days, but I visit the site everyday (it is my startup page..). But I have not been around much the last year because I have served my time in the army.

Well, if you are disiplined enough to do them right away I quess you can manage without. But I would still argue that it is the greatest invention ever..

[Geoffrey S]

To be honest I'd be tempted to agree, if only because of the massive stacks of filthy plates and the like belonging to other housemates blocking half the kitchen...