Coliving, an improved mix of shared accommodation and hotel services, has been developing in Europe over the past few years. Sometimes seen as the ideal way to find accommodation for a young working person, coliving also has a few constraints to contend with. Here are a few tips to make your coliving experience as successful as possible.
Choose a residence that suits you
There isn’t just one coliving experience, but many. Residences offering coliving are very varied. Some are small units of less than ten rooms, with a family atmosphere. There are also very large residences, such as Old Park in London, with 549 rooms and studios. Here you have a mini-village with a cinema, library, spa, gym, etc. You can then concentrate your social life and leisure activities in one place, which is easier and saves time, but you also run the risk of cutting yourself off from the rest of the world. Most coliving offers are to be found in major cities, but there are also some in the countryside, such as the Mutinerie Village at Saint-Victor-de-Buthon in the Eure-et-Loire region. The idea here is to get away from it all and work on site in a bucolic setting, with everyone contributing to the running of the house and the collective vegetable garden.
Experiences can therefore be very different from one place to another. Everyone needs to ask themselves what they’re looking for in coliving, and carefully study the different offers on offer to choose the residence that will enable them to blossom to the full.
Socialize with your roommates
In coliving, you have your own private space: bedroom, bathroom and sometimes a small kitchenette. But all the other spaces are shared: kitchen, living room, dining room… Unless you’re confined to your room, you’ll be sharing part of your living space with others. This is a great opportunity to make friends and acquaintances quickly, and to build up a network that’s not just virtual, but real. It’s therefore in your best interest to socialize with the other housemates as soon as you arrive, so that you quickly feel at ease and get to know your new family better.
The atmosphere in this type of accommodation is generally very friendly, and even if you’re a little shy, the people sharing your coliving apartment will naturally come to you, and you’ll be integrated very quickly.
Make common areas and services your own
As soon as you arrive, ask about the rules to be observed in communal areas. Can we invite outsiders? Are parties allowed? Is it frowned upon to leave things lying around in the living room? Who does the dishes? The minor problems that can arise in any community are generally due to a lack of understanding of the rules. When the rules are clear and understood by all, and everyone does their bit, community life is nothing but positive.
And don’t hesitate to ask about and take advantage of all the services on offer: laundry, scooters at your disposal, yoga classes… All these services are there to simplify your life – it would be a shame to miss out!
Convinced? Discover our premium coliving residences in Luxembourg, Brussels, Arlon and Namur.