8 Jan 2008
Looking for Off-Campus Housing: 1st Focus on Your Group
Looking for landlords & houses is what 1st comes to mind, and
thats what people in the 'business' both at Mac & Outside, would like you to believe is most critical to a sucessful outcome: a home for you & your housemates.
My view is that BEFORE finding a house or a landlord or an area or worrying about who is out there to 'cheat' you in the housing business:
- THE #1 FOCUS should be --- FORMULATING & TESTING YOUR GROUP.
The GROUP of housemates is the FOUNDATION of all else that follows: EITHER a
happy cohesive unified team of house mates who will both share the fun & the work, trust each other, AND stick together to deal w potential 'issues' be they w the house or the landlord or within their own group. OR a disssonant collection of selfish & effectively inconsiderate people living together <--- a symptom of distrust.
THIS - is a classic example of the wise application of the
Pareto Principle ---> From 1st year --- spend the 20% quality time up front creating your Group & assessing its
base of shared values [which will hold the group thru thick & thin] ---> the 80% of tenancy.
ONCE the GROUP is in place, then the task of agreeing on WHAT the Group wants in a house, and finding the right landlord at the right price follows.
STRONG GROUPS --- Have a much better chance of finding & retaining good houses during their stay at McMaster.
I have seen groups who can qualify as 'a band of brothers' or the 'ya ya sisterhood': there is chemistry & congruence --- people work WITH & FOR each other - whilst still being individuals w their own lives.
Happy House Searching
Anjali