Shared Home: How and What is it?

Shared home is an alternative way for people to meet their housing needs that provides numerous benefits to homeowners and renters alike. In simple terms, shared home is an arrangement by which two or more unrelated people share a dwelling within which each retains a private space.

A shared arrangement might involve a homeowner and renter, or two or more people renting a house or apartment together. Home sharers can exchange services for part or all of the rent or arrange a regular agreement. But no two shared home situations are alike; each is tailored to the needs and desires of the people involved.

People share their homes, for different reasons. Some desire companionship or increased personal safety. Others need to defray or avoid skyrocketing rents, property taxes, or utility and maintenance costs. Many are looking for a combination of these benefits.

You, too, maybe living in a house that’s too large since your children have grown and moved away. Or maybe that you are a single parent and is finding it difficult to cope with all the costs and responsibilities of maintaining a household alone. For these and many other reasons, shared home, may make sense for you.

You’ve Decided to Shared Home: What Next?

If, after considering issues as well as pros and cons, you’ve decided that shared home is for you, you’ll need to begin searching for a suitable housemate. First, find out if there is a shared home program in your area. There are many agencies throughout Brussels that can assist you with interviewing, screening and selecting an appropriate housemate or you can directly approach to this site.

How to Advertise for a Home sharer?

If there is no shared housing programmer in your community, the initiative for finding a compatible housemate will necessarily rest with you. The question is. How do you safely go about finding potential home shares? For personal safety reasons, you may want to limit access to your name and phone number.

You can either list your home address and phone number, your work phone number or a post office box for replies to your notice. You can your search through your relatives and friends, at work, at churches and synagogues, in senior centers, clubs, food co-ops, or membership organizations with which you are affiliated. You also can print a 3 x 5 card with basic information. These notices can be placed on the bulletin boards and in the publications of the organizations mentioned above.

You may also want to consider placing notices at social service agencies, doctors’ offices, food stores, libraries, housing services, universities, community centers, social security offices, and city or community newspapers.