House shares are affordable and convenient if you don’t have the budget to live on your own, and whether you’re a student or if you just need a place to live that’s cheap and cheerful, house shares are a great solution. If you’re moving into a house share and you’ve never lived with other people before then here are some tips to get you off to the best start possible! 1)    Speak to your landlord.Once you’ve found a home you’re happy with and you’re prepared to move in, it’s time to think about what you might need to bring with you. Although most house shares come fully furnished, there might be a few items that your landlord requires you to bring. Ask your landlord for a copy of the inventory of the house before moving day so that you know what you’ll have use of and what you won’t. This will prevent you from buying unnecessary items that you’ll already have in the house! 2)    Contact your future housemates before moving day.Your landlord shouldn’t have a problem with sharing your details with your future housemates, though some might. If yours doesn’t then it’s worth contacting your housemates before moving day. This can be done through social media websites with relative ease. Speaking online is a great way to break the ice, and it’s also a perfect time to discuss household needs. Again it’s worth asking to see if anyone has any items that they’d be willing to share but that don’t already come with the house (such as an iron or ironing board) and it’s also a good time to get to know one another. 3)    Moving day.Hopefully you and your new housemates won’t all be moving in on the same day, but sometimes this is the case. Although this can make moving more stressful for you, it’s important to stay calm. If this is something that you want to avoid then try speaking to your landlord to see if he can tell you the dates of when others are moving in, and find out if you’re able to move in at a different time. This will save you the trouble of stepping all over each other on moving day! 4)    Sharing household responsibilities.Living in a shared house means that all of your household responsibilities can easily become someone else’s problem! Lots of people find it easier to write rotas for cleaning, bill-paying and other responsibilities, so speak with your housemates to see if this is preferable. Living with others, especially other strangers, can be difficult at times, but maintaining open communication (even if you don’t get on particularly well with people) is essential to create a happy and healthy living environment. 5)    Splitting bills.Lots of arguments can come out of splitting the bills, so speak with your housemates to see their preferred options. Bills can usually be paid monthly, annually or quarterly, and one of these methods may be more suited to people in the house, so don’t arrange for bill payments to be made without the consent of everyone! Again, maintaining communication is essential, and if you have any issues with bills they should be discusses calmly and with plenty of time before payments are due, so that you can avoid problems with your utility providers!