Coliving Space: What Is It and How You Can Choose One

Originally published at: Coliving: What Is It and How You Can Choose One

Deciding to relocate to a new city may feel like an imaginable adventure. You’ve got areas to discover, people to connect with, and different other things to do. Finding a place to stay in is the biggest work though! High rents, utility costs, paperwork, and finding the perfect house might be painful. You might be even thinking of taking the traditional route and finding a housemate to split the costs.

Thankfully, the new housing pattern of “coliving” includes a modern method to the accommodation search.

People do associate coliving with dorm life and shared living. Most people don’t see how different it’s from the typical roommate living style.

Coliving has its own style. It has unique features that make it an exceptional choice for those looking for apartments. 

The tips below have all you need to know on coliving and whether you should contemplate coliving. Let’s take a look!

What Is Coliving?

Coliving is a modern rental style. It’s a form of a communal housing plan that has become so popular in many major cities around the world.

It may be challenging to find a roommate that fits your personality. Issues related to finances, cleanliness, visitors, and pets arise. Issues are inevitable with housemates.

Relocating to a new city, getting decent accommodation, and integrating with new roommates is a huge undertaking. When you’re trying to avoid costs, you miss the chance of high-end facilities in an apartment. 

Coliving provides answers to these challenges. Through matching occupants in the same space, employing cleaning services, personal lease agreements, and providing high-end facilities, coliving organizations ensure communal living is the best choice for digital nomads.

In a coliving space, you’re going to have your own bedroom with common essential places. This may sound the same as normal roommate conditions. But, coliving is different in many aspects.

In a coliving space, you’ll

  •       Benefit from high-end facilities
  •       Live in a huge coliving community
  •       Meet fellow digital nomads who have similar interests
  •       Spend less money on accommodation

Sounds like a deal, doesn’t it?

Pros and Cons of Coliving

As we’ve been trying to cover, coliving has many recognizable advantages. But we know that it may not be suitable for everyone. Before deciding whether coliving is a fit for you, ensure you look at some of its advantages and disadvantages.

Minimal Roommate Conflicts

No one enjoys having roommate disputes. It can result in huge problems that may force someone to discontinue the lease early. There might be issues of late payments and lack of cleanliness.

Coliving takes care of all these issues. You only pay for your share. In case your roommate defaults payment, you don’t face any consequences.

One big pro is that someone is taking care of cleanliness. You don’t have to argue about who is supposed to clean the dishes. Coliving is ideal for you if you’ve had bad experiences with roommates before.

Pay Less, Save More

If you’re going to live in a major city such as Barcelona, London, and New York, be prepared to face challenges to find affordable housing. This is a huge motivation to choose coliving.

With big and usually recently refurbished apartment units, coliving provides the best housing answer. If you’re short of cash but still searching for something luxurious, go for a coliving space. You’ll have an entirely furnished apartment entity at the cost of a single rent price.

Cons of Coliving

Before committing yourself to a coliving space, make sure you’re aware of all the possible cons you might experience. 

No Control Over Roommate Selection

Coliving areas are mainly created to match nomads with the same interest in one place. In an ideal coliving space, your roommate will probably be someone like you. But it’s still good to be prepared. As a new tenant, note that you might have little control over choosing roommates.

Limited to Major Cities

If you like the concept of living with like-minded digital nomads in a coliving setting, make sure you’re relocating to a big city. As coliving is a new concept, it still hasn’t extended beyond big cities.

Even if this might change with time, it’s a huge setback for many expats at the moment.

How To Choose a Coliving Space

Coliving can be the best decision for you if you want to relocate to a big city, spend less on a luxury apartment, and keep things minimal.

If you’re thinking of coliving instead of the traditional apartment housing, there are some points worth considering. Here is what we know from experience:

  • Which amenities are essential to you? What are those you can’t live without?
  • Are you fine with sharing common spaces?
  • What kind of neighborhood do you prefer? Do you want to be in the middle of the city or are you fine with a quiet area?
  • Have you checked the internet connection of the coliving space you’re planning to move in? Is there any limit for multiple devices?
  • Are there any extra costs you’ll be required to pay?
  • Does the space offer free activities or organize events?

Deliberate on all the pros and cons. It’s not a simple decision; therefore, decide which option suits you.

Coliving Spaces Around the World

If you desire to live close to the beach, on a farm, in a modern city, or perhaps in a vineyard, coliving is the best solution.

Countries Where You Can Find Coliving Spaces

Coliving spaces are spread throughout the world in countries like;

  •       Spain
  •       Portugal
  •       Germany
  •       United Kingdom
  •       United States
  •       Thailand
  •       Columbia and many more

Think of living and working in a vineyard, or a ranch in Portugal, or even a Victorian-style Swiss Alps.

The range is overwhelming, and the value of the choice of accommodation is truly remarkable. Some coliving spaces even concentrate on sporting events like surfing.

Have you had any experience with coliving? Let us know, we’ll be happy to share…