Moving into a two-bedroom apartment on your own allows you to decorate the entire place how you like, and you get to set your own house rules. However, it also comes with higher expenses as you are solely responsible for paying the rent and all of the bills. If you want to start saving money on your rent, you should look into renting a storage unit and finding a roommate to help with half of the expenses.

Get Permission from Your Landlord

Before you go out and find a roommate on your own, you want to get permission from your landlord. When adding a roommate, you are essentially signing a new lease, which means the landlord is allowed to increase the rent. However, even with an increase, you are almost guaranteed to save money.

Clear Out the Extra Bedroom

It is best to take your time with finding a roommate as the last thing you want is one who does not keep up with paying the bills and does not respect the property or your privacy. However, to attract high-quality roommates, you also need to make it an appealing opportunity for them. Clearing out the bedroom and getting the house cleaned up are two essential steps before putting up a roommate listing.

The best place to put your things is in a storage unit. It prevents you from having to get rid of any possessions, and you can easily bring your items back if they move out while you are still living there.

Put Away Some Decorations

While living on your own, you may have put up plenty of decorations that are personal to you, such as pictures of family, friends, and your hobbies, but it is ideal take these out of the main living spaces. With a roommate, you want to treat the living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom as shared rooms. However, you can still take all of your personal decorations and put them in your bedroom.

Let Your Roommate Contribute

It is important to discuss everything you can with a potential roommate before making a decision. They may want to bring some of their furniture or small appliances to the apartment, in which you need to discuss with them to determine whether that is okay. It is beneficial to give them an opportunity to contribute as it will help them feel more comfortable in the apartment and as a roommate.

Renting a storage unit is the first step to saving money by finding a roommate. To learn more, contact a company like Stevens Creek Storage.