Sharing Housing: A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates

Finding the right housemate can feel like a gamble and incredibly risky. Annamarie Pluhar’s book, Sharing Housing, reduces the risk by guiding the reader with a practical process, insights and tips. This book takes the reader from the initial idea, “Maybe I should have a housemate" to actually living with one. The author draws on her twenty-plus years of experience in living with “former strangers,” to present a clear process that will enable the reader to find the right housemate. Within the pages the reader will find: how to eliminate inappropriate people quickly and safely; how to write an ad; how to negotiate the details of living together; and what kind of background checks and references are helpful. The book continues with chapters on actually living together what to expect and how to manage. It’s an easy-to-follow readable guide with stories and interviews. Worksheets for each step are included. The book contains a special chapter for single parents considering sharing housing.This book is an essential for anyone looking to have a housemate —from temporary short-term housing to long-term committed intentional communities.

Annamarie Pluhar is a consultant with expertise in group dynamics, interpersonal relations, and instructional design. Living in shared housing for over 20 years, she has developed a practical process for selecting and keeping good housemates. Her blog, www.sharinghousing.com, a companion to this book, contains commentary, additional tools and discussion options for home sharers everywhere. She lives in Dummerston, Vermont with one two-legged and two four-legged housemates.