Do you have any tips on living in a shared house if you have sight loss?

Renting a room in a shared house can be a great way to live independently at a lower cost than renting or owning your own home.

However, as well as the usual obstacles of finding someone to share with, such as checking you have similar lifestyles - for example a love or hate for loud music, early/late riser, party animal or wallflower, your level of tolerance to a sink full of dirty dishes and other points for possible arguments, are all good things to discuss - you also need to make sure they understand and are willing to accommodate your sight loss needs. Things you may wish to discuss before making a commitment to move in, could include:

  • Keeping certain parts of the house clear, such as stairs and hallways; your housemates will need to understand the importance of not leaving random obstacles around the house like the hoover/ broom/ ironing board so you walk into them.
  • Be honest with your flat mates about what you can or can’t do – for example, with cleaning, you might need a housemate to check whether you have ‘missed a bit’ and you may need others to tidy up first if you are going to hoover.
  • You may need set places to store your things such as a part of the fridge, coat hook by the door, shelf in the bathroom and a clear stretch of kitchen surface to cook on etc. You need to make clear the importance of everything being left in exactly the same place, so you can easily find it again.

The Spareroom website has general information on advice on house sharing including how to find somewhere, what you should consider and how to deal with disputes.

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