Nobody likes to be mad, and good discussions often come easier than you'd think, with just a little effort to approach them and share your feelings.

Be reachable!

Chances are you probably have a cell phone, but if you don't, consider getting one. Pagers are also nearly as handy and cost a lot less if you're on a tight budget. This will give your roommate (and friends) a way to get hold of you any time, and at least give you a message. Most severe roommate problems arise from one person "broad siding" another; be it with a house unexpectedly full of people or "borrowing food" without asking.

Friends A common contention; sometimes its not your roommate that can drive you crazy, it's his or her obnoxious friends. Think about that before moving in with someone, you'll be in company of their friends as well as themselves. Are you OK with them being around with you not there?

Frustrations easily mount when you or your roommate come home to a bunch of guests unexpectedly. Unless you're both social butterflies 24x7, agree to talk to other person by cell phone/pager before you give go ahead for your "crew" to swing by for some brews and watch game. Again, in deciding on a roommate this is another point to check and make sure your lifestyles don't conflict. You're looking for someone with whom most of time will not have a problem with people coming over when you want. When one of you wants to keep it quiet one night, it won't be a big deal.

Bedrooms

Bedroom locations are a major key to enjoying your living area. If your bedroom isn't a place you feel comfortable, you're going to be unhappy and prone to having problems with your roommate. Check a prospective place out before agreeing to share it. Online floor plans greatly help with this.

Wall sharing with common areas, other apartment units, and other bedrooms are biggest things to think about. For example, if your roommate says he likes to play PlayStation 2 until 3am and you like to hit sack at midnight, avoid sharing a wall with TV. Usually you won't have much flexibility in floor plans, and you'll have to choose between sharing a wall with a common area, or another bedroom. Weight things out: If you're a night owl, sharing a wall with TV area might be way to go.

Doorways and bathrooms are another thing to remember. Your roommate will be coming in and out of these while you're trying to sleep, do they need to travel by your door? Sharing a wall with bathroom may look good, but at 6am when noisy shower wakes you up your feelings may change. Check things out, run shower, see how loud it is (you should check out water pressure anyway!). Remember things will be quieter once your things are there, too, but don't count on it.

Like to sleep in? A window that lets sunlight at crack of dawn may be something to avoid. Also, nearby roads can wake you up, especially in winter plowing season. Think about distance and sheltering from street, as well as parking.

dan roommate man

DAN THE ROOMMATE MAN

* Sand paper

Step #1

If hole is small with no cracks around edges, simply use putty knife to fill hole with spackling compound. Let it dry and sand.

Step #2

If hole does have cracked edges, you may need to cut away loose edges. Then cut a piece of mess to cover area.

Step #3

Use your putty knife to smooth spackling over area. Then use a damp sponge to smooth area out. Let dry and apply another layer of spackling if necessary.

Step #4

Sand area smooth.

DAN THE ROOMMATE MAN