More and more people are living with roommates later in life – and some of those roommates double as siblings. My sister moved in with me in 2016, and my brother moved in with me in the beginning of this year.
Living with someone else has a lot of benefits – the greatest benefit being reduced living costs. It’s no surprise that with higher rental prices, people are looking to live with others to maintain a certain lifestyle. But what about living with siblings?
When you live with your sibling, it is much different than living with a roommate. While you still respect your siblings’ space to a point, you are more like to voice your opinion about their personal life and feel more comfortable borrowing things. Roommates typically respect your personal choices and stay out of your business – siblings, not so much.
If this really bothers you, you might consider not living with siblings. However, if you are comfortable with this kind of dynamic, living with siblings could provide financial solutions.
My siblings moved in with me right after high school, so I had to guide them through the ins and outs of being on your own. I am 5-6 years older than them, and I was used to being the older sister – so this was no issue.
When Courtney (my sister) moved in with me, she ended up really helping me. I work a lot, and I am always on the go. Her schedule allowed her to help me get my home life together, so I wasn’t always behind on housework. She would be able to do simple things like put out chicken for dinner when I would forget.
It’s also nice to always have someone to go with you to things. I love trying new restaurants in town, and I know my sister will always go with me.
After living with siblings for two years, I have learned a lot. There have been a ton of fights – but there have also been a ton of great moments. If you are thinking about living with your sibling, here are the things I have learned:
ESTABLISH RULES
Even though your sibling is not a traditional roommate, you will still need to establish some rules. Chances are the last time you lived together your parents were in charge, so boundaries will need to be established. Siblings tend to feel like they are just at home instead of sharing a home with a sibling. While they might think twice about stepping on a roommate’s toes, they don’t give many shits about pissing a sibling off.
For example, we have a rule that significant others can only stay over on certain days of the week. We all have different schedules, and we would like to be able to come home and relax – and not always entertain guests.
GROCERY SHOPPING
A benefit from living with your siblings is splitting groceries and sharing meals together. When I lived with roommates, I hated sharing a fridge. It was always annoying to have to dig around other people’s things to find your food.
But when my sister moved in with me, we decided to split grocery costs down the middle. This made everything cheaper, and when it comes to our kitchen, it’s just like living alone. Everything is for grabs because we split the cost.
Plus, sharing cooking responsibilities is great. If I am ever too tired to cook, I can count on someone else to oversee dinner (and vice-versa).
However, if you want to buy your own special food, the roommate rules apply. Be very vocal that no one is allowed to eat it but you – this will save you from problems later on.
RELAXED ENVIRONMENT
My siblings moved in with me right after high school, so they only owned the things in their bedrooms. They don’t have any kitchen or living room items. They just use mine.
In the past, when I had roommates, I always had most of the stuff – and I always shared. But when my roommate broke my things, there was always tension. If my sibling broke my stuff, I am more likely to confront the issue directly because we are siblings – and we are not strangers to arguing.
Also, I have two dogs. When I had roommates, I had to be sure that they weren’t getting into their things, etc. With siblings, this isn’t a problem. In fact, my siblings treat my dogs like they are their own.
When you live with siblings, it’s just like living alone in some ways. All of the forced niceties that come with a roommate are gone because these are people you have known since infancy.
And for them, they live in a house full of furnishings, and they don’t have to feel guilty using them because they are mine.
BUILT-IN DOG SITTER, HOME SITTER, ETC.
Now for my favorite part about living with siblings – I always have someone to watch my dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I have asked roommates to watch my dogs in the past, and it hasn’t been a problem. But I always feel guilty when I ask other people to watch my pets because I feel like a burden to them.
I do not have the same feeling of guilt with siblings. It is such a relief! You can rely on siblings to watch your home, pets, etc.
TRUST
This specifically is being compared to roommates you don’t know, but you don’t have to worry about trust with siblings. When I was in college, I had a few random roommates assigned to me. At first, I didn’t know them at all, and I had to leave them alone in my home with all my stuff and my dog. If you really think about it, that’s terrifying.
Luckily, I never had any bad experiences. But with siblings, you don’t have to worry about locking up your valuables (for the most part). If your sibling steals from you, you know where to find them.
If you are thinking about living with your sibling, I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, let me know!
