Follow these household rules to refresh yourself and your relationships

Out of the 7.5 billion people on planet earth, you have finally found that special someone. While sitting on a bench holding hands, you both declare your love for each other and decide that it is time to move into the same house and experience every aspect of your new found love.

You packed your bags, made your rental deposit, took your cats and boom, there you are, living with the love of your life. Your dream is now a reality; or at least, you wished it was.

There is a reason why films do not show what happens after happily ever after and if you have moved in with a new housemate, you probably know what I’m talking about. Feel free to hate all the romantic films that didn’t prepare you at all for cohabitation.

Whether you moved into a student accomodation, staying for a few weeks at a friend’s house or now living with the love of your life, you have definitely discovered that living with other human beings is not the easiest task.

Here are a set of rules that you can replicate.

1) Set strict rules

For example, one of the rules I introduced was to clean and dry the sink after every usage. This might seem as extreme, especially now, that we wash our hands every five seconds. Despite me not perfectly following the rule, I had a guideline and I was cleaning and drying the sink every time that I would notice water drops or stains that could easily be cleaned. I was not doing it after every usage, but the frequency definitely increased, giving my room a cleaner look

2) Clean as you go

One thing you can do to improve this experience is listen to music or to a podcast. Listen to the playlists Spring cleaning, IG play and Sis Mary on my Spotify Alessia.mavak while you start your cleaning routine. My favourite podcast to listen to is The Bobo & Flex Show. For anyone who speaks Italian, I would recommend the Vabbè Podcast.

3) Get rid of everything you don’t need

My bedroom has been looking extremely tidy for the past three weeks because everything I own has a place. I feel at peace in my room knowing that I do not have to worry about meaningless objects wandering around my place. I also encouraged my sister to ‘Marie Kondo’ her life and we have been arguing less often since.

Whether you are a minimalist or a maximalist, make sure you are not hoarding stuff and neglecting yourself. Try it out.

4) Cleaning is not just for Spring. It is a constant thing

It is important to remove the clutter from your house weekly as it can also reduce the clutter in your mind. Remember that your house is a reflection of your habits and as our lives are mostly at home now, having healthy housing conditions is extremely beneficial for our mental and physical health.

5) Create a mood board

It might be hard to choose at the beginning but once you find your style it will be much easier. There are plenty of quizzes you can do online to figure it out. Once you find out, go on Pinterest, pick your favourite pictures, print them and you are done.

Discuss with your housemate to find out what their style is. They will thank you! Make sure you create a budget in case you want to buy new furniture or decorations for your house. Before I started buying anything, I made sure I had the budget to achieve my goal and create a unique aesthetic. Here is my pinterest board if you need inspiration. https://www.pinterest.it/alessiamavalala/style-your-space/

I definitely do not have a boyfriend now but I am making sure that the rules I mentioned become a consistent part of my life. I want to move into a student accommodation but I have heard of some horror stories, which is why, I want everyone to learn about cohabitation. My family relationships have definitely improved and when love comes knocking at my door I will be ready.