Things learned in the process
Living in one house with so many people can be stressful at times (but mostly fun!). We learned a few things about how to best manage so many people in one household. Of course, the most important thing is being respectful of one another. Some suggest not "overthinking" the group dynamic but just being friendly and honest with everyone and see how quickly you can become comfortable with one another..
Groups shared their expectations and made “house rules” early on. Open communication and constructive weekly house meetings were how we best solved things as a group. It was most helpful to respectfully address issues right away and avoid passive aggressive behavior. Best to get things resolved quickly and easily.
It seemed to work best when roommates or small groups of individuals went shopping together and shared the expenses and cooking responsibilities. It’s rather difficult to purchase all of the items you need for a meal for one person only. Some groups found it best to have groups of 4 or 5 people, who generally liked similar foods, work together to plan meals for the week and then take turns buying groceries, preparing meals, and cleaning up. It was faster and more convenient than having everyone cooking on their own in limited space.
It's best to decide how you will separate the refrigerator space into sections for before your first shopping trip. It's much easier to know in advance where you will put your things and then be able to keep track of your belongings, help prevent someone from accidentally taken food that doesn't belong to them.
Each group has had a “Communal Fund,” where we collected money from each person in the house and decided on a list of items that everyone used, that we could share. This included dish washing and laundry detergent, toilet paper, and basic food supplies. A few individuals volunteered to be part of the “financial committee” and took on the responsibilities of overseeing the communal fund and collecting money. Each week, a group of roommates would be responsible for purchasing Communal Fund items. It was a system that worked really well. The communal fund was mostly used for purchasing house items, but we also used it any other time the entire group did something together such as planning a braai (South African BBQ).
One important thing each group (eventually) realized was the importance of keeping things clean. Leaving dirty dishes around and not cleaning up after yourself causes resentment and makes things more difficult for everyone. The kitchen especially can get dirty fast and people, despite good intentions, do not always feel obligated to clean up unless there is a schedule. One solution was for each set of roommates to have a scheduled day for cleaning (easier to avoid getting ants than trying to get rid of them)
As for laundry, the house only has one washer and dryer. We found it hard to get all of our laundry done throughout the week without making a set schedule. We assigned two to three people to each day of the week as their designated laundry day. We agreed that each person would only do laundry on their assigned day. If for some reason they could not do it on that day, they would have to have someone else switch their day with them for that week. This system worked out well.
In the last few years students have discovered a laundry service to which they say is relatively inexpensive. (Under 5kg is about R60).
Mr. Delivery is a great resource for all local food delivery and you can learn all about how it works at
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