When people ask how to prepare for a roommate, most of the time they’re thinking about things like rearranging furniture and cleaning out closets. Sure, those practical matters are important. Just as crucial, however, is being emotionally prepared for a new or first roommate.

If you’re not fully ready from an emotional perspective, that’s okay. Here are our biggest dos and don’ts to help you get your heart and mind in the right place.

The first tasks you need to do to welcome a new roommate seem pretty obvious: declutter and clean the guest (or spare) room and bathroom. But what about the rest of the home? Your roommate will also be sharing the living room, kitchen and other common areas, though right?

A pre-move-in house cleaning is a pretty obvious goal, but people tend to forget about certain tasks that really make a difference. Read on to discover five overlooked ways to prepare for a roommate ahead of time.

When you’re preparing a room to rent, it can be hard to know where to start and what matters most. If you clean the guest room and bathroom in a simple yet methodical way, the whole “roommate readiness” process will be done in a snap.

Read on for six expert tips on how to prepare a room for rent and make your roommate’s space as welcoming as possible.

It’s a success story we often hear from Silvernest users: an older homeowner opens their home to a younger housemate to gain a helping hand in exchange for an affordable living arrangement. Read on for our answers to some of the questions you might have about arrangements like these and how they can benefit you or a loved one.