A single 30-something in Vancouver moved into a shared house with five roommates in August 2024 after eight years of feeling isolated in a two-bedroom apartment. The room was found through a local Facebook group and offered a central location, good price, and nearby cafés, with a flexible month-to-month lease. Daily kitchen-table work routines created natural points of connection with housemates who also work from home. Lunchtime conversations, casual evenings, and spontaneous outings foster easy social contact. The increased social interaction improved mental wellbeing and also led to unexpected physical health benefits.
As a single 30-something in Vancouver (where one-bedroom apartments can cost upward of $2,000 a month), I've lived with a roommate since I graduated from university in 2016. But after spending eight years in the same two-bedroom apartment, I started to feel isolated. I didn't see my roommate often, and I usually worked from home alone. So, I decided I was ready for a change and started searching for a new place to call home.
Most days, I like to sit at our kitchen table to work. Some of my housemates also work from home, so there are many natural points of connection throughout the day. Lunchtime sometimes reminds me of the office break room where people casually connect, chatting about annoying colleagues or what they're working on. Even though everyone is busy with their own lives, there are usually a few of us at home in the evenings and on weekends, too. This lends itself to easy, low-pressure hangouts, like movie nights, kitchen chats, or spontaneous outings.
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