Let's say that you and someone get together and decide to get an apartment together (in other words, it's not that a person already has an apartment and is looking for a roommate). And just for discussion's sake, the apartment has two bedrooms, eat-in kitchen, living room, and dining room. How do you decide how to furnish the common rooms? How about buying dishes/pots/silverware? Food?

firstly by mutual agreement. secondly make sure everyone knows who gets what after you guys are done. perhaps get that in writing.

Agreed.

I find that it works out better if you each handle your own food.
(If you have Shabbos guests, do that together, but pretty much anything else, seperate is best.)

Duh! My question is what is the practical and/or common way that people mutually agree to furnish their apartment. Like, do you agree to shop together and get stuff that you both like? Do you divvy up the rooms and say you get to furnish X room and I get to furnish Y room and you just have to live with what the other person picked? Etc.


Makes sense.

right. that depends on what they are willing (and easily willing to do) and what you want out of it. If you and your flatmate are willing to do either, then pick the option that will get your towards the ambiance you want the most.

It's definitely not practical to pool money towards furniture, it's best if each person buys a piece of furniture. Then they can take it with them when they move out.

I understand that you're trying to be helpful, but I'm interested in specific examples and specific experiences. I can think of generalities all on my own.


But what if you hate your roommate's style?

buy some lighter fluid, and have an accident while lighting shabbos candles.

I had a similar situation with 2 roommates. We did as follows:

Furniture that either was going to be used primarily by one person (bed, desk, etc.) or that one person stated at the time that she wished to keep after we were no longer living together was purchased by that person.

Communal furniture (which no one had claimed and paid for at the time of purchase) was divided 3 ways in terms of cost. The cost was recorded (as well as if it had been split or covered by one. At the end of our time living together, we pulled out the records. Anyone who wanted keep a particular piece of jointly bought furniture had the option to buy out the other two (no one did this but it was an option.) Anything left (which was most of it) was donated with the tax receipt going to the parents of one of my roommates who had been particular wonderful when we moved in.

Food was completely different. Two of us decided to jointly buy food while the third bought her own food separately.

Thanks.

How about pots and pans? Silverware? Same deal as the furniture?

But in that case you have to be sure that you have the same taste, or shop together...
In my experience, it is best to decide beforehand how much you both want to spend, and once you have decided on a budget, to go shopping together. Otherwise you'll always be stuck with ugly lamps or other stuff you don't like.
Also buy appliances together or make a list of who buys what, otherwise you'll end up with 2 fridges and no freezer (seems obvious, but it happens).
As for the food, I'd also buy that separately, unless you tend to eat (and therefore cook) together every night, in which case you could do the grocery shopping in turns.

Might as well go cheap with Ikea and then you could probably just throw everything out when you move out.

If I remember correctly, the girl I shared food with had a set of milchig dishes, I bought a set of fleishig dishes, and the girl who bought her own food had her own dishes (part of this was because of a kashrus concern).




We (the girl I shared food with) went grocery shopping together. It was fun. We also cooked together most nights or took turns cooking if one person was going to be in late.




Or go cheaper and go craigslist/garage sale.

I was going to mention Ikea. Even for most furniture pieces you can do well there.

In line with what BroadwayFreak wrote: Why don't you each buy a piece that you will keep? So what if you won't like roommate's taste? It's not your piece of furniture.