Losing a flatmate can be a difficult process to go through. They know what’s important to you: like what time you need the shower in the morning; your favourite pizza place; and how full you like your wine glass.

^{It’s all smiles until the flatmate with the TV moves out}

Finding someone to replace them might initially seem akin to climbing Everest, but in reality it can be a rewarding experience that will ultimately bear new friends.

1.So your flatmate tells you they’re moving out.

^{Intense staring won’t make them stay}

You’re super happy for them and that they are now moving in with their new boyfriend/old school friend/moving overseas.
You’re not jealous at all… Just, disappointed.

2. Anxiety takes over and you start to question what you did to make them leave.

^{The moment you remember all the things you did while drunk}

Cue the crazy and irrational thoughts:

Was it that time I made them watch 12 straight hours of Greys Anatomy? Or when I accidentally ate the last of their cheese and lied about it? Oh God, maybe they found out I’ve been using their expensive body wash this whole time…

3. You eventually absolve yourself of any wrongdoing, accept their reasons for leaving and move on to finding their replacement.

^{Squeels ‘Internets’}

Time to fire up the trusty flatmate sourcing website.

4. You spend hours perfecting your flatmate wanted ad.

^{Unsure if using the word ‘dank’ correctly}

Because striking a balance between sounding fun, cool and adult can be hard.

Top tip: Don’t focus solely on the property. Potential flatmates are just as interested in who they might live with.

Top tip #2: Take it easy on the in-group jokes when creating your advert. While they might be funny to you and your current flatmates, the jokes won’t always resonate with candidates and could make them feel even more of an outsider.

5. While waiting for the enquiries to flood in, you start wading through the lists of room-wanted ads.

^{Get amongst it}

You’re a little overwhelmed by the number of people looking and decide it’s time to set some criteria for the type of flatmate you want.

Top tip: Keep your criteria basic and flexible. Try to find the right fit, rather than a carbon copy of your last flatmate.

6. Anxiety pops up (once again), and you start to feel like maybe your place won’t be good enough for these people.

^{IDC if the couch is ugly, it’s comfy AF}

You hesitate: What if they don’t like us? What if they think our couch is heinous? What if they judge me for religiously watching the Bachelorette?

7. As the trickle of enquiries quickly snowballs into an avalanche, you realise that you’re woefully unprepared for the flatmate-a-geddon.

^{It begins}

Top tip: Draft a response, then copy and paste it to applicants to let them know you will be making a shortlist and organising inspections shortly.

8. Just like washed up celebrities on a talent show, you and your flatmates start sorting applicants on their suitability.

^{Thumbs should be involved in all important decisions}

Those with Netflix logins, cars, puppies and cooking abilities are immediately placed to the top of the list.

Top tip: Unsure? Remember to look back to your criteria and don’t be afraid to follow your gut.

9. With shortlist in hand, you book in the viewings.

Top tip: Give each applicant their own 15-minute slot to view the house and meet everyone. Group viewings can be super awkward and will limit your chance to chat with each potential flatmates in depth.

Top tip: Book your viewings over a single period. This will save you time and you’ll only need to clean up once.

10. Eager to impress your future best friend and flatmate, you use an excessive amount of cleaning product and air freshener to spruce up the house.

^{Being silly makes you clean faster, fact.}

Despite being somewhat organised up until this point, you most likely leave cleaning the place right till the last minute — anxiety ensues.

Top tip: Refrain from going overboard on the cleaning, you’ll want your place to be tidy but still resemble how it really is.

11. The first applicant turns up, you’re on edge and nervous as hell.

^{Nervous sweats are the worst}

After some awkward introductions and a few probing questions, you and your flatmates start to settle into the process. Second, third and fourth inspections go off without incident.

12. Then, it happens, a certain applicant shows up and after a short while, you know you’ve found the one.

^{Wine loving flatmates make you weak}

You aren’t sure what sealed the deal, but it was mostly like their suggestion of continuing the conversation over a glass of wine.

13. You send a sneaky text to your other flatmates to see if they agree.

^{Play it cool, they might be watching}

They do.

14. Two hours and countless glasses of wine later, you and your flatmates invite them to stay.

^{Just one more?}

Top tip: Once sober, fill out our pre-tenancy checklist to ensure everything is covered before the new flatmate moves in.

15. Finally, with a new flatmate in the fold, things are back to the way they should be.

^{Everything is perfect again}