Are you curious about the benefits of living in a shared house as a single parent? Property prices are at their highest ever in Australia and the rest of the world. A house in Bellevue Hill in Sydney was sold for $25 million, which is 40% more than its original price! Five years ago, its selling price was $7 million.
This illustrates one of the benefits of living in a shared house as a single parent: it’s inexpensive. But home-sharing is more than just affordable. Let’s enumerate some of the reasons you should consider living in a shared home if you are a single parent.
What are the Benefits of Living in a Shared House as a Single Parent?
1. It allows you to live in a safer neighbourhood.
Neighbourhoods of extreme poverty can harm your growing child’s physical health and mental development. Moving to a safer, better neighbourhood gives your child access to high-quality schools and other resources.
2. Home sharing is a great way to build deep and lasting connections.
Single mothers and their children are at more risk of experiencing mental health problems. And loneliness is one of the reasons behind this. Single parents live busy lives. You have to balance your time between your job, your kids, and house chores. Often, their friendships fall by the wayside. Living in a shared home means you have someone you can talk to when you get home. You will always have that social connection and emotional support.
Homesharing is even more rewarding if the sharing parents have kids of similar ages. Being in one house gives children the opportunity to experience having an unofficial sibling with whom they can bond.
3. It provides an extra source of income.
One in eight Australians reported that their household finances had worsened due to the pandemic. Many came up with ways to augment their incomes, including renting out an extra room in their house. This is exactly the ShareAbode sharing concept. You share your home with a fellow single parent at an affordable fee, giving them access to a clean, peaceful home. In turn, you earn an extra income to help you pay your mortgage and other expenses.
4. It provides homeless single parents with affordable homes.
Many single parents become homeless after experiencing domestic violence at the hands of their partners. In fact, domestic violence is the number one cause of homelessness for women, according to a paper published by Mission Australia.
The time when you leave an abusive relationship is when you are most vulnerable. It would be easier to rebuild your life if you spend time with a fellow single parent who understands what you are going through. Safety is one of the benefits of living in a shared house as a single parent.
5. It means having someone with whom you can split the household chores.
One of the hardest things about being a single parent is that you often do not have someone to help you with the household chores. With home-sharing, you have someone with whom you can split responsibilities, such as cooking, washing the dishes, and cleaning.
The benefits of living in a shared home are enormous. You get to help someone stay in their home while you get companionship at the same time.
There are many home-sharing success stories, including one about friends and home-sharers Karen Bush and Louise Machinist. You can read about their inspiring story in the book My House Our House: Living Far Better for Far Less in a Cooperative Household.
