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Room in a shared flat vs a studio for year one — which would you pick again?

Tomasz Nowak ⭐ Helpful member
22 Aug 2026, 10:51

got an offer for a room in a shared flat with two dutch guys, or a tiny studio for quite a bit more. both near work. the studio is so small the bed folds into the wall.

part of me thinks the shared flat is the better way to meet people and learn the language. the other part is 31 and tired of labelling food in the fridge.

which would you pick for year one, and would you choose the same again?

7 replies

Mei Chen ⭐ Helpful member
22 Aug 2026, 17:51

Student room in a shared flat for me from next month, mostly because of price. Hoping for good flatmates tbh.

Nomvula Dlamini 💬 Contributor
23 Aug 2026, 11:11

Shared flat in my first year here. The language part didn't happen at all, because they switched to English to be nice. The social part did, though: they took me to my first birthday party with the whole-family circle of chairs, which I'd never have understood alone. I moved to a studio after ten months and don't regret either.

Paolo Bianchi ⭐ Helpful member
25 Aug 2026, 20:28

I'd pick the shared flat again, but only because I got lucky with the people. What made it work was agreeing a few things on day one: cleaning rota, guests, noise after eleven. The shared houses I've heard horror stories about all skipped that conversation. If the flatmates seem open to it at the viewing, that's a good sign. If they shrug, maybe pay for the folding bed.

Grace Kim 🏆 Community expert
26 Aug 2026, 12:14

Studio. I needed a door I could close at the end of a day of speaking another language.

Tomasz Nowak ⭐ Helpful member
28 Aug 2026, 05:14

grace that's the argument i didn't know i needed

Jake Miller ⭐ Helpful member
1 Sept 2026, 04:58

real question, does the bed fold up with the bedding on or do you remake it every night lol

Kwame Mensah 🏆 Community expert
4 Sept 2026, 16:06

Did the shared flat first, then my own place once I knew the city. Worked for me.