Housesharing with people you know or strangers

[Invisible]

I've been living in a share house with strangers since the new year and whilst it has been mostly good I'm considering moving to another share with a work colleague/friend soon. I'm pleased with how well I've coped with moving out of my parents house but I think it has helped that I haven't had to be too social with my flatmates and that we mainly all keep ourselves to ourselves. I think living with my friend will force me out of my comfort zone a bit, which may or may not be a good thing!
Has anyone had the experience of both sharing with strangers and sharing with friends? Which was best for your sa?

[LittleMissMouse]

I'd much rather share with strangers. If you share with friends it has the potential to go very horribly wrong when you discover each others annoying habits.

Sharing with strangers the worst case scenario is you don't really get on, you move out, but you haven't lost anything. Plus its OK to be a bit antisocial or just go off and do your own thing when you share with people you don't know, because as long as you pay the rent and generally refrain from being the tit who plays thrash metal at 3am noone really cares.
Best case scenario, and much more likely you gain a couple of really good new friends and expand your social circle. Worse case scenario sharing with a friend is that you get on each others nerves and end up falling out permanently.

[Unbridled]

I moved to nottingham to live with strangers but I had something in common with them (it was a vegan house share), and it worked out okay I'm on friendly terms with 3 out of 5 of them but were not "friends" I don't think (or maybe we are just not "close") in fact before the last one left I had to apologise for my atrocious social skills around her and only then have we gotton on a bit better although we see each other irregularily and stuff.

I've just moved into a place were I have nothing in common with my house mates and out of the two this one is much worse lving wise because I have no one I can instantly chat to, BUT it means I have to leave the house to interact meaning I have to develop friendships which is what I'm starting to do, with great anxiety.
Previously I relied to much on the people in the house for my socialising and it left me friendless (well not completly but the number of people availible to meet went down dramatically) when they left the town, its easier to live with friends or people you like in my experience but for me it made me ignore building friendships outside my homelife, but if I didnt move in with these people previously alot of opertunities would be lost to me now as I know people through my ex-housemates.

[blue_the_puppy]

ive done both, the only thing with strangers is its a bit of a gamble .. the first few times i shared with strangers i had no problems but my last housemates were both major bitches . luckily now i live alone, best move ive made.