Regular communication is key to the success of co-owned real estate arrangements. There are many different tools your group can use in order to facilitate communication that fits with your group needs and communication styles.
Scheduled house meetings can be a great way to establish regular communication between group members. However there may be other methods, or a combination of methods that may work better for your group, i.e. a Whatsapp message group, a message board in common spaces, etc.. Check in with your group about what communication method and frequency works best for you.
Collective Decision Making Models
There are many different decision-making models. If you are
still uncertain or unsure of how your group model should be for
decision making, we have included some resources for further
reading:
Decision Making Models from MIT
Different Tools For Communication
There are many different tools for communication. We have included a number of different suggestions that may be of use to your group.
Slack: an online platform to facilitate virtual team communication. It has desktop and mobile compatibility. See more.
Whatsapp: a mobile application that allows virtual communication. It is also desktop compatible. See more.
Facebook Messenger: an extension of Facebook. You will need an account to use this. It is mobile and desktop compatible. See more.
Drafting Your Group Agreement
Building on the mission statement you outlined in Identifying Your Shared Goals, and your group needs identified in Step 1: Finding Your Group, begin drafting your Group Agreement by discussing the following questions and recording your answers as a group. Also consider your reflections in Group Strengths and Competencies and what roles you each might fulfill in your group arrangement.
| Topic | Questions | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Decision-Making and Communication | How does your group collectively make decisions? | ...... |
| How, if it all, does equity correspond to decision-making power? | ...... | |
| What communication methods and frequency will you use? | ......... | |
| Whose responsibility is it to prompt house communications and decision-making? Who will facilitate conversations? | ... | |
| Other notes on decision-making and communication: | ... | |
| Mortgage and Utilities Payment Schedule | What payments are required from each household member and when? | ... |
| How are these received? | ... | |
| Who tracks this? | ... | |
| Funds Required for Maintenance or Contingencies | If you have a contingency fund, what payments are required from each household member, and when? | ... |
| What exactly are these used for? | ... | |
| How are these received? | ... | |
| Who tracks this? | ... | |
| How are decisions made about expenditures? |
... | |
| Division of Labour and Resources |
What chores or tasks can be divided amongst household members? How are these shared? | ... |
| Is care of one household member required by another? If so, what is the care arrangement? | ... | |
| Will pets be considered “in common” or the responsibility of individual people in your purchasing group? How is the responsibility of care divided? |
... | |
| What other task and resources will you share as a group? | ||
| Use of Space | What rooms and spaces are considered shared? |
|
| What spaces are private for individuals, couples, or families? | ||
| Is a car considered shared or the responsibility of individual people or purchasing group? How will this impact the responsibility of a garage or driveway? |
||
| Other notes and commitments about the use of space: | ||
| Social Commitments and Agreements |
Are there times that individuals need to reserve the common area (living/dining room) to themselves? If yes, how often, and how should they communicate this? |
|
| Are there recommended “quiet times” in your house? e.g. after 11 pm. and before 7 am.? |
||
| Will there be common meals? If so, how frequently? | ||
| How often are visitors welcome, overnight and otherwise? | ||
| Other social commitments or agreements: |
If you’re having trouble with the above exercise, consider checking out some case studies and examples here. Otherwise, let’s move on to Conflict Resolution!
How Do You Create Your Group Agreement?
Click on the sections below to learn more.
What are all the Steps to Becoming a Co-owner?
Click on the links below for all the blog articles related to each step.
“Each member of the group needs to be completely transparent – not only about their assets and income, but also about their liabilities. Personal consumer debt factors into the size of mortgage available.”
Other posts from Creating Your Group Agreement
