The art of finding the perfect roommate sure has changed over the past few years. With the introduction of websites like Craigslist and Facebook, people can now go on and on about who they are, what they like and what they are looking for in a roommate. It wasn’t that long ago that people only had word of mouth and the occasional newspaper ad to tell the world that they needed a roommate. Here are a few essentials for writing that perfect roommate ad.

First off, be passionate. You aren’t looking for a study partner here, you are looking for someone to share your living space with. If you have pet peeves, talk about them, if you have things you’re passionate about like hobbies or political beliefs, talk about them. Finding someone you match up with is important, and you don’t want to find out after they have already moved in that they are a mortal enemy.

Second, don’t be afraid to be picky. Again, it is impossible to stress how important of a decision this is, and you don’t want to get it wrong and settle for someone you really don’t care for. If you contact someone based on a mutual interest you both have only to find out that you only have that one thing in common, keep looking, there are a lot of fish in the sea.

Finally, trust your first impression because it is often correct. If someone seems a bit off to you, they likely are.