Image via William Paid

Live with a friend, a family member, a fellow student or a total stranger? These are the options when it comes to finding a roommate. While the process can be scary, we've found a few tips that will help you find your match:

Remember: Nothing is Perfect - While we all wish that our roomie life was picture perfect, you need to go in with realistic expectations. You'll have disagreements now and then about who needs to do the dishes or who ate the last Ben and Jerry's. Expect issues and tackle them head on before they blow up into something big.

Beware the Friend Trap - Let's say you grew up with someone and you absolutely love hanging out with them. While you might be compatible as pals, that may not translate into an idyllic roommate situation. If, for example, you enjoy staying home and curling up with Netflix while your friend loves to throw parties, you probably won't enjoy being roommates.

Know Who You Are - Hey, nobody's perfect. While we all might like to think that we are the absolute best roommates ever to walk the earth, the fact is that there will be some things that you do that might annoy your roomie. Be aware of these issues and work to resolve them together.

Have the Money Talk - Who is going to pay the rent each month? How will you divide up the bills? These are crucial items you MUST talk about with your potential roommate before you move in together. That way, there will be no surprises and no hard feelings.

The Pet Question - Find out before moving in if your roomie plans to bring a pet into the apartment. While a cat might be easy for many people to handle, perhaps your roommate will bring his pet parrot. Know before going in exactly how many pets - and what they are.