A year ago, I moved in with 5 strangers. I was nervous, but the benefits have outweighed the drawbacks.

• I live in a shared house with five roommates who are all working professionals. • I hoped the move would help me feel less isolated while working from home. • Now, I feel more social, and there have been unexpected benefits for my physical health, too.

As a single 30-something in Vancouver (where one-bedroom apartments can cost upward of $2,000 a month), I've lived with a roommate since I graduated from university in 2016.

But after spending eight years in the same two-bedroom apartment, I started to feel isolated. I didn't see my roommate often, and I usually worked from home alone. So, I decided I was ready for a change and started searching for a new place to call home.

I found a room through a local Facebook group that had everything I was looking for — a good price, an awesom