Moving in with your partner is an exciting time. When love is in the air and you’re making that oh-so important commitment to one another, it’s easy to overlook the subtleties of bringing your households together as one. People also move in together at different stages of a relationship and life, which adds other complexities to the move. Here are some tips to consider if ready to make one of the biggest moves of all.
1. Your place or mine?
Depending on your stage of life and current living circumstances, this might be a straightforward decision if you or your partner aren’t in established homes, such as you’re renting or living with flatmates. This is a good time to make a fresh start, find a place that suits you both and transition to your new living circumstances together.
It becomes more complicated if you or your partner own a home or have well-established living circumstances. This is the time to discuss compromises about your living arrangements, use of space and belongings. For example, will you have two vehicles? If so, who parks where? Do you have more furniture or appliances than a couple needs? If so, what stays and what goes? Does either person have kids? Will you have enough space for everyone to become a happy family together?
In all cases, be prepared to accommodate one another fairly. Maybe her worn out sofa isn’t as nice as your newer one, but if it’s cosy and familiar, it’ll help her feel like the home belongs to you both. Also consider storage before you streamline your belongings. Long-term storage is a good option if you want time to settle in together without having to make decisions that may compromise either person in the relationship.
2. The importance of routine
If there’s one thing everyone experiences in a new relationship, it’s having your routine turned upside down and inside out, but in all the right ways of course. When establishing your new life together, it’s important to remember that we are creatures of routine and need routine in our daily lives.
Have a chat about the little things that matter, such as who has the first shower in the morning so you can both get to work on time, or when you need some time and space to yourself. If you can agree on the little things, they won’t turn into bigger things later on.
3. Get the money conversation sorted early
Money, unfortunately, is one of the most common subjects that leads to arguments. Once you start sharing the cost of living, your personal finances become a lot less personal. It’s important to talk about it and work out what’s the best, fairest and easiest way to pay the bills and agree on what goes into the shopping trolley. Money is a subject you’ll discuss again and again throughout your relationship, so get the topic off to the right start.
4. Make a moving plan
No matter how you configure your new living arrangements together, you’re effectively making two moves at once. This is also true if one person moves into the other’s home, as you’ll have to accommodate two sets of possessions. This still requires moving furniture, rearranging the decor and storing more possessions.
Plan as much as you can before you make the move. Decide how you’re going to combine households, where everything will go, and what you need to sell, store or downsize. Moving is a stressful exercise, even when you’re entering an exciting new phase of life. Good planning will avoid unnecessary disagreements and help your romance to bloom.
As a moving company, bringing two households together feels like going to a wedding for us, so if you need any help, give us a call.
