If you and your partner or significant other are thinking of moving in together, it’s important to discuss how you’re going to go about combining your two households before you make the move itself.
This is important for a variety of reasons, but especially makes sure that both of you are approaching this move healthily and realistically. After all, moving in together is a huge step that takes a lot more than just a want to do so! Moving in with a partner isn’t something to be taken lightly, you are combining spaces with another person, after all!
Before moving in together, make sure you’ve thoroughly discussed with your partner what you both envision your space to look like, or what sort of styles either of you have. Additionally, make sure you both are familiar with each other’s lifestyles at home, and how either of you operate to make sure you’re comfortable with each other’s habits or quirks before signing a lease. They always say you never truly know a person before you’ve lived with them – so make sure you discuss and air anything out before moving in!
Make sure the timing works for both of you, and that both are fully on board with moving and cohabitating. If it’s maybe not the right time right now, but both still want to move in with one another, create a realistic timeline so that both of you are working towards and are ready for the process to get started.
Tips for Moving in with a Significant Other
Before you start any part of the moving process, choose where you two want to move to. This is obviously only if both of you are moving from your homes into a new space, but is definitely a huge factor in every process.
If you’re both moving into a new space, make sure the neighborhood works for both of you and is in a good location for both of you to commute from! If you’re moving into your partner’s existing home, or if they’re moving into your’s, make sure the neighborhood and location also works for both of you. After all, if you move into a partner’s home without considering that you’re moving an hour away from your job, you might eventually grow tired of the commute and might harbor resentment toward your partner over this! Make sure both of you are on the same page, and if moving into a completely new space, that the neighborhood works for both of you.
Planning Out a Space with a Partner
Once you’ve settled on a neighborhood, home, or figure out which one of you is moving into whoever’s space, it’s time to figure out how to properly go about combining your two households.
Moving into a New Space Together
Odds are, both of you have sets of kitchenware, and existing furniture and other household items that you either don’t exactly need duplicates of, or just won’t’ have room for in one space. If you’re combining households into a completely new space for both of you, this can make things a little easier. Figure out, for example, whose bed you’d rather bring into the new space, who’s couch, dresser, kitchenware, etc. Try to combine both parties’ items whenever possible, and create a mesh of items from each household so that everyone feels truly comfortable, and to truly compromise in your new space.
Moving into a Significant Other’s House
Combining or choosing who’s furniture to keep can be a little harder when one significant other is moving into their partner’s existing space, where they already have furniture and existing set ups. If you’re moving into a partner’s home, or if they’re moving into your’s, you always want to make sure that the person moving in feels comfortable and not at all like they’re existing in a space that isn’t theirs.
If they want to bring their own furniture into the existing space, try to find a way to either fit everything, or compromise and get rid of whichever things you like less, or keep the household items that are more suited to the space.
The most important thing to keep in mind when combining two spaces, or when moving in with a partner, is compromise. If one person is moving into another’s space and has to get rid of all of their furniture or belongings because the other won’t compromise or won’t allow the space to be changed, it can cause the person moving to feel unhappy, out of place, or just breed resentment.
Regardless, not compromising with your partner or creating a common vision of things isn’t ideal for anyone, and will only end up hurting the both of you in the long run!
What to Bring
Whether combining households or moving into a completely new space, the most important thing to do is to go through you and your partner’s things to figure out what you want to keep, what you want to get rid of, and figure out what you both might jointly want for your space.
This can be a pretty emotional process, but is necessary to create a truly combined and comfortable space for the both of you. Make sure to take plenty of time to complete this part of the process. Just as we said before, there’s no need to have two beds, two couches, or two sets of most items, so take the time to consider which of either of your things will be the most practical for the space, and make sure everybody compromises and truly wants to create a joint household.
Storage Options
It might feel a little taboo, or untrusting to put the things not going into your household or not bringing to move into your partner’s house in storage. In fact, this is probably a lot more practical than just completely getting rid of everything you have in order to move into another space.
Putting things into storage can not only give you a little extra security in your move, but also is a great option to truly test out which furniture or individual’s belongings work best in a space. It also gives you a lot more time to get used to your space, and try out different decor or furniture options.
Getting storage for you or your significant other’s extra things can also help both of you out in the long run if you both relocate to a new or different space. If you put your bed in storage when moving into your partner’s space (or into a new home), and then upgrade your space in the future, you can get that extra furniture out of storage and use it to furnish a guest room or to decorate your additional space!
Work Out Finances Before Moving
Before moving in with anyone, make sure you’re completely aware of their finances, and that they’re completely aware of your’s. This is incredibly important not only because it will impact your everyday life and ability to pay bills jointly, but also is very important when it comes to buying a new home together, or applying to rent one together.
If you don’t want to pay bills together, make sure to communicate and properly and evenly divide prospective or current bills amongst one another. This can come in the form of one person, say, paying the electric bill while the other pays the water bill, or can entail just each other managing the payment of different bills. That way, no one is completely left to deal with utility companies, or solely responsible for a lot of financial burdens while the other isn’t.
Whenever you’re moving in with anyone, compromise and communication are both incredibly important to make sure your living situation is one built off of trust and a genuine want to combine households. This is only more important when it comes to moving in with a significant other. Make sure you’re both ready to move, are comfortable with compromising and creating a truly joint household, and are both ready to take on whatever finances and bills that come with cohabitating. Take the time to really plan things out, and put things into storage if you need to.
Make sure you’re taking things at your own pace, and don’t rush into anything! This is a big step after all, and you want to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Whether it’s neighborhood choice, housing or decor taste, or just how each of you handle your finances, you’ll want to make sure you and your partner see eye to eye and are both familiar with what the other wants.
At Bekins Van Lines, we know how stressful any move can be – nevermind if you’re moving in with a significant other! Once you’ve figured out where you want to move, and what you want to bring with you, make sure you have the right movers by your side to make sure your transition is pulled off smoothly, affordably, and efficiently.
When you have the right movers at your side, it not only takes the stress off of you and your partner, but also lets you focus on what’s important – combining your two households!
