Moving in with your partner is something you shouldn’t rush into and you may want to do a few preparation tasks first
Moving in with a partner is a big and exciting step. It’s something you shouldn’t rush into and you may want to do a few preparation tasks first. Here are some things to think about to ensure that you make the right decision.
How well do you know each other?
You never really know someone until you live with them – soon enough you’ll get to know all their bad habits and quirks. If you think you can handle that, you’re ready to move in.
There’s no length of time that you should know someone for before moving in together, however you may want to at least be familiar with what it could be like spending every day and night with them – you could have a trial week in your current home and see how it goes. Going on holiday for a week together can also be a good test.
In most cases it will just be your partner who you need to get to know, but in other cases there could be children or pets to consider. Make sure that you all get along well enough to live together.
How much space do you need for both of your possessions?
If you’ve both got lots of possessions, you could end up having to find a home that’s big enough for each of your personal belongings. This needs to be somewhere that you can both realistically afford.
Most young couples moving out of their parents’ home for the first time may not find this a problem, but if you’ve already got a home with furniture you may both have to compromise who keeps what unless you’re happy to have two sofa sets and two beds!
Who will be paying which bills?
It’s good to do some financial planning before moving in. You should each contribute something to the bills, but you may not necessarily want to go half and half – whoever is earning the most may have to take on the brunt of the costs and your partner should be okay with this. In many relationships, one person will pay rent/mortgage whilst the other person will handle utility bills. Ensure that you can both afford a place before moving in and that you can trust your partner financially.
Who will be doing which chores?
It’s worth also delegating chores for each other. Who will cook? Who will clean? Ideally you should both be splitting up household chores so that you’re each doing an equal part. It may not be until you move in together that you realize you’re dating a clean freak or a slob.
What happens if you break up?
Nobody want to think about this ‘what if’ situation, but it can be worthwhile preparing for the worst. Once the two of you move in, you may be entitled to a share of the property each, and each other’s possessions. Some couples look into binding financial agreements – these ensure that your possessions are legally yours to keep. Such agreements may also state who has ownership over your home.
Make sure that you’ve still got somewhere to fall back to if things don’t work out. Don’t cut off ties with family members and be very careful if you’re moving halfway around the world to live with someone.
