Relationships

4 Tips For Moving In With Your SO

4 Tips For Moving In With Your SO

1. Do it for the right reasons

Moving in together is a very exciting, and very significant, step for a relationship. It's important to be certain that you really are committed to a future with your partner, that you know each other well, and that your relationship is strong enough to handle the challenges of combining your homes and lives. Moving in with an SO is not something that should be done out of convenience or to save money. If you're looking for someone to split the rent with, find a regular roommate. And if you've been long distance with your SO and haven't spent much time together in person, test the waters before you sign a lease together. Living with an SO is more complex than living with any other type of roommate, and it will also make a breakup exponentially more difficult. I wouldn't recommend moving in with someone unless you are committed to them to the extent that you're thinking about marriage (or, if you don't want marriage, the equivalent long term future).

2. Get excited about compromising

4 Tips For Moving In With Your SO

Compromise is necessary in any relationship, but when you move in together it becomes extra important, because you are making so many more joint decisions. The best thing you can do is try to view compromise as a fun opportunity to see your relationship progress, rather than as a tedious obligation. The key to healthy compromise is that both of you should be giving up a little bit of what you want, without giving up anything that you truly need. Picking your battles is also part of this. It's helpful to let things go if they aren't important to you, but if something really matters to you, then you should stand up for what you need. If both of you have equally strong feelings about the same issue, then it's time to meet halfway.

3. Claim your own space

4 Tips For Moving In With Your SO

No matter how excited you are to share a home with someone you love, it's still important for each person to maintain a sense of independence and individuality. When everything is shared, that feeling of independence can be lost. It's a good idea to have some small space that belongs to you alone, that you can retreat to when you need to feel that you are in your own space. This may be a room or office, a corner or nook, a desk, or even just a favorite chair, as long as it is your own and your partner respects your claim to it. It's important to be able to obtain privacy and personal space within your shared home, so that you don't end up in situations where you need to "escape" to get time to yourself, which is damaging to both you and the relationship.

4. Establish Expectations

4 Tips For Moving In With Your SO

Communicating about what you want, need, and expect is crucial when you're sharing a space and a life with your partner. Chore charts and house rules might sound juvenile, but they can be a life saver depending on your and your SO's personalities. If you're both very responsible and organized, then it might be an unnecessary hassle. But if you both have trouble keeping up with chores, or if one of you is neater than the other and it's a source of tension, then an organized system can be a great way to keep things running smoothly. This is particularly useful if you are young and new to living on your own. And it's not just chores- there are other expectations that need to be established, too. What happens if one of you wants to stay up late with friends over, and the other needs to study or sleep? How will you handle overnight guests? What about parties? Living with any roommate requires you to be considerate, but living with an SO demands another level of thoughtfulness, because you are partners in more than just a home.

Thanks for reading, and happy moving!

Image sources:

lifestorage.com

theolivebranchblog.com

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huffingtonpost.com

4 Tips For Moving In With Your SO
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