Welcome to February, the epoch of affection and spontaneous romantic gestures, such as presenting your soulmate with keys to your abode and professing daring declarations like, “I believe we should move together.” Though we are not masters of relationships, our extensive experience overseeing relocations has equipped us with an understanding of the stresses and hurdles encountered during transitioning from one home to another. An array of logistical and personal motivations exists for this shift in domicile, but with Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we thought it fitting to proffer some guidance to those amorous pairs contemplating living together for the first time. Opting to share living quarters with your significant other is indeed a profound commitment, yet it represents a thrilling and promising stride for a multitude of reasons:
- You get to see each other all the time. Like, 24/7.
- No more commuting across town. Depending on how often you go back and forth between your current addresses, you could genuinely be lowering your carbon footprint and saving money on transport.
- Decrease your spending on rent/mortgage, groceries, utilities, online streaming, and other monthly outgoings by sharing the expenses.
- Finally, have a central location for your clothes and toiletries.
- Share the burden of household chores.
- No longer suffer your housemate’s questionable hygiene habits.
If you have made the decision to share your living space with your significant other, it can be an exciting and joyous experience. To ensure that you start this new chapter in your relationship on the right foot, follow these steps.
Take stock of your belongings
Before you and your partner fell madly in love with each other, you were your own people with years worth of personal belongings, memorabilia, and intriguing furniture choices. And, although some days you may feel joined at the hip, you still come with your own set of baggage. Depending on your hobbies, interests, lifestyle (and, possibly, hoarding practices), one of you may have a lot more stuff than the other.
Begin by looking over your personal inventory and deciding what to take into your new home, and what can be donated or disposed of. You may have found the perfect apartment, but don’t lose sight of the fact that this is a joint venture – the living space has to be optimized for two people.
Spacial awareness and decor consensus
Now that you’ve both got a clear picture of how much stuff you have, it’s time to make absolutely sure that it will all fit. Measure any large furniture pieces and work out where they will be positioned in the new home. Before you start assuming that your drum kit is going to take a prime position, however, you need to consult each other about the aesthetics and functionality you’d like to achieve in your shared home. Check that you agree on the proposed layout and are both satisfied that you have enough space to do the things that matter to you. Your partner may have very personal reasons for wanting to hold onto something that may not seem appropriate or necessary for you. Having these conversations before you get to moving day will make the processes much more comfortable. You may need to compromise or come up with solutions to store and organize things more effectively. This will prevent tension and arguments arising at the last moment.
Don’t underestimate how labour-intensive a move can be
There’s so much to do on moving day. And if you want to make settling into your new place a happy experience, it’s essential to plan ahead. With heavy boxes to pack, unpack, furniture to disassemble and reassemble, things can get pretty exhausting. Sure, you may be a super couple that slays at teamwork, but you have to be realistic about what’s achievable in the amount of time you have.
An extra pair of hands (or two) could take the stress out of the equation and leave you to revel in the excitement of this new phase in your relationship. Hiring a moving company to give you the support and extra muscle you need will eliminate friction and make your moving day a happy memory.
House rules
There are many practicalities to consider when moving in with your partner. Perhaps the most significant things you have to agree on, however, are your values and how you’re going to respect and support each other in this new shared environment.
This requires consensus on how you’re going to handle finances, how you’re going to both contribute to the upkeep and maintenance of the property, and what your expectations are of one another in a domestic situation. Establishing trust and boundaries is crucial for successful cohabiting.
As with all things, living with your significant other takes effort and dedication to your shared goals. But, once you’ve sorted out the logistics and laid the foundations for open communication, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a stress free moving in day and a fantastic time setting up your new home together.
If 2024 is the year that you move for love, be sure to give us a call. Our team of specialists (in moving, not love) are ready to help you with all your relocation needs. And if you’d like some more helpful tips for your house move to-do list, read on.
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