We all go through different living arrangements throughout our lives. First, we’re with our family, then we usually share a place with friends or strangers (who hopefully become friends). At some point, we might move out and live on our own. And then there’s the matter of living with a significant other. This is fun and scary and everything else that it should be, but it also presents something of a logistical issue. How do you bring another life to live in a space that has, up until that point, been yours? We take a look at a few ways below. It’s best to be aware of these issues and take care of them beforehand, rather than wait until you’re living together and realize that you have a problem.
Clearing Out
If you’ve been living in your space for some time, then it’s likely that it’s full of your goods. We all buy so much more when we have a place to store them. An issue could arise if our significant other brings in a bunch of goods, too, and there’s not enough space to store anything without seriously cluttering up the place. So it’s best to prepare by having a clearout before he or she arrives. In reality, most people store many more items than they need. It’s always good to purge these goods anyway, and you could even raise some money to help with any costs associated with the move, too.
Own Spaces
You’re obviously pretty fond of your partner if you want them to move in with you. And vice versa. But let’s not make the mistake of thinking that you want to be together all the time. While you already know this, sometimes living together can push you to spend more time with one another than you might like — or rather, more time than is what is good for you. One of the best things to set up before moving in is to ensure that you both have your own space within the home. There, you’ll have your hobbies and interests, and a space just to be. It takes a little bit of effort to set up these spots, but it’s recommended that you do so.
The Key Rooms
There are some rooms that will be more important than others when it comes to your partner moving in. For example, the living room and bedroom. These are the places that you’ll obviously share together, so you should make an additional effort to ensure that they’re “couple friendly.” Take a look at the living room in particular. Is it a spot where you can spend many cozy evenings together? This is one of the fun parts of living with your partner, so make sure that you’re able to enjoy it to the max.
Couple Touches
You can take things even further by incorporating a few special “couple” touches into your property too. In your kitchen, you might clear the space and make it more spacious so that you’re able to cook together. You could also create an intimate dining space, to enjoy your meals. There are other ways to make your space couple friendly, too. You can install a double bath vanity, for example, or you create a cozy reading corner or outdoor seating area for two people. A place for his or her bathrobes and slippers would also be a nice touch. By doing these things, you’re less making your home a space that can accommodate another person, and more transforming your place so that it’s set up for couples to thrive.
Social Spaces
Now that you’re a couple sharing a home, you’re likely to do a lot more hosting than you would in the past. You have your own space, and you’ll want to invite friends and family around. If you both live away from where you grew up, then you might find that your partner’s family or friends come to stay with you too — this might not have been something that you’ve had to deal with in the past. So make sure that you’re ready to handle them. You can start by looking at your home’s social credentials. Is it a home where people can hang out and enjoy many hours together? If you have an additional room, you’ll want to look at setting up a guest bedroom too.
Shared Decorations
It takes some getting used to having your partner in a home that was previously just yours. But let’s remember that it’s even stranger for them. You want to ensure that they feel welcome and understand that it’s a shared space. While words will go some way to making them believe this, it’s also worth looking at helping them understand it by actively making it more shared. For example, let’s think about your decorations. Could you put up decorations that reflect your shared experiences instead?
Talk it Through
There will also be logistical matters that you need to think about, too. There’s going to be more mess and things to clean up now that two people are living at the home, but in any case, you’ll want to look at dividing the chores up and creating a schedule. Problems can often arise over this small matter, but it’s so easily avoided. It’s all about communication. Create a list, stick to it, and you’ll minimize the chances of issues cropping up.
During the Moving Process
You might be excited about living together, but you’ll have to first navigate the moving process before you get to that stage. And no matter how well prepared you are, you’ll likely find that it’s stressful. It always is! You can reduce the stress by hiring people to help you move (or roping in friends), or doing it slowly. It doesn’t all have to be completed in one day.
Go With the Flow
Finally, remember to go with the flow. If you’re open and adaptable, then you’ll find solutions to whatever housing issues come your way — you’ll make it fun.
