The Dos and Don’ts of Cohabitation: Tips for Successfully Moving in with Your Significant Other

Is your significant other ready to move in with you? Cohabitation can be an exciting milestone in any relationship, but it also comes with many challenges.

From navigating personal space to dividing household chores, there are plenty of dos and don’ts to consider for a harmonious living arrangement.

From lived experience, we will guide you through some invaluable tips that will help you successfully transition into cohabitation bliss.

Why Should You Move in Together?

There are many benefits to moving in with your significant other. 

Your rent and utilities will certainly look less. Living alone can be quite costly, but when you pool your money together, you can go for places that suit you both, whether it be a swanky 2460 Terrapin apartment or a little house on the outskirts of the city.

Living together can give you a chance to live with someone you trust and feel comfortable with. Moving in can also help solidify your relationship and make communication and conflict resolution easier.

On the flip side, there are also some challenges that come along. It’s important to be honest with your partner about your expectations and to set some ground rules early on. As long as you both are doing it for the right reasons, whatever issues come up should be sorted through easily.

Tips for a Successful Move

1. Communicate openly and honestly with each other about your expectations, needs, and concerns.
2. Before moving day make a list of all the tasks that have to be completed. Assign them accordingly.
3. Work together to pack up your belongings in an organized way. This will make unpacking much easier (and less stressful).
4. If possible, try to schedule some time off work around the date of your move. This will give you both time to adjust to your new living situation. You won’t have to then worry about work obligations.
5. Take some time before unpacking everything to really think about where you want things to go. This will help you avoid any arguments down the road about where certain items should be placed.
6. Be patient with each other during this transition period. It takes time to get used to living with a significant other.

Establishing Ground Rules for Finances and Living Arrangements

DO

• Discuss your financial situation openly and honestly. This includes any debts or credit issues, as well as your income and expenses.
• Create a budget together and stick to it. This will help you avoid arguments about money down the road.
• Figure out who will be responsible for which bills. Will you split them evenly, or will one person pay the rent while the other pays the utilities?

DON’T

• Keep secrets about your finances from each other. This can create tension and mistrust in the relationship.
• Go into debt to pay for joint expenses. Do not put purchases on a credit card.
• Try to control each other’s spending habits. Everyone has different financial goals and priorities, so respect each other’s autonomy when it comes to money matters.

Dealing With Conflict

Moving in with your significant other can be a big adjustment. You’re suddenly sharing everything from your living space to your toothbrush holder. 

Talk about expectations before moving in together. Discuss how you’ll handle bills, chores, and entertaining guests. Having these conversations upfront can help avoid conflict later on.

Respect each other’s space. Just because you’re living together doesn’t mean you have to be attached at the hip 24/7. It’s important to give each other some breathing room and alone time.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Not every disagreement has to turn into a full-blown argument. If you can let go of the little things, it will make dealing with bigger conflicts much easier.

As mentioned before, communicate openly and honestly. This can help resolve the issue more quickly and prevent future disagreements from escalating unnecessarily.

There will be some conflict when it comes to moving in together, that is not something that can be stopped. Strong couples are aware of this and will tackle the issues head-on to come to a reasonable conclusion. Couples who move in on a whim may find more issues than others, and might even regret their decision early on.

If you do not want to have any doubts, always think things through.

Conclusion

Cohabitation is a major step in any relationship and can bring you closer together or push you apart if not done correctly. 

Take the time to make sure that your move-in is successful by following these dos and don’ts for cohabiting with your significant other. 

With open communication and respect for each other’s needs, cohabitating can be an incredibly rewarding experience!