10 Tips For Moving In Together

Here are 10 tips for moving in together that can make the experience more enjoyable and less stressful. Usually the first few days or weeks are new and exciting. However, as things settle into normal routine, the stress of living with another person can rise. The best thing to do is take the new living arrangement as a partnership and spread the household duties between you.

1. Decorating.  Bring in as much of each person’s stuff as possible. If budget allows, redecorate to meet both individual’s style. This makes the space both of yours, and thus more comfortable for each person. This is especially helpful if one person has already been living in this space for awhile. The goal is to make the new addition to the home feel like it is just as much their home as it is yours.
2. Television.  Have at least two TVs in the home. Preferably one in the living room and one in the bedroom. This way if one person wants to watch something different, there is another comfortable TV viewing area. Also, this is a great way to have some alone time. If your roommate is taking part in an annoying behavior, you can simply move to another room to watch TV without starting an argument.
3. Meals and snacks.  Be courteous when preparing food for yourself. Now that you are living with another person, be considerate and ask them if they’d like a snack too. Or prepare the meal for both of you. A great thing about moving in together is that the other person may be a better cook than you, and you can reap the benefits!
4. Schedule who cooks on what day.  A great way to spread the cooking responsibility is to rotate who cooks dinner each night. That is, if both of you are willing and good enough cooks. If one person seems to do most of the cooking than the non-cooker should pick up the slack on another household duty.
5. Clean up after yourself.  One of the biggest causes of arguments is when a person doesn’t clean up after themselves. Unless you have some sort of deal that one person does all the cleaning, don’t be a slob. Wipe up your spills; put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher right away. Here’s a very important tip: your roommate or girlfriend doesn’t want to have to pick up your dirty underwear off the bathroom floor!
6. Ask before inviting guests over.  Since there is now another person sharing your home, it’s wise to make sure your roommate doesn’t mind having company. You never know if a special dinner is being planned, perhaps your significant other doesn’t feel well, or maybe they just don’t feel having to entertain at that time.
7. Do you own laundry.  Unless previously agreed upon, don’t assume the other person is going to start doing your laundry. Don’t let your laundry build up, causing a mess. Keep on top of washing, folding and putting away your own laundry. A great tip for moving in together is to strike up a deal where one person does the laundry and another does the dishes!
8. Element of Surprise.  Once in a while, bring home some flowers, or clean a room when its least expected. Keeping an element of surprise is great for the relationship, as well as your living conditions.
9. Compromise.  This is important, because there are now two of you sharing one space. When your needs and tastes don’t coincide, compromise will be required. Sometimes you can’t always have your way. As long as the both of you can compromise, living together won’t be that hard at all.
10. Patience. There is a reason why people say “Patience is a virtue”. Sometimes, it’s hard to have patience and keep quiet when our minds are yelling out to take action. One person may have habits that the other person thinks is strange, annoying, or just plain gross. But be patient with each other. Instead of arguing about it, just go to another room. Later, you could carefully talk about the habit and offer alternatives in a nice way that doesn’t cause your partner to get upset.