All healthy relationships progress over time. You might start out seeing each other once a week, but if everything goes well, then you’ll slowly begin hitting those relationship milestones. One of the biggest ones that you’ll experience is moving in together. This is big because it is something of a dry run for marriage and starting a family. If it’s a success, then domestic, long-term life might be in your future.
No matter how solid your relationship is, it’s important to take steps that will help to make the process of coexisting more straightforward, and even more fun. After all, the objective isn’t just for your relationship to survive living together, but for it to thrive. In this blog, we’ll take a look at some key tips for ensuring your journey of living together is nothing other than a resounding success.
Embrace the Change
Many couples move in together thinking that the only thing that will change is that they’ll spend less on rent. But this isn’t the case — a lot of factors will change. You’re not just living by (or for) yourself anymore; you’re living with a partner, and that comes with a big responsibility. Don’t assume that things won’t change, because they will. The key is to embrace that change. If you don’t like the thought of cooking together or buying milk when you finish the last drop, then you’ll be setting yourself up for trouble.
Add Both of Your Personalities
This tip is more relevant if you’re moving into your partner’s existing home. If you don’t bring any of yourself, then you’ll just feel that you’re living in their space, rather than living in a joint home. There are plenty of ways to add touches of yourself, including bringing some furniture with you, hanging photos on the wall, designing the layout of a room with your preference in mind, and so forth.
It’s important to take this approach even if you’re moving into a new, neutral space. The house should feel like it’s both of yours.
Enjoy those Weekend Mornings and Cozy Evenings at Home
The key to making living together a success is to enjoy all the benefits that it brings. There’ll be times, of course, when you just act and feel as if you’re roommates — you won’t be basking in glory when you’re both brushing your teeth in the morning as you prepare to head out for work. The good times come from those lovely weekend mornings and cozy evenings spent together.
So make sure that you’re in a good position to enjoy those moments. This comes down to a little preparation and the right attitude. For instance, if you have a good entertainment system, a cozy couch, and invest in some comfortable clothing for men and women, then you’ll have everything you need to have a great midweek evening together. At the weekend, it’s all about making a delicious brunch with soft music in the background. These are the small moments that make living together so nice, so don’t miss them!
Be Clear About Logistics
As we mentioned earlier, a lot will change when you live together. Rather than taking a relaxed, go with the flow approach, it’s best to be upfront as possible and to set some rules. For example, it’s much easier to define who’s responsible for which household chore at the earliest stage possible, rather than waiting for resentment or anger to set in. A little bit of communication and planning can help to keep many arguments at bay.
It’s also worthwhile having a monthly check-in, just to see how everything’s going. It’s an opportunity to make sure that you’re both on the same page and that there’s nothing that no one is unhappy with!
Retain Your Individuality
It’s not healthy to do everything together. One mistake that many couples make is thinking that because they’re living together, they should be spending all of their time together. If that happens, then you’ll be at increased risk of breaking up. After all, your partner can’t be everything for you! It’s important to retain your individuality and continue having your own life at all stages of a relationship, but especially when you first move in together, when the honeymoon period can be very real. By all means, you should enjoy that period, but at some point, recognize that by making time for yourself, you’ll ultimately be helping your relationship.
Take these tips on board, and you’ll be much more likely to deeply enjoy living together!
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