Let’s be realistic, being friends with someone or in a relationship with them is not the same as living together with them. If you’ve ever been roommates with a friend from high school, these words should ring especially true. People bring more than just their stuff when they move in together. They also bring their habits, lifestyle, and decorating tastes to the table. It’s easy to see how tense the new situations can get. But you can stay on top of it all by learning how to combine two households without stress.
Common reasons why people want to combine households – without stress or otherwise
Before getting into the nitty and the gritty of giving actual tips on the stress-free merging of households, it’s worth mentioning some common factors why people choose to live together. For many of the moving companies Deerfield Beach FL is home to, the most common reason people move in together is marriage. Millennials are especially more inclined towards living together prior to marriage. But there are other valid cases as well:
- Marriage – as mentioned; naturally marrying someone goes hand in hand with moving in together, which is why you need to make sure to combine your two households without stress
- Long-term couples – college or high school sweethearts may choose to live together before getting married
- Shared rent and bills – whether friends or spouses or even strangers, some people choose to live together for economic reasons; shared rent means extra income
- Spending more time together – although not necessarily a reason for moving in with someone, it’s an inevitable byproduct and as such is worth mentioning
No matter what case (if any) you belong to that we’ve outlined here, people are different and compromise will always be the best solution to any rising tensions. Planning to live together with someone can be a frightening notion. Communication is key – don’t let an argument drive a wedge between you and your partner before you even move in.
Planning what items to keep and what to move into storage ensures you’ll combine two households harmoniously
Obviously, both you and your future roommate (or partner) will bring a lot of items to the table. In a lot of cases, you’ll have so much stuff between the two of you that you could fill up two houses with ease. Unfortunately, this will not do. You will have to carefully plan what to keep for your move. The rest you can gift to your relatives or sell to someone. Or hey – sell it to your relatives, we’re not judging. Alternatively, some high-quality Florida movers will offer storage plans for you. This is a perfect solution if you have any items you won’t keep in your home but can’t part with. You only need to ask your movers about their storage plans.
Ditching any duplicates will help keep your sanity when moving in together
This one’s on par with storage planning and you should probably combine the two. Moving in together you’ll find you have a lot of duplicate items. Obviously you won’t ever have a need for two sets of dining tables with six chairs each, no matter the circumstance. Your living room will rarely need more than two reclining chairs. It’s important that you don’t pack your new home with too many items. Plan for the future, and keep some space for some new additions. Feel free to discard any duplicate furniture in any of the abovementioned ways. You’ll be amazed at how liberating letting go can make you feel.
Plan how to decorate together – settle on a style to make moving in a stress-free heaven
For a vast majority of couples, moving in is something of a milestone. Starting your life together means you and your partner will combine your tastes and decoration style ideas. Sometimes, these ideas may clash. In these situations, it’s important to let compromise and conversation take the reins. You may disagree on decoration ideas and that’s okay. It will remain okay so long as you choose to keep it that way. Don’t let your disagreement spin out of control and become a fight. The couch your partner wants to bring into your new home doesn’t fit the living room style? Move it into the guest room. You won’t know how nicely some different styles could blend together until you try it, so include your partner in the decorating process. Listen to what they’re telling you, experiment at first. Compliments from your guests might surprise you.
How to handle money to happily combine two households
When it comes to arguments and downright big fights between couples, money is most often in the midst of it. Some couples might be overcome with happiness at the sheer thought of starting a life together with their significant other so they don’t even think about finances. But there are important questions to consider and talk through with your partner. Don’t assume anything, always communicate. What if your assumptions are different? Let’s say your partner expects you’ll share the rent equally, and you assume higher income should cover a greater portion of rent and bills. Assumptions when it comes to money can easily drive a wedge between people. It’s always important to communicate clearly, calmly, and often! It’ll save you a lot of headaches (and potentially heartaches) in the long run.
You’ll combine two households without stress if you’re open-minded and understanding
If there’s an underlying theme in everything we just outlined in this article, it’s that open-mindedness, empathy, and communication can go a long way, especially in huge milestones in life. Joining households together can be a harmonious experience if you don’t assume everything. Take the diplomatic approach and settle on big decisions together with your partner. After all, the home you’re moving into will belong to both of you.
