While many couples move in together as a stepping stone to marriage, there are still many for whom cohabitation follows the wedding vows. For these couples, finding a place to live and creating a home together goes hand in hand with this formal commitment, and some have even suggested that pairing the two can extend the honeymoon period. Other research even suggests couples are less likely to break up before marriage if they wait to move in together.
If you and your partner have chosen to make the big move after the wedding, you’ll want to plan the process carefully and keep the lines of communication open. These 4 factors, in particular, play a key role in cohabitation satisfaction, so don’t overlook their importance.
Sleep Styles
These days, the idea that a married couple might not share a bed may actually be more taboo than the unmarried couple that does, but the reality is that couples don’t always have compatible sleep routines. That’s why, before you commit to a one bedroom apartment that leaves one of you curled up on the couch several nights a week or tossing and turning, it’s important to talk about any sleep issues like snoring or insomnia and determine whether you and your partner can develop a healthy, shared sleep routine. And if either of you is concerned, or even just feels strongly about having a separate space, start looking at multi-bedroom options.
Renting Versus Owning
For many couples, there’s no choice between buying or renting – it’s all determined by budgetary constraints – but for those that do have a choice, it’s worth considering what goes into owning a home. While some newlyweds feel ready to take on the responsibilities of homeownership, like handling all of the repairs and maintenance that come up, others still need a little more support. If that’s the case, you may feel more comfortable living in an apartment or rental with a property manager and maintenance staff. Though you’ll of course still be responsible for the basic day-to-day upkeep of your space, if the ceiling starts leaking in the middle of the night, you’ll know who to call.
Make Decor Decisions
Some people – traditionally women, but certainly not always – have strong opinions about interior design, while others are happy to cobble together an assortment of thrift store pieces and family hand me downs. As you pack up your old places, though, consider this a good time to talk about what to keep and what to toss. The goal should be to successfully blend your styles in your new home and choose new pieces that will tie existing elements, like favorite linens or sentimental art.
Have A Chore Plan
It’s one thing to tolerate your partner’s messy kitchen habits or to have strong feelings about making your bed every day before marriage, but once you’re married and living together, everything changes. Even if you and your spouse spent time at each other’s homes regularly before marriage, this is now your shared space, and you need to treat it that way. In other words, while no one is saying that two grown adults need a chore wheel, it’s important to talk about the division of household responsibilities. Ideally, you’ll be able to split things pretty equally without sticking anyone with their least favorite chore, but at the end of the day, someone still has to scrub the toilet and take out the trash.
They say that moving in together is about making a common home, but it’s about much more than that. When you move in together, you and your partner will learn all kinds of new things about each other, that no amount of togetherness without a common home would reveal. Some of those things will be endearing and some of it will be irritating, but at the end of the day, your commitment to each other is bigger than any of it.
Post by: Alex Sanders