You’ve been dating a while, things are going well, your stuff has outgrown the one drawer your partner provided you with, in their share-house bedroom… if this sounds like you, it might be time to sit down together, and finally decide when to move in together.
Whether the time to move in together is this weekend, next month, or a year from now, TAXIBOX can help you pull it off, and come out the other side better than before. But first, let’s figure out how to make a decision as big as this one, and scratch everything off your moving in together checklist.
It’s Not For-Convenience’s-Sake
It might be instinct to move in together because it feels like it will be more convenient (i.e. you’re tired of packing overnight bags and you’re ready to unpack your life’s belongings at your partner’s place once and for all). In reality, you should be moving in together for a lot more than your own convenience.
Instead, you should focus on your emotional motivations, rather than just your practical motivations. Ask yourself how this decision will benefit your relationship (and try to keep how much money you’re going to save in rent out of it). If it feels like you’re basically living together already and you’re only going to continue moving on up from here, that’s a great sign.
You Know What Their Habits Are Like
There’s a reason you should never move in with someone a couple of months into dating: you don’t know them inside and out yet. There’s no way to speed up this step other than simply spending time together. By the time you’ve been around one another long enough, you’re bound to slip up sometime and show your true colours.
You want to know your partner’s weird and wonderful habits – the good and the bad – before you commit. That way, you won’t be startled when you catch them clipping their toenails on the couch for the first time. If you really play your cards right, you might even be able to teach them to clip their toenails someplace else before you move in together.
Learning each other’s habits ahead of time also allows you to break up the chores accordingly, before the arguments begin:
- Not much of a cook? Offer to do the dishes more often, in exchange for cooking less often
- Always forgetting to take the bins out? Take on another less desirable chore instead, like scrubbing the bathroom
- No good at keeping your clutter from going out of control? Nobody likes clutter, stick it all in a TAXIBOX before it gets out of hand
No need to argue about it if you hide it in a TAXIBOX.
You Can Be Yourself Around Eachother
Let’s put it this way: if you’re moving into a studio apartment and you’re going to be sharing one bathroom, you’re going to have to get used to sharing your personal space.
Your partner’s going to get to know you far better than you anticipated. They’re going to invade your space a little, no matter what you do. If there are any clear boundaries you need to set, do it now, or forever hold your peace.
Aside from that, get the embarrassing stuff out of the way now. It’s inevitable. Embrace that.
You’ve Talked Money Stuff
Money stuff isn’t always easy. It can be pretty make-or-break if you don’t handle it correctly.
When it comes to conversations to have before moving in together, this is a big one. A must-have one, if you will. To save yourself the strain later on in your relationship, talk finances before signing a lease together.
Set a budget for what you’re both willing and capable of paying for:
- Rent
- Groceries
- Weekly expenses
- Daily expenses
- Any big ticket costs
Aside from budgeting together and making sure your expectations match up, you also need to have a conversation about how that budget might work. Are you planning on sharing costs, splitting costs, or paying for things another way? Keep in mind, not everything has to be a downer! You’ll get to account for the savings you’ll make by living together while you budget, including how much you’re going to save on rent, property taxes, and all the other expensive stuff.
It can be an uncomfortable conversation to have, but it’s better to embrace that and be honest from the beginning. You don’t want to find out about your partner’s spending habits a little too late.
Pssst. If you want to start off on the right foot, move with TAXIBOX. We can save you a lot on unnecessary moving expenses, double handling, and moving day disagreements. You can thank us later.
Get an instant quote on your TAXIBOX to save on moving day.
You’ve Had Your Share of Ups and Downs
Moving in together comes with its fair share of good times and bad times. You’re much more likely to successfully ease into living together if you’ve already survived these kinds of trials and tribulations together.
A great way to test this is travelling together. If you’ve already been on a trip with your partner and made it out the other side, you probably have a pretty good idea of what your partner is like at their highest. And their lowest.
Tread carefully – building your first flatpack on your first day living together could be the end of days if you haven’t tested yourselves yet.
You’re Ready to Consolidate Your Stuff
The one downside of moving in together and solidifying your commitment to each other: you have to accept your partner for who they really are… which includes the Star Wars Lego collection they want to use as interior decor. Whether you like it or not.
If you’ve both lived on your own up until this point, there’s a good chance you’re going to have a lot of double-ups. No need to keep two couches and two toasters – unless you’re moving into a house of mirrors – do yourself a favour and consolidate.
Sort through your stuff and make up an inventory list of what you have combined. Anything you have two of that you don’t need, you can keep in a TAXIBOX until you’re 100% confident that moving in together was a good idea (which is when you can sell all the double-up stuff).
Put all your extra stuff into our storage calculator to see how many TAXIBOXES you need.
You’re On the Same Page
Ah, the biggest dealbreaker of them all: looking into the future together. Don’t break out the fortune teller of the magic 8 ball for this one. It’s one of those simple (albeit nerve-wracking) conversations to have before moving in together.
No need to make a 5-year-plan or pick out your kids’ names just yet. After all, you’re only signing a lease together, and if it doesn’t work out, you’ll survive. But this kind of conversation will save you a lot of pain – both the heartache kind and the back pain kind, if you end up having to move twice. Save yourself the strain and figure out if you’re on the same page beforehand.
The main objective? Making sure your values are the same, and you both know where you’re headed. The destination doesn’t need to be clear as day yet, you just need to know you’re headed in the same direction.
Once that conversation is out of the way, you can start making moves, and set up your first destination: booking your TAXIBOX together. Don’t forget to design your home with a little yellow, to thank your TAXIBOX for the foundations of your very healthy relationship (you’re welcome).
If This Sounds Like You…
If you’ve read all the above and it sounds like you and your partner are ready to take the leap, what are you waiting for? Quit reading about it and get the process going. Pop the suggestion and book your TAXIBOX to make it official.
