So you’ve decided to take the next step in your relationship move in together. It’s an exciting time and now comes the tricky task of figuring out what needs to happen next!
Moving house can be stressful at the best of times. However, moving in with your partner brings with it a whole other set of considerations and steps in the planning process. You’ll need to decide what you’re keeping, storing and tossing, when you can both move out of your current properties, and how soon your new place is available.
Ready to make the move, but don’t know where to start? Here are 10 tips for moving in together.
1. Start with a Spring Clean
Organise items into categories. Decide what’s going to the new place, what you need to sell and donate, and what you’ll put into storage. Anything you decide to sell will leave you with some extra dollars to go towards any other household items you might need – bonus!
2. Prevent Double Trouble
If you both already live in fairly established households it’s likely that you’ll own some of the same big ticket items, so you’ll need to decide what to do with these. If you have two couches between you, it’s likely you’ll need to find a new home for one of them. Making a list of all the multiples you have ahead of time, and deciding what to do with them, will avoid any last minute worries about where excess furniture is going. If you’re not happy with letting go of some of your doubles, self-storage can come to the rescue.
3. Share the Load
Get together and make a list of what needs to be done before, during, and after the move. Delegating some responsibilities and sharing others will ensure both of you feel involved and one person doesn’t become too overwhelmed. This might include deciding who will organise the connection of utilities, booking in temporary or long term storage, or hiring a moving truck for the big day.
4. Clear Communication Is a Must
Are you a hoarder or a minimalist? A careful planner or a last minute maniac? Do you have any pet peeves? What about your partner? Find out if you match or if you clash. Talking through how you like to live before you move will help to make sure you’re both on the same page from day one.
5. Buy a Bed You Both Love
If there’s one piece of furniture both parties should have an equal say in it’s the bed. You spend a huge amount of time in there, so purchasing a new bed and mattress will ensure you both get a good night’s sleep and avoid waking up in the morning feeling tired and restless.
6. Set Up a Joint Bank Account
There will likely be joint expenses ongoing like groceries, rent and bills, so an easy way to manage the costs is to set up a shared account. Decide how much you will each contribute, when contributions will be made (weekly, monthly, on pay day etc.) and what things the account can be used for.
7. Packing
Work out how many boxes you might need, what size and where you’ll get them from. The National Storage Box Shop has lots of packing products to help keep everything in order. When packing, label and sort your boxes to make it easy to locate things later, especially the items you’ll want for day one (think some kitchen supplies, a kettle, towels and bedding).
8. Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Both Chew
If you’re struggling over a few items but still have a to-do list as long as your arm, you can always self-store to get these items out of the way, then you can approach decisions later when you’re not thinking about 100 other things.
9. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Everything doesn’t always go to plan. When things aren’t working the way you originally anticipated, take five, take a deep breath and try to remember it will all be worth it when the last box is unpacked.
10. Make the Move Fun
It’s easy to get brain burnout when deciding what you’ll bring into your new home together. Make the moving experience more fun by inviting some friends to help you lighten the load. Finish up by grabbing some pizzas and pop a bottle open to celebrate your first night in the new place.
By ticking off some of the above in your preparation for the big move you’ll be able to make some of those big decisions a little easier.
Happy moving!
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