Conversations To Have With Your Partner Before Moving In Together

Before Moving In Together, if you and your partner are getting closer and more invested in each other’s lives, then there may come a time when you decide to share a home. It can be an exciting time, but it’s also one that will test your relationship in a few ways that you may not expect. You can ensure these challenges don’t become major obstacles by taking the time to have a few conversations in advance. Here, we’re going to look at some you ought to be having.

Be Clear With Finances From The Offset

Although it might seem like a relatively minor issue, the truth is that money is one of the biggest sources of stress in a relationship, especially as your finances get tied together. Before moving in, talk openly about how you’ll split rent, groceries, and bills. Will you combine finances or keep things separate? What happens if one of you earns more? Talk about your approaches to emergency savings, financial goals, as well as what to do in the event that either of you lands in debt. From your weekly budget to how you deal with significant expenses, there should be no surprises with how money is spent in the home.

Maintaining Your Boundaries

The new level of intimacy that can come as a result of moving in together is often the whole point of doing it. However, individuals still need boundaries when it comes to their physical, emotional, and personal space. Talk about your policies on guests, such as whether friends can stay over unannounced or if you would like a little notice. Those working from home might need some quiet hours at some point in the day. Similarly, if you’re in the middle of a disagreement or facing some stress and need some space, having some set boundaries can help even the choppy waters that most couples face at one point or another.

Should You Make It Legal?

Living together with someone means putting a lot of trust in them, as they could potentially have the power to disrupt your life. As such, a cohabitation agreement might be the protection you and your partner need, making sure that shared assets and rent are handled fairly. Taking the time to speak to an expert in family law can help you draft an agreement on who owns what, how finances are split, and even how to divide things in the event of a breakup. Cohabitation agreements are beneficial if one of you is moving into a property the other owns or if unequal assets are involved.

Talk About Your Future Goals

If you’re investing your time and your day-to-day in life together with a partner, then neither of you should be shy about your plans together. Talk about whether you might want children someday, your views of marriage, as well as how you might move in the future as a couple, or whether you prefer to stay close to family and the like. You don’t need immediate agreement on these topics, but if one of you sees cohabitation as a stepping stone to marriage and the other doesn’t believe in marriage at all, that can create tension down the line.

When you and your partner move in together, you need to become a team. Hopefully, the conversations above can help you do just that.