Merging two households can make moving even more complicated than it already it is in the first place. Newlyweds, partners, children, pets and whoever is involved will need to do some planning ahead to make the combining of two households a little less stressful. Here are some basic pointers on how to make moving into together easier to manage.
1. Duplicate Items
There is really no reason reason to have two of most items, so each person is going to have to donate, throw away or sell some of their items. Sitting down to discuss which items will make it to the new house and which will be left behind before the move will save you a lot of clutter and stress later when you are trying to settle in. Maybe you don't need to sit-down to discuss small items like whose spatulas you are keeping, but deciding on bigger items will save you a lot of sweat, money and time if you handle them first. So decide whose television, furniture, desks, etc. will make it to the new house before you actually move it to the new home.
2. Be Prepared to Get Rid of Stuff
Chances are if you are combining two households, you are not going to have room for everyone's items. Beforehand you should prepare yourself to let go of some items by tossing, donating or selling them. Both partners should make a list of items beforehand that they don't mind getting rid of when moving into the new home. Also, make a list of items that you would really want to keep. Compare the lists then figure out what other items each of you may need to discard.
3. Consider Getting a Self Storage Unit
If one or both of you are apprehensive about tossing items, especially larger and expensive ones, you can consider renting a self storage unit. Look, I understand not wanting to end up without any worldly items in case this whole moving in thing together doesn't work out. Make sure that your partner gets that too, even if it is uncomfortable explaining it.
Even without apprehensions, self storage is a cheap way to deal with any extra stuff you guys aren't sure to do with yet. For those who are doing all the work last minute, you can put extra items in self storage then figure everything out later at a more leisurely time.
5. Decide if One or Both of You is Going to Hire a Mover
Sometimes one partner is more of a do it yourself type of person, while the other prefers the luxury of letting others do the heavy lifting. When these two type of people collide, it can cause some conflicts in the moving in process. Beforehand it is good to communicate if you are going to hire a mover or not. Remember that just because one person wants to do the moving themselves, doesn't mean the other person can't hire a mover to move their stuff.
5. Lay Out the Rooms Before You Move In
This is an important step for any move, but it is especially important for partners moving in together for the first time. Decide before you move in what purposes each room will serve. There is nothing worse than moving in only to discover your study is actually going to be his man cave. Make sure each person has enough designated space to continue to enjoy the things they like, but with smaller spaces remember this may require compromising on sharing spaces.
6. Utility Companies
Beforehand you both will need to decide what utilities you do and do not want. Also, you may need to negotiate exactly which companies you plan on using. Remember call the utility companies at both of your old places to turn off the utilities on the date you move.
7. Budgeting
Make sure before you move in that you discuss all the details of finances. Creating a financial plan will make sure everyone knows how much they are supposed to contributed when it comes time to pay bills, rent, etc. This will help you stay on budget to keep up with your bills, and it will avoid future fights. You also may want to start thinking about setting aside some extra money to get a vacation after all the hard work of the move!
8. Communicate
Like in all aspects of relationships, a little bit of communication makes things run smoother. You are moving in together, so talking to each other about serious topics shouldn't be a complete mystery. Make sure that you set aside plenty of time to talk about the boring, exciting and stressful aspects of moving. Before you know it this whole moving ordeal will be over, and you will being starting a new part of your lives together.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment