There comes a point when we’re ready to head off on our own, and it doesn’t only happen when we’re off to college. It happens when we meet that someone that we want to spend the rest of lives with. Well, no matter how long you’ve been with the lucky person, remember there’re things you should consider before getting a place together with them. Here are 8 of them!
If you’ve never lived on your own before, it might be imperative that you give it a try first. There’s nothing like having your own place and your own rules and your own things where no-one can tell you what’s what. Except your landlord of course. If you’re about to ask your S.O. “should we get a place together” you might want to stop and ask yourself if you’re ready for that first.
Another thing you can do before completely moving over all your things is spending more time together in the same home. If they have their own place, try spending the night and waking up there often, leaving some personal belongings there, and being in their “space.” If you start to feel like you’re overwhelming them, then maybe it’s not time yet. If you have your own place, try inviting them to those things and see how it works out. Don’t forget to try traveling to work or school from there, too. Getting a place together with someone is a big deal that’s hard to bounce back from if it doesn’t work out. So better safe than sorry.
If you’re thinking about getting a place together then you’re obviously very comfortable with each other, right? Maybe. Being in a relationship and living together are two different things. You might want to make sure you’re compatible first, by seeing if you have the same social habits. Do you both enjoy having lots of friends over. How about cooking? Watching TV often, and the same shows at the same times? These aren’t deal breakers, but little nuances can create big problems if they’re on a daily basis. Make sure your schedules and lifestyle habits are compatible or can at least be compromised to create a peaceful and loving environment for you both.
Do you know what your partners bedroom looks like? Can you picture yours looking that way too? Another good thing to work out before getting a place together is who’s going to be responsible for what. Being in a relationship we tend to establish things like if it’s ok to touch each other in public, or if it’s ok to argue in public. When you’re going to get a place together you have to workout things like who’s going to do the dishes, which way the TP should roll, and whether you have to pick things up as soon as you put em down or not. All of these considerations are not to be discouraging, but to avoid uncomfortable or even tragic situations. Even if you’re not compatible in some ways, you can still get a place together and be happy if you talk about things before they happen. It’ll make dealing with differences much smoother.
You definitely have to have your financial agreements in place beforehand. Are you both going to be responsible for rent? Food costs? Utility bills? If so, how stable are your jobs and income? If your partner loses their job, can you hold down the fort? Financial agreements don’t always have to be on paper with fine print. Sometimes you just need to talk about what’s expected when you’re planning to live together.
When you’re looking for a place the leasers you speak with will have certain regulations for occupants. Like how many people can live there, if pets are allowed, if you both have to go through credit checks and apply together. Even if one of you is moving in with the other, if you don’t own the house, the leaser needs to know. So if you’re getting a new place from scratch, you’ll have to go through it together making sure both names are on the lease.
Where are you two lovebirds getting a place at? Near work? Near School? Maybe you have to live in-between each other’s jobs so it’s easy for both of you. Either way, if you collaborate together on making this move happen you’ll be able to figure out a nice location that makes life charming and simple!
Another thing to ask, and this may be tough, is if this is going to be your future. Of course no one ever really knows how long a relationship is going to work out until they go through their tumbles. But there are ways you can find out if living together is going to be a permanent move or something you’ll have to bounce back from. I suggest before popping the “do you wanna get a place together” question, you pop the “where do you see yourself 10 years from now” question.
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