Tips to combine 2 households. When moving in with someone, you are not only combining your belongings, but you are also combining your lives. Moving in with your significant other is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your relationship. We have put together some tips on how to combine 2 households when moving in with your significant other.
Choose a location
Talk with your partner about what will work best for both of you. Consider the location and the activities you will be doing together. Who has a fenced-in yard for the dogs?
Is one location better for commutes to work? Or do you need to find a whole new location? Consider the costs and hassle of selling two homes and packing up both places.
Once you have decided on the location to move in together, then comes the tricky part of combining both households. What do you keep, what do you get rid of, and how to move in together with as little stress as possible?
Downsizing your belongings.
Downsizing makes your move so much easier and more comfortable. If it’s valuable or essential to your life, you should keep it. But old sports equipment, clothing you haven’t worn in the past year, appliances, and other clutter.
Consider having a garage sale or donating the items you don’t need anymore. See if any of the items you are going to throw away can be recycled.
Decide where everything goes before you move
Make a list of your belongings and decide where they are going to go. Are you going to split the closet? Where will they all fit? You will be sharing your new home.
You might even have to downsize even more for everything to fit in one place. Deciding where things will go will help you organize your boxes and what items should be packed together. Make sure to write what room the boxes will be going to. Garden of the Gods Self Storage also offers a thorough selection of packing materials and boxes for your move.
Get rid of the duplicates
One of the hardest things to do when you move in together is deciding which duplicate item to keep. What blender, set of dishes, or microwave should you keep?
It’s important to consider your home’s space and storage options. One microwave might have all the bells and whistles, but the other one fits better in the space.
What pieces of furniture to keep
More than likely, you both have large furniture items like couches or dining tables. Consider your floor plan and find the best way to combine pieces that will look good together and fit comfortably in your home.
Make sure to measure the dimensions and the size of the furniture you want to keep. Once you have it mapped out, you can donate the extra or sell it on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
Get a Storage Space
If you find that you don’t have enough room for the items you want to keep. Or if you have oversized items, but are planning to move shortly, it’s a great idea to rent a self-storage unit. Learn more about how to choose the right storage unit.
Remember that when two people are merging their households, they are not only combining their belonging but also their lives. Moving can be a stressful time in a couple’s relationship. Take time to work things out and communicate. Addressing things peacefully should help you manage the stress you can experience when you combine 2 households.