If you’re considering moving in with your girlfriend, there are a few things you should know. The key to a successful living situation is not just about the relationship. Here are 10 tips that will help you keep your sanity and not break up with your girlfriend.
1) There needs to be an understanding that there are two different lives within these walls. You both need space and privacy for your own interests and hobbies. To avoid conflicts, have a room each or create a floor plan with one shared space and personal spaces nearby where the other person can’t enter without knocking first.
2) Have a system in place for who takes care of what chores around the house–like dishes, grocery shopping, lawn-mowing, etc–to avoid arguments over who’s supposed to do it.
3) If possible, set aside time at least once every day to be alone so you don’t feel suffocated by your partner or like they’re always watching what you do.
What to Do In The Beginning
You’ll want to establish some ground rules before you move in with your girlfriend. Don’t just go into it blindly, or one of you will inevitably feel like they’re being taken advantage of and then break up.
It’s important to set a date for moving in together. This way, you know the other person has enough time to prepare for your arrival and get everything sorted out at their place. It can also give you an opportunity to think about what you need to do at your own place before the big day arrives.
Keep Good Communication
Communication is a key to a happy living situation. It’s important to communicate your thoughts and feelings to your significant other. When you have an issue, don’t just let it fester. Bring up the topic of concern as soon as possible so you can address it before it becomes bigger. Communication may not solve every problem that arises, but it does solve many of them.
4) Make sure you’re both on the same page when setting boundaries for privacy in the house–for example, who gets access to which areas of the fridge or who has control over what TV shows are watched at night.
5) Be willing to compromise when needed–whether it’s about chores or where furniture will go in the new house–to make room for each other’s needs and wants.
Negotiate Your Expectations
When you move in with your girlfriend, you need to have a good understanding of what’s expected of both parties. For example, it may be that one person is always cooking and the other is always cleaning or that one person will watch TV while the other person goes to bed early. Although this sounds like it’ll make the relationship easier, there needs to be some give and take. That way, if one person has a bad day at work, they can take out some of their frustrations on the other party without feeling like they’re being taken advantage of.
Be Honest And Respectful
4) Be honest and respectful. You both need to be open about what’s important to you, even if it’s difficult.
5) Discuss your finances from the get-go and create a budget before moving in together. This is an important step to avoid fights about money later on.
6) Remember that you’ve already given up a lot of privacy by living with someone else–don’t give up any more by reading their texts, emails, or social media without their permission.
7) Let your partner know when something bothers you so they can try to fix it–don’t let resentment build up.
8) If you have loud sex, keep the bedroom door closed so the other person doesn’t have to hear it or be disturbed by it.
9) Give each other time for yourselves–whether that means not texting them all day while they’re at work or getting together with friends without asking them first. Find the balance between being supportive and respecting personal space.
10) Finally, don’t forget to communicate! The key to avoiding lots of animosity is making sure that problems are dealt with before they escalate into bigger issues down the line
Create A Floor Plan
One way to avoid conflicts is by creating a floor plan. On the first day, it may seem simple and easy, but when you live with someone for a few weeks, you’ll start to find that there are areas of your life that you want to keep private from the other person. It’s important to have space in your living situation–whether that be one room or separate spaces on different floors–to let each person have their own personal sense of privacy. If they can’t enter without knocking first, then it’s an even better idea to give yourself some space.
Assign Personal Spaces
Creating a floor plan with personal spaces is important to maintaining your own interests and hobbies. If you share space, someone has to have the room at the end of the hall, have an outdoor space like a balcony or patio–whatever it takes to have some privacy.
Decide Who Takes Care Of What Chores
It’s important to decide who takes care of the chores before moving in together. Every household has a system of some kind, but you’ll need to make sure you have one set up for your living situation. Ideally, this is something you can come to an agreement about early on–before moving in–so it doesn’t become a point of contention later on.
4) Get everything out in the open about money. Who does what with finances? Is there a budget? How much should be spent each week? What are the consequences if someone goes over their allotted amount?
5) Set boundaries for sex and intimacy so you’re both comfortable with what is and isn’t allowed. This will help avoid resentment or feeling like your partner is always trying to get more from you sexually.
6) Have an understanding of what sexual acts are acceptable or not allowed before you move in with your girlfriend. It’s better to know before putting any pressure on your relationship by having that conversation when things get hot and heavy instead of after the fact.
Understand There Are Two Different Lives Within These Walls
If you’re considering moving in with your girlfriend, there are a few things you should know. The key to a successful living situation is not just about the relationship. Here are 10 tips that will help you keep your sanity and not break up with your girlfriend.
1) You need an understanding that there are two different lives within these walls. You both need space and privacy for your own interests and hobbies. To avoid conflicts, have a room each or create a floor plan with one shared space and personal spaces nearby where the other person can’t enter without knocking first.
2) Have a system in place for who takes care of what chores around the house–like dishes, grocery shopping, lawn-mowing, etc–to avoid arguments over who’s supposed to do it.
3) If possible, set aside time at least once every day to be alone so you don’t feel suffocated by your partner or like they’re always watching what you do.
Have A Room Each Or Create A Floor Plan With One Shared Space And Personal Spaces Nearby Where The Other Person Can’t Enter Without Knocking First
1) Have a room each or create a floor plan with one shared space and personal spaces nearby where the other person can’t enter without knocking first.
Don’t forget to set up boundaries for your living situation and make sure that both parties are comfortable with them. If you’re living together, it’s important that both people have their own room as well as a shared space to hang out in. Don’t forget to designate which rooms are off-limits to the other person–especially if one of you has an office or workout space! You don’t want someone barging in when you’re getting ready for work or doing pushups, right?
2) Have a system in place for who takes care of what chores around the house–like dishes, grocery shopping, lawn-mowing, etc–to avoid arguments over who’s supposed to do it.
No matter how compatible you are with your significant other, there will be times where things get frustrating and arguments happen. To avoid these arguments from happening all the time, it’s important that you figure out how responsibilities will be divided between the two of you. For example: Who cooks dinner? Who does the dishes? Who buys groceries? Whoever does more chores should be able to spend less money because they won’t always have to buy things like toilet paper and dish soap!
Maintain Some Kind Of Alone Time
It’s important to maintain some kind of alone time. Set aside some time each day or every other day to do something for yourself, whether it be a solo hike or bike ride, a quick run to the grocery store, or just watching TV in your bedroom.
5) Keep clothes and shoes you don’t want to share neatly organized in a drawer that locks.
6) Maintain your own bank account and credit card so you can independently make decisions about how much money you spend on food, utilities, clothes, etc., without being held accountable by your partner.
7) Be honest about your needs and expectations before moving in together.
8) Always be mindful of your partner’s feelings when it seems like they need space from you; don’t take their personal requests as criticism.
9) Prioritize their happiness over your own if you feel resentment creeping in between the two of you.
10) Put a plan in place for what to do if one of you wants out of the living situation–if one person wants to stay and the other wants to leave–to avoid any arguments about money or which person should keep what property.