Moving in With Your Significant Other
Photo Courtesy by Soroush-Karimi at Unsplash
This new beginning with your partner is a very exciting time. It’s the next step in your relationship and you get to spend more time together!
There will be bumps along the way, but also times of feeling more connected and understanding that both must be equal. There will be times when you may not agree with how things are done, but you’re willing to put aside your pride to work together.
Perhaps you’re someone who’s not sure how to spend time with your partner who’s an avid gamer or spends hours a day on their hobby. Maybe you both are big collectors you can’t decide how to combine styles and sort through possessions for the move. Read below for advice based on personal experience and things I learned while doing some research before I moved in with my partner.
Decide Your Designated Areas
Whether you’re living in a studio, a one-bedroom, or have a place with multiple living areas, you need to discuss how each space will be used.
For studios:
There will most likely be a “corner” that can be used for reading, writing, watching TV, or playing games.
You should discuss with your partner how much room they need for their hobbies and what furniture/ devices need to be put there.
You both may need to share the same space, so be patient and try to find what layout will work best for your usage.
For one-bedrooms:
You probably have a living room or dining room in addition to your bedroom. Depending on the size of those areas, you can have dedicated spaces in each (if possible) as your getaway spot to unwind and enjoy your hobbies.
Depending on the size of your living room, you might be able to section it off with furniture or partitions.
Multi-bedrooms:
This can be ideal, given that you would have more space. If you decide to still share a room for activities, be considerate when choosing the setup and style.
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Marie Kondo That Sh*t
If you’ve dealt with having new roommates then perhaps you already know that people can own more items than expected, even yourself.
No matter how many times I went through my personal belongings throughout the years, I was still surprised to see how many things I owned once I had to pack them all up and find places for them in my new apartment.
Going through your things may not be necessary or asked by your partner at all, but I think it’s healthy to do. Most of us end up collecting objects that we no longer use and should probably be thrown away, sold, or donated.
Marie Kondo teaches her clients to ask themselves when going through their belongings “does it spark joy?”
Ah, yes I’m not saying it’s an easy task. This is why I go through my things each season. There’s always clothing or something I give an excuse for about why I should keep. whether it’s next season or a few seasons later and I finally realize it’s unnecessary to keep holding onto.
How to Decorate Your Place
Decorating can be the fun part of moving. If you and your partner have two different styles, you can still make it nice. If you have your own office or a guest bedroom, that gives you the option to put one style in that space.
For instance, I have a ton of souvenirs from my travels. I was able to place some small items around the apartment but my large paintings didn’t fit the vibe we wanted. I decided that when we move into a larger space and I have my own office, I’ll hang them up there.
Make Time to Enjoy Your Own Hobbies
It’s great to spend time together but it’s also essential to do your own things—time for self-care, reflection, and growing your own interests.
Before I moved cities, I had a solid set of hobbies that I enjoyed alone and with my closest friends. Surprisingly I hit a wall where I lacked the motivation to fit my old hobbies into my new life here. I decided to try new ones while I adjust to making new friends and get settled.
We both created new hobbies for ourselves which gave us a little break from each other and also let us work on our self-growth. Working on ourselves separately also helped us gain skills and knowledge to help teach each other new things. Some were even helpful to implement in our own hobbies.
Photo Courtesy by Nguyen-Thu-Hoa at Unsplash
It’s Your Own Story
No matter what tips I provided or other advice you find online, at the end of the day, your relationship is unique. It’s difficult to compare your relationships to others when you’ll operate your lifestyle based on your personality.
The points I talked about above are all general guidelines but you’ll make it your own in communicating with each other. Most importantly, make it fun, and don’t stress the small stuff!
