Moving in Together - Ten Terrific Tips

Whether you are just friends and are going to be roommates, newlyweds feeling your way forward, or are a couple moving-in together, there are things you can do in the initial stages of cohabitation that will lay the foundation for a successful and happy venture. Below are ten tips for making the transition more enjoyable for everyone concerned.

1- One of the first things most people do when they move in together is begin setting up rules. Quite often this makes sense because most everyone has lived with someone else before, whether as a child with parents or as roommates with someone else. In living with others, they learned that there are certain things they did and didn't like. By setting down rules, they hope to avoid the unpleasant experiences of the past so that they can be happy in the future. Unfortunately, life doesn't always work out so easily. Writing down rules that you expect your roommate, partner or spouse to follow is more likely to set the stage for conflict if and when those rules are broken. Likewise, being expected to follow a list written down by someone else can feel threatening and intimidating. Instead, you might want to consider the person you are planning to live with as a unique individual and as someone you can trust to behave in ways that won't upset you. If you don't feel you can trust them, why are you moving in with them?