IS IT TIME TO MOVE IN TOGETHER?
This is a loaded question and we don’t think people really take enough time going over the “Living Together Checklist!” It is a necessary tool to use when making such a committed decision!
- What should we be looking for and are we looking for the same things down the road?
- How long have we known each other?
- Why have we decided to live together?
- Finances?
- Convenience?
- Can’t live without each other?
- Due to long distance relationship issues?
Do you know and love their quirks? (Many relationships break-up over little aggravations that over time, become big problems). One guy told me (much later in our relationship) that I never put lids back on things properly. He would pick something up and it would drop on the floor because the lid would fall off. (I hated those child -proof caps and once I got them off, I would leave them loose so I didn’t have to fight with them.) It drove him crazy but when he finally drew it to my attention, I changed my ways. The first thing to destroy a relationship is lack of communication. Don’t let your partner be the last to know when they are driving you mad about something that can easily be rectified.
People really do sweat the small stuff in a partnership. It is always a good idea to have two bathrooms in your communal pad for any “anal preferences” you may have for the toilet paper roll or toothpaste caps! Men have “maybe” 6 bathroom items on their counter and they use I roll of toilet paper a year. They obviously love being in their own bathroom, which is the reason they have a magazine rack by the
toilet. They can sit there for 30 minutes reading away. Women have 55,000 toiletry items and go though a 10 pack roll of 4 ply in a week!
Know what your future roommate will be bringing into your new home!
- Do they have kids?
- Pets?
- Mother?
- Austin Power’s shagadelic furniture?
Home decorating can be a difficult compromise! She may like pink ruffles, while he likes burlap beanbag chairs! He thinks there is nothing wrong with a photo of “The Godfather” over the living room fireplace and full length ceiling mirrors in the bedroom! Come on girls you really should be more flexible.LOL
What are the sexual expectations? Things can change drastically when you see each other 24/7! It’s no longer as exciting as the early chase of a new date. (You might have to get into role-playing to keep it exciting!) Don’t see each other every evening. Make plans with friends so that your partner has time to miss you. Do a trial living arrangement at each other’s place first. This will tell you many things about each other. Is someone more territorial in their own environment? Easy going or Controlling?
The checklist above should help you look at the “living together” scenario before you actually commit to it. That is what dating is all about. Communicating and paying attention to detail could save you many arguments and heartbreak. It is easy to be attracted to someone and even love them, but it is not always easy to cohabitate. Even if the sex is unbelievable, it is not always enough to sustain a partnership.
