According to data gathered by numerous Bay Area moving companies, romantic relationships are easily one of the most common reasons people decide to move. Moving in with your boyfriend will undoubtedly take your connection to the next level, but you’ll still have to go through all the necessary steps for the thing to be successful. Thankfully, this guide has all the information you need to prepare for the move appropriately.
How Long Should I Wait to Move in With My Boyfriend?
Although it might feel like the obvious next step in a relationship, planning on living with your boyfriend is something that requires a lot of careful consideration. While most Americans think that it’s ok to move in with your significant other after only three to six months, experts suggest you should wait at least 12 months before deciding to live together. This will make sure you have enough time to get to know one another, as moving in with your boyfriend too soon could potentially damage the relationship before it even has a chance to blossom.
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If you haven’t shared the same space with your boyfriend for an extended period, it might be best to have a trial run before deciding to move in for real. Try spending a couple of weeks together without going back to your place, as this will allow both of you to get used to sharing personal space.
You will also get a chance to know each other’s daily habits and lifestyle differences, enabling you to address all the lifestyle differences before the actual move. It’s much better to communicate anything that bothers you right now than wait for the problem to escalate and cause a ton of unnecessary drama once you move in. Considering this won’t be a simple weekend getaway, write down a packing list with all the essentials you’ll need during the two weeks.
Figuring Out the Living Arrangements Should Be the First Thing on Your Moving in With Boyfriend Checklist
First things first, you’ll have to discuss where you’re going to live. Are you going to move in at his place? Is he going to move in with you? Are you going to look for an entirely new place together? These are all important questions that need to be answered before you start going into other details about the move. Finding a new home together is probably the best choice if you’re not from the same Bay Area town, as no one will have to alter their daily routine significantly.
Do I Have to Compromise When Moving in With My Boyfriend?
Finding a good apartment is already difficult as is, so try to communicate your wants, needs, and deal-breakers to your partner when choosing where to live. However, considering no two people are exactly the same, you should be prepared to compromise. If you want the relationship to last, be sure that the place you choose to move in suits both you and your partner before sending in the joint rental application. To make the process a little bit easier, check out some excellent apartment hunting tips in the video below.
Make Sure You’ve Discussed Finances Before Moving in With Your Boyfriend
Studies show that money continues to be the main reason why many long-term relationships end prematurely. Although talking about it is rarely easy, it’s important to have this discussion before you decide to move in with your boyfriend. Some of the questions that need to be answered include:
- Will you open a joint bank account? – Creating a joint account is a sign of good faith in the relationship, as you’ll both have oversight of all the transactions. This also makes it a lot easier for you to get an apartment in one of the best places to live in the Bay Area.
- How will you split all the living expenses and bills? – Considering it’s almost impossible for both of you to spend 50/50 on everything, it’s completely ok to split the expenses proportionally to your income.
- Who will be in charge of handling the finances? – Although it was always up to the man in the house to take care of everything, modern men are much more flexible in letting their partners control the finances. If you’re better at organizing important documents than your boyfriend, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be the one to handle the money and bills. Of course, choosing to keep your finances separate for the time being is also a valid option.
Being Financially Independent and Responsible Will Keep Your Relationship Healthy in the Long Run
Although having financial stability is one of the best benefits of relocating with your significant other, money shouldn’t be the main reason to move in with your boyfriend. While it’s ok if they help cover some of your relocation expenses and bills, you still want to be financially responsible and independent. Relationships where just one person works have a different power dynamic, which gets many couples in trouble later down the line. If the boyfriend is the sole earner in the house and they accidentally lose their job, all the stability you had will be gone.
Decide What You’re Going to Keep and Start Downsizing
Once you’ve decided on a place to move in, it’s time to go over your entire inventory. While you might want to bring everything to your new home, there’s no point in packing furniture if there’s not enough space for it. After all, remember that you will be combining two households, meaning there’s a good chance you’ll have to cut down your inventory significantly. While the thought of decluttering might be scary, remember that both of you will have to give away something, so invite your boyfriend to assist you with the purge. Although you’ll always have the last word on all your items, deciding what to keep and what to throw away should be a team effort.
The Following Questions Will Help You Choose Which Items to Leave Behind
Although reducing your inventory will enable you to move more efficiently and free up a lot of space in your new home, it’s not always easy to choose which belongings to give away. If you need some decluttering tips for moving in with your boyfriend, asking the following questions will help you decide whether a particular item is worth keeping:
- Do you have plenty of it? – Considering both of you probably have dishes, there’s no reason to pack plates and glasses that are rarely used. The same goes for boxing up electronics and appliances.
- Is it still usable? – Don’t try to move anything that’s broken, worn down, or past its expiration date. This includes everything from out-of-date gadgets and electronics to fractured fragile items.
- Can it fit in the new home? – Although you might be able to move a piano, this will leave almost no room for other large items. Just like with finding a home, try to compromise on what to keep, as the place will have limited space for both of your stuff.
How to Deal With All the Things You’re Not Going to Move?
Considering you’ll probably have to get rid of a bunch of your belongings, simply tossing everything out won’t do you any good. Fortunately, there are more than a few ways you can deal with anything you’re not going to move:
- Sell – If you have a ton of stuff that’s relatively new, try to sell some of it online or organize a garage sale. This is also an excellent way to save money to move, allowing you to quickly gather the resources needed to hire a professional Bay Area moving company.
- Donate – Any items you couldn’t sell that are still in good shape can be donated to one of the local charity organizations. If you have a ton of goods left, try to donate them to The Salvation Army, Goodwill, or Habitat for Humanity.
- Store – Storing all the belongings that can’t fit in the new place might just be the best option. If you’ve moved in with your boyfriend and are not happy even after a while, keeping everything will allow you to move in a hurry without having to spend a ton of money on replacing the inventory. Although most local moving companies in the Bay Area don’t offer these services, feel free to contact our San Francisco movers if you want to rent a storage locker before relocating.
Communicate With Your Boyfriend About Splitting the Chores
Seeing how you will be sharing the same space, it’s essential to communicate with your boyfriend and split up the house chores as closely as possible. While one person will almost always work more than the other, understanding what both of you like and dislike will help you decide which tasks you will take on. For example, if you don’t mind washing pots and pans, but the boyfriend hates it, this task will be much easier for you than for him. However, this doesn’t mean you should be stuck with all the harder chores, so try to switch up the plan from time to time. If your partner starts skipping their obligations, gently remind them about it until the assignment is complete.
Decide Whether You’ll Be Keeping Pets Before the Move
Considering the Bay Area is the most pet-friendly place in the entire world, deciding to keep a pet together is another important thing that needs to be discussed before you start living with your boyfriend. If you are going to move with a pet or want to adopt one after the relocation, be sure that your bf is ready to take care of an animal. Keeping pets is a huge responsibility that will affect a lot of your daily activities, but they are a lot easier to manage with a partner around. Once both of you become successful pet parents, it might even be a good time to start considering having a baby of your own.
Now That You Know What to Do, You’ll Need One of the Best Movers in San Francisco to Assist You With the Move
Now that you know what to expect when you move in with your boyfriend, it’s finally the right moment to start preparing for the actual relocation. Planning a move won’t be easy, though, as there are plenty of things to cover, particularly if you’re relocating for the first time. Besides learning how to change an address, you also have to know how to pack all your belongings, which could take months to box up properly.
The good news is that hiring Golden Bay Relocation will allow you to move in with your boyfriend within a day. All you have to do is book a residential move or an apartment relocation, and our professional Bay Area movers and packers will help you transport all your belongings safely. We even offer commercial moves that allow entrepreneurs to do the same with their businesses. If you’re interested in learning more about these services, contact our local movers in the Bay Area and request a free quote today.