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Moving in with your significant other is a big leap in any relationship. This can either make you stronger as a couple or draw you two apart. When your family and friends weigh in on the situation, it can make you start to doubt whether or not you’re making the right choice. Asses why you’re making this decision to clear any lingering suspicions. Are you just trying to save money or are you both ready for more commitment?
Consider these reasons before taking the big step forward.
Convenience vs. Desire
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When it comes to your relationship, there is a significant difference between comfort and desirability. Having a partner comes with a lot of advantages, including shared meals, someone to split payments with, and a reliable person who can run some of the errands when you’re not around. However, moving in with your boyfriend or girlfriend solely based off of these advantages can lead to disaster. In an article from Elite Daily, licensed clinical psychotherapist Dr. LeslieBeth Wish highlighted the importance of communication in the relationship, having a solid history with your partner, and ensuring your financial and relationship issues are worked out before the big move.
“Testing” Your Relationship
Moving in with your partner before marriage with hopes of testing the waters is not necessarily the most practical approach. If living together before marriage was proven to reduce the risk of divorce this route would be heavily advertised and suggested by psychologists everywhere, but it’s not. Research has shown that the two are independent of each other and moving in as an experiment is not the proper path to take. Evaluate where you and your partner stand in the relationship and whether or not you two are realistically prepared for this level of commitment.
Is It Something You Both Planned For?
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Make sure before you take this step you evaluate how exactly you both ended up in this situation. Is moving in together something you’ve both been planning for as the year has passed, or did your partner spring this question onto you following a big argument? Moving in together for the right reasons cannot be emphasized enough when jumping into the same space. Don’t feel guilted into it, and don’t pressure yourself to follow through if you’re not ready. Splitting rent may be easy and convenient at first, but always consider how inconvenient parting ways will be if things don’t work out in the end.
