Living Together: 4 Good Ideas for Both Partners

Are you planning to move in together soon? Combining two lives under one roof can be quite a challenge. Have you already thought about how you will divide your belongings, manage your finances, decorate your home and deal with duplicate household items? Here are four ideas to make living together more practical and, above all, more enjoyable. We wish you lots of happiness together!

Idea 1: Which CD is yours and which one is mine?

You can assume that your relationship is very strong, especially if you are moving in together. Even so, it is perfectly normal to make agreements about practical matters and put them in writing. Who pays for what? Which belongings belong to whom?

A cohabitation agreement can help with this. You can have one drawn up by a civil-law notary, or you can create your own agreement and both sign it. However, keep in mind that an agreement you draw up yourselves may not be legally binding. You can always refer back to these agreements later.

Idea 2: Make agreements about finances

Money may not buy happiness, but it is still better to avoid disagreements about it. A useful way to gain insight into your finances is to create a budget together, for example in Excel. Include all your income and expenses and decide on a fair division together.

It can also be helpful to open a joint bank account. You can both transfer an agreed amount into this account every month to cover shared expenses. With a joint account, you will both receive a bank card, so you will not have to rely on just one card.

Idea 3: Create a mood board together

You have two sets of household belongings, but only enough space for one interior. Have you already decided what you will do with all the duplicate items?

Start by discussing your interior preferences. You could create a mood board together, for example. This is a fun way to gain insight into each other’s tastes and ideas for your home. You can also find plenty of interior inspiration for your mood board on Pinterest.

This often gives you a clear idea of how your furniture and accessories can be combined. Use this as a basis for deciding what to keep, sell or store. Do you have household items left over that you would like to keep for a while? Renting an external storage unit might be a good option for you.

Idea 4: Listen to each other

Living together happily takes time. You spend a lot of time together, but you still have your own responsibilities and dreams. Work out together how you can create the happiest possible home life.

The golden rule is simple: listen to each other and remember to take some time for yourself every now and then.