Building your lives together is exciting and moving in is fun, but it can quickly get tense without good planning. What can you do to ease the transition? Here are some ideas for making the move sensibly without losing the magic or costing you a lot of cash.

Tough Talk

For many couples, one of the hardest areas of negotiation is money, but it’s a must-have conversation. Have that difficult discussion before you ever box up your things. You should create a budget and decide who is paying for what, how you’ll split expenses, and what your priorities are. After all, there are always things you need to purchase right off the bat. Once you lay a roadmap, stretch your dollars with retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond. They offer all the little things you need, whether you’re investing in a better coffee maker or replacing worn bath towels. Save money while you shop by taking advantage of clearance items, cashback programs, or online promo codes.

Stake Your Claims

Everyone has non-negotiables, and while you might think you know exactly how you’ll set up the new place, chances are your partner also has notions — and they might not mesh seamlessly with yours. Think about the things you can’t live without, as well as the things your partner has but you don’t think you can live with, and talk about what those are. Chances are there will be areas where you’ll need to compromise. If you hit a wall, look for solutions by finding areas of common ground. For instance, talk about colors you like, how you envision a space, and your design style preferences. You may need to start by just painting the walls in a color you both love and go from there. It’s an easy way to help you both feel good about the space, you’ll be doing a project together, and it’s an inexpensive upgrade to your new home. Pinch your pennies using online deals and coupons for paint and supplies.

Mix and Match

Blending your lives means blending your belongings. When it comes to furniture, you might have very different style you’re trying to incorporate. One suggestion is to relocate items from their previous rooms; for example, small tables can move next to the bed for a nightstand. For items you’re struggling to make work, consider giving them a facelift. Sometimes, reupholstery or paint can breath new life into a piece and save some angst. Online retailers like Hobby Lobby offer great deals on supplies thanks to frequent sales and in-store offers.

Clean Slate

You and your significant other probably have plenty of duplicates, and perhaps even some hand-me-downs. Better Homes & Gardens recommends some purging before cluttering up your new life together. Rather than packing up both can openers and piles of mish-mashed cutlery, have a yard sale and part with all those belongings. You can use that money toward your new home and some of the things you don’t already have but everybody needs, such as tools and cleaning supplies. Stretch your dollars with online promotions for stores like Ace Hardware.

Accessorize Together and Apart

Accessories can be one of the toughest areas of compromise. You might love florals, bold colors, and velvet, while your partner loves subtle colors, simple designs, leather, and steel.  The Spruce suggests finding one thing you can agree on for shared spaces and then talking through who will choose the rest for that room. One selects the remaining accessories in the bedroom, the other finishes the dining area, and so on. Check with retailers like Amazon for discounts and savings so you can both find what you want. They’ll ship straight to your home and offer great deals on a variety of items for every room. Chances are you’ll love the blending of your styles thanks to making concessions throughout your new place.

Blending for Balance

Putting together your lives can be challenging, especially if you skip important conversations. Talk through your budget and must-haves so you can go forward comfortably. Your new home will reflect both of your ideas and personalities, as well as your joint efforts.

This article was written by Natalie Jones

natalie@homeownerbliss.info – www.homeownerbliss.info

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