A guide to moving in with your favorite girl minus the stress.
Question: What does a lesbian bring on a second date? Answer: Hopefully, a punchline that you haven’t heard a million times before.
We’ve all heard the jokes about lesbians and moving trucks, but while the second date stereotype is a little bit of an exaggeration, most of us will find a cute girl to move in with at some point in our lives.
But if it’s your first time moving in with a girlfriend, then there might be some understandable worries on your part, from “where should we live?” to “how do I tell her that I want to take my TV rather than hers?”. Well never fear, in this guide we’re going to show you how to make moving in together easy.
How To Decide On Your New Home.
Okay, so you probably already know how to find somewhere to live. (If not, type “Houses for Sale in Victoria” or “Flats for Rent in New South Wales” into your search engine of choice.) That’s why this section is going to focus on how to decide on the home that you want.
There are lots of things to think about with regard to your new home, which is why I’ve compiled a list of questions that you should ask yourselves before you start browsing real estate websites.
How much can we afford?
While most people will factor in rent/mortgage payments in their calculations, many will forget to research the prices of things like consumer goods, public transport, and petrol, which can vary wildly depending on your location. Also, it’s a good idea to check on whether property prices/rents have changed dramatically in recent months.
What location should we choose?
This could mean choosing between the suburbs and the city or even choosing to move across the country. You’ll need to factor in cost, employment opportunities,
proximity to friends/family, climate, local services (education, health, etc), culture, and even local crime rates.
How big a place should we get?
If this is a starter home, then you could very likely opt for a smaller place, but if you think that children will soon be on the agenda, then you’ll be looking at getting a two or three bedroom place.
The most important thing to remember is that you and your girlfriend should talk honestly and openly about what you want from the new place and what your future plans are. This will mean that both of you are on the same page and you can make the compromises necessary to ensure that both of you are happy with the place you end up with.
If you’re unmarried, you may even want to consider a cohabitation agreement to lay out your financial obligations, i.e. will you each pay half the rent/mortgage or will you divide it based on your income levels?
Once, you’ve found a place, you’ll need to apply for a mortgage or arrange a tenancy agreement, but I’m not going to pretend to be a financial/legal expert here, so I’ve linked to two government agencies to help you with this.
Now, it might take you a little while to arrange those, so I’m going to sign off now to let you get on with it. When you’ve got all of your affairs in order, I urge you to read Part 2, which will take you through the physical process of moving.
In the meantime, let me know in the comments if you and your girlfriend have moved in together and any other topics you recommend raising before you move in.