Ah, the excitement of taking that big step in your relationship: merging your lives, your stuff, and your rent check! Moving in together seems like romantic idea, and it certainly can be...but it can also be the cause of a lot of stress. Plus, a recent study found that over a third of people just slide into cohabitation without having a real discussion about it first. Unfortunately, these people were also less likely to report wedded bliss after getting married.
But here's why you kind of need to make a deliberate decision about this: Moving in together is a huge deal. If you're not properly thinking it through (or if you let an ugly-but-beloved futon cause a fight), things aren't going to end well.
To nip some of these problems in the bud, international online design brand MADE.com has a hilarious yet surprisingly helpful online survival guide for couples that are thinking about taking the plunge into domestic bliss. With wit and sound advice, the guide takes you through all the different stages, from figuring out if you're really ready to keeping the spark alive once you're sharing a bathroom.
MORE: Great News About Living Together Before Marriage
But wait. Why is a design company publishing a relationship guide?
"We know that many of our customers are shopping for furniture because they’re at important stages in their life," says Ruth Wassermann, MADE's design manager. "New house, new child, new partner–so we wanted to provide advice within our site that might be helpful...but also a bit of fun."
The company collaborated with two relationship experts and a design historian to fill the guide with plenty of really useful insights and advice. One of the big topics? Money. ("Not wanting to burst your blissful bubble," they say, "but finances have to come first." Too true, too true. In fact, money is the number one things couples wish they'd discussed before moving in together.)
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There are also handy tools in the guide, like a calculator to figure out how expenses should be shared and a "Palette Combiner" that helps you come up with a design scheme that will make both of you feel happy in your new digs.
Aside from being a pretty genius marketing move, the cohabitation survival guide proves the point that this move is not something to be taken lightly. Before taking the plunge, find out if you're really ready to move in together, and do your homework when it comes to finances. Because really, there's more to shacking up than buying that adorable breakfast nook and sharing a Netflix account.
MORE: 8 Things No One Tells You About Moving in Together
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