Moving in together is an exciting step in any relationship but it’s easy to get caught up in the rush.
According to relationship expert Sabrina Flores (who boasts a whopping 412k followers on TikTok), out of the couples that move in together, 33% of them breakup with three years.
Yikes.
Although there may be the obvious causes of breaking up such as infidelity etc at hand, the pro explains in a now viral video: “I honestly think that more often than not it’s just because the couple weren’t prepared to make that step together.”
However, before you think you’re doomed if you move in with your significant other, Flores has three very important conversations you need to make sure you have before kicking your relationship up a gear.
Buckle up – you’re about to feel personally attacked.
1. “If one person works considerably more, or is considerably busier than the other, would you still prefer to split the chores evenly? What division of responsibilities seems fairest to you?”
2. “What are some things you can do to maintain a similar sense of urgency and novelty in your sex life despite seeing each other daily?”
3. “How would you like to split bills with your partner? If one partner begins earning a considerable amount more than the other, will your preference for bill-splitting change?”
Although the questions might seem suitably mundane, all three actually play a major part of day to day life.
According to life coach Sian Winslade, a lot can shift once you start co-habiting, so it’s important to build a strong core to the relationship to weather those changes.
“The things that you might have been able to hide while you were not living together become very apparent when you do. The likelihood is that some of the excitement will disappear,” she says.
“You get to see all your partner’s habits, good, and bad. Whether that be snoring, leaving the toilet seat lid up, or generally being messy. You have to compromise on things such as the temperature that you like the room, the times you like to eat, the times you like to go to bed, the style of furniture you like.”
Because at the end of the day – literally in this case – happy co-habitation is all about compromise and communication.