Our Principal Michael Tiyce has been interviewed by girl.com.au for their article “Love and Logistics: 5 Musts When For Bunking Up With Your Partner“.
Michael shares his tips for making sure it goes as well as it can; but also to ensure that you’re not adversely impacted if things go pear-shaped. Here’s a summary:
1. Money, Money, Money
Before moving in together, it’s crucial to have candid discussions about your financial situations, including your income, debts, and spending habits. Assess whether your financial goals align and how you plan to handle joint expenses, such as rent, groceries, and utilities.
2. Who Does What?
Beyond just paying the bills, household chores and responsibilities need to be divided equitably, with clear roles and tasks clearly assigned. Without doing so, this is a particularly common point of tension where the mundane can be the spark of a conflict far bigger than it needs to be. Before moving in together, have an open conversation about who will handle specific tasks across areas like cleaning, cooking, shopping, and maintenance.
3. Are You Ready?
One of the biggest aspects that often falls to the blindspots of love is how prepared each individual is emotionally for the concept of living together. As anyone with roommates will know, living together brings you closer for better and for worse, exposing each other to vulnerabilities, good habits and bad ones that may not have been apparent before, or at least with this much frequency. Assess your emotional readiness for this level of intimacy and consider how well you communicate and resolve conflicts together.
4. In It For The Long-Term?
Before bringing this up with your partner, a healthy amount of self-reflection is necessary as well as some long-term thinking. Is this the person you can see yourself with way down the track as well as every morning and night? Once this has been examined, discuss your future goals, both individually and as a couple, and ensure they are compatible. Are you both on the same page regarding marriage, children, location, career aspirations, and lifestyle preferences?
5. A Pre-Nup?
Previously associated nearly exclusively with the wealthy or high-profile individuals protecting their fortune, the P word has seen a big societal shift, becoming less taboo to discuss and more commonplace among couples from all walks of life. Particularly when establishing that the relationship is long-term and on track to tick the typical boxes, the unromantic, awkward and tough conversation of a prenup can save a world of headaches down the road.
