Congratulations! You've said yes to the big question -- moving in with your partner. Dreams of replacing his bachelor-pad sofa or getting her to pare down her collection of vintage scarves are in your immediate future. With that, you can expect to agree on everything, right? Like your outlook on chores, organization and what color to paint the walls?
Not so fast.
Moving in together is a big step, one that takes two generally very different individuals and puts them together in the same, often small, space. How well do you really know your partner, anyway? Well, friend, you’re about to learn.
When I first moved in with my husband after college, I thought we'd be on the same page about everything -- why wouldn't we? We loved each other, so therefore we’d have the same thought process about living together. Until one day, as I was unpacking and came across a framed photo of one those dogs-playing-pool photos. You know, the ones that look something like this:
This was obviously a mistake, I thought. He didn't seriously think we were going to display this. Oh, how I was wrong. After a small argument, it was decided the picture would stay, and it is currently displayed on his bureau. I cringe and shake my head every time it catches my eye. This is REAL love, you guys.
We asked our readers and a few of our fellow HuffPost editors what they wish they knew about their partners before moving in together. Have anything to add? Let us know in the comments!
1. Bringing His Action Figures
“The action figures. We moved into a new place together, so we came into a blank slate. Over the course of a few months, he created a display of WWE action figures on top of the kitchen cabinets that eventually took over the entire top-cabinet space. The worst thing is that I didn't notice until the full takeover happened, after The Ultimate Warrior fell on my head when I opened up a cabinet.” -- Brie Dyas, Senior Work Life Editor, HuffPost Lifestyle
2. The Over-Organized Neat Freak
"He's OCD! I married a man who has a specific spot for EVERYTHING, and if something is moved even a centimeter, believe me he knows! Never thought I'd end up with Felix Unger, but I guess it's better than being married to Oscar!" -- Angelica Mercedes Soriano McQuade, Orangeburg, New York
3. Loading The Dishwasher
"I had to adjust to loading the dishwasher after he's already put dishes in! At least he loads the dishwasher so no complaints here, but I find myself constantly rearranging it because I'm playing Tetris with the dishes and he's just putting everything in wherever he can. Still love him though!" -- Susan Meisenbach, Los Angeles, California
4. So. Many. Throw Pillows.
"First let me say my wife is amazing! I totally appreciate all she does! My wife is certainly the one that is the organizer in our relationship. She also loves to decorate while I don’t really see the point. We should only be buying things that serve a purpose. Like a couch… that serves a purpose. You can sit on it and lay down on it. What I don’t understand is why we need throw pillows to put on the couch… what is the point of them? They just get in the way and when I sit on the couch they generally get THROWN on the floor! Maybe that is the point of a 'throw' pillow. Seems to me we could put that money to good use and buy a new TV, which also serves a purpose!" -- Damon Scheleur, Photo Editor, The Huffington Post
5. Piles Of Laundry
"Why does laundry triple when there are two of you? Shouldn't it just double? That totally surprised me. I have no explanation for it, but felt like I was doing laundry all the time." -- Jennifer Keen Small, Seattle, Washington
6. Kitschy Dog Decor
"My husband believes that because we have a Boston terrier, we should now collect statues, calendars, night lights, notepads and frames that have Boston terriers on them. I feel like I live in the movie 'Best In Show.'" -- Katie Catalino, Syracuse, New York
7. What Hamper?
“I'm a slightly obsessive Virgo, so cleanliness is next to godliness in my eyes. My boyfriend is a fun-loving Gemini who CANNOT, for the life of him, put his clothing in the hamper at the end of the day. His socks and boxers serve as ugly DIY lampshade covers, and it drives me INSANE. His shoes have become little landmines in our foyer; I'm constantly dodging them or tripping over them when I get home, because he refuses to put them back in his closet." -- Gabriela Rivera-Morales, Blog Editor, The Huffington Post
"All the men in my life have suffered from LBP (laundry basket phobia). It has always been a mystery to me why men -- who have to crumple paper so that they can shoot it at a waste paper basket -- can't get a shirt into a basket. My other question is, why, when they finally remember where the dirty clothes belong, do they forget how to empty their pockets? They constantly have their hands in them, why can't they empty them?" -- Penny Leibowitz Mires, Bloomingburg, New York
8. A Messy Kitchen
"I wish I had known how messy my partner can make the kitchen at home after cooking! It seems he uses every pot possible!" -- Maria J. Koeller, Long Beach, New York
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