Merging Your Lives & Your Stuff: A Guide to Combining Households After Marriage
Congratulations! Marriage is a major milestone and often one of the happiest times in your life, but it can also be a logistical juggling act, especially when combining two already established households. Unlike a clean slate moving into a new pad, you’ll be navigating different lifestyles and the challenge of merging all your belongings into one cohesive collection.
Mini Mall Storage is here to help you navigate this exciting project for a stress-free transition to wedded bliss. This post will offer tips on tackling the big sort, creating a shared style for your new home, and—the secret weapon of many happy couples—tips on how to keep your love nest clutter-free.
Start with Lifestyle
One of the biggest hurdles of moving in together is bringing together all the different things that make up your unique lifestyle. Do you get up to run on your treadmill every morning at 5:00 AM, but your partner needs to sleep late? Do you prefer a designated weekend clean-up while your partner does it every day? Is your partner a “bless this mess” type while you are a bit more orderly? Open communication is vital. Discuss everything from pet compatibility to daily routines—the seemingly small things can have a big impact on how you arrange your shared space and where you choose to live.
Consider Collections
Chances are good that the two of you already have a lot of stuff, so you’ll have to find a way to combine. Do you both have extensive sports equipment collections? Maybe your partner loves displaying art, while you prefer a minimalist aesthetic. Chances are high that you’ll have duplicates of a lot of everyday household items and won’t need to keep both. Take an objective look at what you each have in stock and plan to keep whatever is in the best shape, is the newest, or will be the most useful in your life as a couple or will best suit your new space.
Let Space Take the Lead
The size and layout of your soon-to-be shared space will have a huge impact on what belongings you decide to keep, especially when it comes to furniture. Whether you’re moving into one of your existing places or starting fresh, visualize how you want the space to look and feel and try to find common ground as you discuss how best to bring together your sense of style.
Discovering Your Personal Style
Most of us have an idea of what we like, but defining your personal style can be tricky. Flip through magazines, browse Pinterest boards, and discuss what resonates with you both. Creating separate boards showcasing your preferences can be a fun and revealing exercise. Come together and compare notes, looking for places where your preferences overlap.
Going from “Me” to “We”
Merging styles doesn’t mean sacrificing your individuality. It’s about finding creative ways to blend your preferences and arrive at a style that screams “us.” This is why it’s important to spend some time thinking about your personal style first—if you have a better idea of what you really like, you’ll know what you can live with if your styles don’t exactly… match. For example, if your partner leans towards rustic farmhouse and you love clean lines, consider incorporating natural textures and warm accents into a more contemporary space.
Declutter and organize
If you’ve both been living on your own for a while, you’ll definitley have plenty of overlap on your belongings. Get honest: Who has nicer bedsheets? Whose pots and pans are in better shape? Whose blender makes smoother smoothies? This is a great opportunity to declutter and downsize. A tried-and-true sorting strategy we like to use is to sort items into four categories:
Keep: Prioritize items that are in good condition, are the most useful, or hold sentimental value.
Sell: Online marketplaces make selling unwanted items easier than ever.
Donate: Give gently used items a new life by donating to charity.
Trash: Be ruthless with broken, unused, or expired items.
Check out our post, Your Ultimate Garage & Home Clean-out Guide, for more tips on decluttering and organizing so you bring only what you’ll actually use into your new shared space.
Self-Storage for a Stress-Free Merge
Self-storage can be your secret weapon while transitioning to a shared space and your new life together. It offers a flexible solution for several scenarios:
Temporary Housing: Maybe you’re moving into your spouse’s apartment while you wait to buy a new home together and want to hang on to some items for future use. A storage unit can hold onto overflow items during a transitionary period.
Seasonal Storage: Do you have seasonal decorations or bulky sports equipment you don’t want to part with? Store them in a secure unit until they’re needed so you can keep your shared space clutter-free and still look forward to your favorite activities each season.
Keeping the Love Nest Clutter-Free: Sentimental items or cherished belongings that don’t fit the current style can be safely stored for future use.
Mini Mall Storage is here to help you start this exciting chapter of your lives as stress-free as possible. With secure, convenient, and flexible options, you’re sure to find the storage solution that meets your needs. Visit our website today to find a storage unit near you!