Part of being in a relationship with another person is the milestones you two will share together. One of the biggest milestones a couple will experience together is buying and moving into their first home. Buying a home is a difficult decision for one person to make on their own, but when trying to reconcile the needs, wants and expectations of two people, things can get complicated rather quickly. To help guide you through the buying process, here are four tips that will make sure to keep you and your partner happy.
Set Your Priorities
The first, and most important, step to buying a house together is to sit down and really evaluate what each person wants and needs in their home. Buying a house is not a fleeting decision and once you settle on a new place to call home, you can expect to call it home for a while. Any decision you make together should keep that in mind. The best advice here is to be honest with your partner. Only after expressing your big expectations can the other person begin to weigh their own expectations with yours. You might find that some things you both already agree on. For the things you might not, you need to keep an open mind and be ready to make compromises.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
A big part of keeping the peace in a relationship is by not letting small disagreements completely stall the buying process. Once you know your big priorities, you can start whittling down the smaller details of the homes you are considering. As long as you respect the larger priorities of your partner (and vice versa) then you should be able to look at the details as a space for mutual compromise . Understand that your partner may not like a particular aspect of a home you both are considering, such as the distance from the house to the street, or the number of windows on the front of the house. It’s OK to disagree about the details, as long as each person is open to hearing different ideas and making concessions.
Know Your Financing Options
A point of contention for many couples is the financial aspect of buying a home. The financing behind the buying and selling of houses is an understandably complex and weighty subject. For starters, the couple will have to understand their financial options and how much they can afford, and to do so, they often have to disclose personal financial information such as their credit score. This can be a touchy moment for many couples, but a test that every serious relationship must face. The best way to approach the financial side of buying is to be objective about it. You are both in this together, and if you plan on splitting the financial burden, you need to seek out the best option available.
Create a Moving Plan
Once you agree on the home that fits both of your needs, you begin the other process of moving. Before you start packing, take a moment and celebrate the fact you settled on a home, together. Once you past this portion of the process, the rest should be smooth sailing. The important thing to remember when moving is to split the responsibility equally and create a plan. In many cases, moving operates on a small timeline , which calls for efficiency from you and your partner. Create a checklist and split the tasks to make moving into your new home a breeze.
There will be moments along the way where you and your partner do not see eye to eye. You may have to pass up on a home you really liked for one reason or another, in order to find a home that gives your partner a reasonable commute or a backyard. It’s OK to disagree from time to time and there’s nothing wrong with compromise. Remember to take time to express love for your significant other and celebrate every victory along the way.
