Moving in with your significant other is a huge step in a relationship, but it sometimes doesn't go as smoothly as you'd hope.
That's why @bitsibean turned to TikTok to ask what she should know before moving in with her boyfriend:
And TikTok REALLY came through! Here's the advice they had to dish about successful cohabitation:
1. "Have a conversation about cleaning and chores — who's going to do what and when. You have to have this conversation. Don't think that you don't."
2. "Give each other space. Have your own hobbies as well as things you do together. A lot of girls will overreact when their significant other is doing something without them and they feel hurt. So when he's playing video games, I need something to keep myself distracted. Normally we would set a time for him to play video games when he got off work to relax and unwind and I would do something else."
3. "You really don't know who they are until you start living with them. It's not even necessarily a bad thing, it's just you'll find little things that either bug you a lot or you love!"
4. "You will run out of things to talk about and that's okay. You're going to be bored sometimes and that doesn't mean you don't love each other."
5. "Make sure you're doing it because it's a choice and not something you feel like you have to do for some reason because if it's not a choice, it will not last... Be prepared to learn a lot but if you choose to do it and the person is meant to be with you, things will work out beautifully. It might just be difficult at times."
6. "You need to have a discussion about what would happen if you were to break up and what the plan would be. Unfortunately, couples break up all the time. This doesn't mean you're thinking your relationship is going to end, it just means you have a plan. That way you know what to expect if you do break up."
7. "Men snore. Just keep that in mind."
8. "I didn't realize how much alone time I needed. Something that I wish that I was able to do was have an apartment that offered enough room that I could have alone time.
9. "You will get tired of each other and annoyed with each other and that's perfectly normal. Especially in the middle of a pandemic."
10. "Don't do everything together. I thought we would need to but you're two separate people!"
11. "Work out your holiday plans because there are two of you now. Two Christmases. Two sets of plans. Work out between two families a schedule of what you're going to be doing because that will save you a lot of time and a lot of stress."
The comment section of @bitsibean's video also had some great advice:
12. "Save money! Always be prepared for the unexpected."
13. "If you do everything for them like laundry and dishes, they will get used to it and expect you to always clean up after them."
14. "Existing near each other isn't the same as quality time together."
15. "Remember you were raised in different houses. You both have patterns neither of you are aware of."
16. "Don't get a joint bank account because if anything goes sideways, you need a way to take care of you."
17. "Get a calendar for the fridge. Write work, school, vacay schedules as soon as you know them."
18. "They don't put the toilet seat down so be careful or you'll fall in the toilet."
19. "Be aware of how he treats his current living space because he'll bring that same energy with him."
20. "Don't depend on happiness from your partner, not every day will be perfect so be understanding and communicate. And have fun!"
21. "Learn how to discuss your problems without creating tension and aggression because you will probably disagree on things and it's best to speak on it."
- @kerr456
22. "It's honestly so much fun!! We have fun in the little moments like dancing while cooking."
23. "Split your bills the way that works for you. People always want to say 50/50 but that's not always what works."
24. "You still need your own separate spaces like desks or sides of the room with hobby-specific stuff."
25. "Fighting and disagreements aren't always bad things, it's healthy to be different people living together."
26. "Hide your socks! They don't care who's an owner unless they can put their feet in and if your socks are paired it gets even worse!"
27. "When you get bored, exercise together. Walks are really good for talking and just meaningful time. Very refreshing and good bonding!"
28. "Learn each other's love language and apology language and be ok that it's not gonna be a quick adjustment."
29. "You don't have to always entertain each other. It's not a movie montage, it's life. It's ok to simply coexist most of the time."
30. "The hardest part part is going to bed and waking up early when they have a different sleep schedule. They're so close and you just wanna hang out but they stay up till 1 a.m. Messed up my schedule for a few months."
31. "Never go to bed mad at each other!"
32. "The dollar store is your best friend to save money!"
33. "Have patience, communication, and forgiveness. It might be a learning curve at first but realize the differences and use them to each of your benefits."
34. "Talk about money! We moved into my house and he lost his job and got used to me paying for everything."
35. "Make sure you know how to cook so y'all don't starve or go broke. I had to learn when we already moved in!"
36. "Enjoy it! This is a new chapter in your life. It's going to be great! Expect the best but prepare for the worst."
What advice do you have for moving in with a significant other? Share in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.