At Priority, we can help with residential moves of all shapes and sizes. Whether you’re moving your whole family to a new house, downsizing or moving into a retirement community, or moving to a small apartment in the big city, Priority can help with that. If you’re planning to combine households with a roommate or housemate, you’ll have some additional considerations as you pack, move, and organize your new home. Our teams have helped with all kinds of California moves, and we’ve gathered their recommendations for combining households here.
Understand each other’s personal needs
Whether you’re moving in with a friend, family member, partner, or stranger, you’ll want to think about how to make sure that both of you can meet your needs in your new shared space. That means thinking through logistics of living together (do you need to share a parking spot?) as well as the emotional element (do you need an agreement about quiet times or completing housework?). Having this conversation up front can save you stress in the long run.
Make a plan for your new home’s layout
One common mistake we see in combining households, especially when moving in to a smaller space in a more urban area, is bringing duplicate items of furniture. For your California moves, you’ll want to make sure that you and your new housemate understand what each of you owns and what will be coming in to your new space. Even if both of you own a complete dining room set, you’ll (probably) only have one dining room—and it’s better to figure out what furniture will be in that room before your movers have to figure out where to put all the chairs.
Share responsibility for the home and its utilities
The best way to make sure you and your new housemate take equal responsibility for your new home is to make sure both of you are legally and financially responsible for it, too. That means having both of your names on the lease, and figuring out the right way to share costs of utilities, internet and cable, parking or condo fees, and any other costs of living in that space. This keeps both of you invested in doing the right thing by your landlord and each other, because you both want a positive outcome at the end of the lease.
Priority can help with any size of residential moving need, and we’ve been trusted with California moves for decades. We can help you move across town or across the country, and we can even help connect you with international movers and carriers. If you’re getting ready to move in with someone or just make your next residential move, call Priority today to find out more about our low-cost services.