You’ve just tied the knot, and it’s time to move in together. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. But, at the same time, it’s a little nerve-wracking. After all, you’re about to merge two homes into one. Some stuff will have to go. What stays?

Take An Inventory

Write down everything that both you and your spouse own. This is the first step in stopping an argument before it ever gets a chance to bubble up to the surface. So, if you have three couches, two beds, four night stands, and two T.V.s, write all of that out. Get it down on paper (or at least virtual paper).

When that’s done, it’s time to sort everything. Undoubtedly, you’ll have doubles of a few things. Sometimes, that’s not a bad thing. For example, you probably want to keep your own dresser and have at least a few chairs. But, you probably don’t need two dining room tables.

Assess Your Workable Space

Assess your workable space. How big is your home? This is going to naturally limit what you can do with your furniture, how much of that furniture you can keep, and how much you have to get rid of. Space planning also helps you organise your home so that it looks like you actually planned for this – you have an interior design – instead of just throwing a bunch of odds and ends together.

This is the stage where you want to bring your spouse into the picture. Ask how much he or she wants to be part of the process. Some spouses are totally “hands off” when it comes to interior design. Others want a lot of say in what happens to the home. You know your spouse best, but it’s still a good idea to ask.

Plan For The Merge

Designing a home takes time. You can’t just whip off a plan in a day. Sometimes, it takes weeks or even months. You have to design around small and overly large spaces. You might have to design rooms where there’s too much furniture (or too little). For example, if your bedroom only has room for two dressers and you have four, what do you do?

In some cases, you may have to scrap some furniture and buy new stuff, like a Le Corbusier Grande Armchair from www.swiveluk.com which would look stunning in a kitchen nook, for example.

In other cases, you may have to spray paint furniture or stain it to match your spouse’s. It all just depends on what you have to work with, what your values are, and what you’re willing to change or let go of.

Don’t Rush Things

Don’t rush the planning process. You’re bound to make mistakes, overspend, or underspend on necessities if you do. Most couples feel under pressure to get their new home in order for a housewarming party. Don’t – you have plenty of time to decorate before you invite guests over. What’s important is that you make the home comfortable for the both of you, first.

Abby Campbell has moved house countless times in her life. As a military child and a military wife, she has moving down to a science and loves writing about her tips and tricks to smooth transitions in a variety of settings.