Advice for couples moving in together

Work on your communication skills

Good communication is the key to any healthy relationship, and even more so, perhaps, for a couple looking to move in together. Make sure to establish clear, conscious communication habits from the very beginning of your relationship, and make your expectations known to one another. Express your concerns right away rather than letting them build up and fester, whether they are related to who will be doing the dishes after dinner or something more serious.

Assets and possessions

A good way to test your communication skills is to discuss ownership and finances prior to moving in together. Will you be owning equal shares of a joint property, or are you splitting the bills (and the purchases) according to incomes and savings? Will you be dividing the rent between you? What about mortgage payments, monthly bills, necessary furniture and repairs, and everything else a new home requires? Are you both chipping in, or are you designating areas of responsibility? All of these questions should ideally be answered before you move in together, and you will need to keep them in mind throughout your cohabitation. This will prevent unjust division of expenses as well as any conflicts that might potentially ensue.

Sign a cohabitation agreement

When you have got your shared finances in order, every detail should be included in an official cohabitation agreement. Such an agreement might be useful whether you are a romantic couple, friends or siblings living together. You can find a variety of templates online to use for reference. Overall, a cohabitation agreement should include an overview of the following, signed by both parties:

• The names of the cohabitants
• Your shares in the property - joint or divided?
• Your mortgages
• Loans, debt, savings, assets, and other financial circumstances
• Your possessions - what did you bring with you, what did the two of you purchase together?
• What insurances do you both hold, and which additional policies do you need?
• How should your possessions and valuables be divided up between you in case of a break-up?

The division of assets after a break-up can be painful to discuss and put in writing, but doing so will make the (hopefully avoidable) end of a relationship easier and less stressful.

Know your rights

A couple living together does not have the same law-given rights as a married couple, and in most cases one will not automatically inherit the other. In Norway, the so-called Household Community Act grants couples living together certain rights in relation to their shared home and possessions. However, many do not realise that these rights are based on the couple having children together and/or having been registered at the same shared address for a minimum of two years. If you wish to make your live-in partner a beneficiary in the case of your sudden death, this needs to be specified in your will. Unmarried couples living together also have the option of signing a joint testament confirming their desire to make the other their beneficiary.