Two people usually own two sets of everything: two sofas, two beds, two kitchens. The move is easier when the sorting happens before the boxes are packed. Here is a way to do it so that both of you feel heard and the new home actually fits.
Decision one: measure the place
Sit down together with the floor plan and mark where the beds, the sofa, the table and the desks will go. Photographs of each piece help when you are deciding by phone.
Measure each room in the new home and draw a simple plan. Then list the large furniture each of you owns, with sizes. A tape measure settles which sofa fits better than an opinion does. Allow for doors and stairs, since a large piece that does not fit the entry is a problem on the day.
Decision two: keep, store, sell or donate
Make four piles for the extras. Keep what you both like and need, store what you want later, sell or donate the rest. Vault storage holds extra furniture while you decide, and O'Brien's offers it from $40 per month; see vault storage and storage between moves.
Decision three: the paperwork
Put the lease or deed, utilities and renter's insurance in the right names, and agree who pays for what. Update addresses at the post office, banks, employers and the DMV. The USPS Mover's Guide lets each person file their own change. Use the change of address checklist and transferring utilities to avoid gaps.
Decision four: the move
Choose one date, one truck or crew and one inventory. If your two places are in different towns, a mover can pick up from both on the same day; ask the estimator. A free in-home estimate comes with 10 free heavy-duty boxes. See local moving and the moving checklist.
Living with the result
The first month is a trial. Expect to move a few pieces and to find that something you thought you needed is better stored. Vault storage is flexible for that reason, since goods can be kept short or long term.
- Unpack shared rooms first, so the home feels like both of yours.
- Give each person one space that is entirely theirs.
- Revisit the layout after a month and adjust.