7 Ways Your House Can Save Your Marriage

A house might not be able to save a marriage, but it sure can strain one. Find out ways to turn your love nest into a happily-ever-after house.

Choose richer. Don’t buy more house than you can afford. It’s easy to get swept up in a vision of yourselves in a big house. We’ve all been sold on the idea that self-respecting grown-ups live in a 3/2 on a cul-de-sac with something called a “great room.” But for a just-married couple, and even through baby number one, a one-bedroom dwelling is plenty of space. Babies don’t need their own rooms—just a quiet corner where you can stash their tiny clothes and supplies. You want to have enough money after you’ve paid the rent or mortgage to be able to eat out, travel, and furnish that nest, so leave room in your budget for life beyond the house.

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For Richer or Poorer

Choose richer. Don’t buy more house than you can afford. It’s easy to get swept up in a vision of yourselves in a big house. We’ve all been sold on the idea that self-respecting grown-ups live in a 3/2 on a cul-de-sac with something called a “great room.” But for a just-married couple, and even through baby number one, a one-bedroom dwelling is plenty of space. Babies don’t need their own rooms―just a quiet corner where you can stash their tiny clothes and supplies. You want to have enough money after you’ve paid the rent or mortgage to be able to eat out, travel, and furnish that nest, so leave room in your budget for life beyond the house.

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