Ideally, couples newly married or moving in together will rent for a year rather than buy a house, especially if either is new to the area. Renting for your first year gives you time to determine how much room the two of you need to live comfortably, in which area of town you both wish to live, and how much home you can afford.

Renting also gives you time to look at houses together, which will likely spark discussions about what each is looking for in a home. Through these discussions, you will eventually find a home that fits both of you.

Many couples — especially older couples and those marrying for the second time — will move into the house of one or the other person. If nothing else makes financial sense, then make this move.

But if selling one or both existing houses and buying a new one together also makes financial sense, take that route instead. Why? Because the partner who moves into the other's house will likely always feel like a guest there, and no one should feel like a guest in his or her own home.

If you find that you must take this step, make the house as much of a blank slate as possible: Move all the furniture out of the house; repaint and redecorate as much as your budget can afford; and then merge the possessions of both parties and, perhaps, purchase a few key furnishings together.