Therapists say that same-gender couples usually date for a very short time before they decide to move in together, such as six months. But heterosexual couples or couples who feel that they want to know their partners better before moving in date for about a year. However, these numbers aren’t set in stone and the actual time period will always vary for every couple. Some people even feel that moving in after marriage is the only acceptable form of a live-in relationship, which means that the couple might have dated for about three years or so before marrying each other. All this is based on religious and social upbringing.