It was about three years for us. I think realistically we could've moved in together after about a year but we were both quite young and didn't want to rush things. Also with OH being in the Navy I was unsurehow I'd cope when he got deployed.

3 years after meeting the inevitable happened and he got deployed for 7 months and I basically think that time apart validated our relationship. He came home in December 2007 and we bought our first house together March 2008 and we're getting married later this year.

Thanks guys, glad I'm not the only one! I like the 'try before you buy' idea...never thought of that phrase before! That's never been an option for me either, but hadn't got a good way of putting it in conversations, ha ha...now I do!