Moving in with your partner is a big step in the relationship. Generally, moving in means the two of you are formally committing to each other and have no plans of splitting up. But the reality is, some couples who move in together do end up splitting up. It's important that you are prepared for this possibility and take a few steps to ensure that if you do break up, you can take care of yourself in the months and years that follow. Here are four ways to protect yourself from a possible breakup when moving in with a partner.

Rent a self-storage unit for your leftover possessions.

Chances are, when combining households, you are going to have a lot of "doubles." What will you do with that extra couch and second set of pans? It can be tempting to donate or sell them, but it's wiser to rent a storage unit and place all of your extra possessions in it. This way, if you and your partner do break up and you need to re-establish your own residence, you won't have to re-purchase everything you gave away previously.

If your partner also has some things they "get rid of" when you move in, they should rent a separate storage unit. This way, each of you has your own separate "insurance plan" if things go south.Visit a site like http://www.sperrystorage.com/index.html for help.

Don't combine finances just yet.

Moving in with your partner makes you, in many ways, reliant upon them. Combining finances just increases that reliance. If the two of you split up, having to untangle what belongs to whom in the apartment will be hard enough without also having to worry about who is spending money in a joint account. Hold off on combining finances -- if you ever plan on doing so -- until you've been living with your partner for a longer time and are very confident you'll be staying there. Similarly, do not share your account information with your partner. You do not want them to have access to your money should the relationship come to an end.

Have a friend lined up who you can stay with.

If you do decide that splitting up is the right choice, you don't want the fear of having nowhere else to live to keep you from doing it. Ask a close friend or family member if they can be your go-to spot in case of a breakup. This way, if anything does happen, you know you have a couch or spare bedroom waiting for you.