We all have a time in our lives when it’s time to move out of our parents’ home, be it for university or work. While the process is easy for some because of prior moves by elder siblings or other reasons, it’s not the same for everyone.
A study by the Pew Research Center found that around 52% of young adults lived with their families which is a staggering number but also one that’s slowly reducing. Whatever the reason for moving out, the prospect can be both intimidating and exciting, and for first-timers, it can also come with a lot of work and new lessons.
If you’re moving out of your parents’ house for the first time and you’re apprehensive, you have nothing to worry about. Moving out can come with a lot of advantages, and we’re here to help you make sense of what you need and how to go about the process. But first, let’s tackle an extremely important question.
Are You Ready To Move Out?
If you’re reading this article, you’ve definitely thought of moving out of your parents’ house multiple times. But that doesn’t mean you might be entirely ready to move out. Many times, we do things based on peer pressure and societal influence and while moving out of your parents’ house can seem like a liberating experience, it shouldn’t be done for the wrong reasons.
For this purpose, we give you a few questions that you can ask yourself to determine if you’re actually ready to move out:
- Are you moving out for the right reasons or is it based on temporary feelings and peer pressure?
- Are you emotionally ready to take the leap?
- Do you have the resources needed to move out of your parents’ home which includes a place to live?
- Do you have the necessary funding required to live elsewhere and or a steady income to keep you afloat?
- Are you well equipped with the basic skills needed to live without your parents’ help like budgeting, cooking, or house maintenance?
- Do you have an emergency fund or people to seek help from in case of emergencies?
Once you have answers to these questions, you’ll know for sure if you’re ready to move or not. At the same time, if you don’t have some of these in place, this is the right time to start working on them to prepare for the eventuality of the move.
Something to consider: If you’re not ready to move out of your parents’ house but you want to start somewhere, consider paying your parents rent for living in their home. This way you’ll be able to prep yourself for the budgeting part that you’ll have to manage once you move out.
How To Move Out Of Your Parents’ House
Let’s now address the elephant in the room – how to actually go about the process of moving out of your parents’ house. We’ll give you the answer in concise and easy steps that you can follow to start the process.
1. Talk To Your Parents
It’s highly obvious but something a lot of us might keep for the last minute; talking to your parents at the start itself is one of the best things you can do. While this might not be possible for everyone, if your parents are supportive and want what’s best for you, then you shouldn’t be apprehensive about this step.
Approach your parents and tell them about your intention to move out for the correct reasons. While they might get skeptical or sad, remember that they support you and they might even try their best to help you make this transition. Keeping them in the loop will make them feel included and it won’t make moving out as hard for them as it would have if you dropped the news on them at the last hour.
2. Start Researching About A Potential Budget
Once you move out, you’ll be the only one responsible for your money, how much you spend, and for what purposes. While you already might have some experience with it, budgeting your move becomes extremely crucial when you move out and have to live by yourself. The reason is simple – you’re now responsible for everything, from your food and your laundry to paying your bills and ensuring that you still have cash saved for other expenses.
Now’s a good time to start looking into how much you might have to spend once you move out. Even though you’ll only get average costs, it’s still helpful to have an idea of where your expenses might fall, so we’re giving you a list of things you might want to look into:
● Direct Fees
This involves anything you’ll have to start paying upfront once you move out of your parents’ house. It can be anything from a mortgage if you’re thinking of buying a house or even rent for an apartment that you’re planning to live in. Renting also comes with a security deposit that you’ll have to keep with your landlord and other expenses to make your house livable.
Also See: Top 10 States for Mortgage-free Homes
● Utilities
Wherever you choose to live once you move out, you’ll have to factor in the costs that you’ll have to incur every month just for utilities. This is one of those things you can’t escape. These will include heating, gas, electricity, water, and cooling. While these are essentials, how much you pay for them differs from state to state so when you look for averages, be sure to check according to the particular state and then according to specific areas. You’ll also have to consider other utilities like the internet, garbage, and recycling but these aren’t always necessary. You can refer to our article on Utility Costs State Wise to get more information on this.
3. Build An Emergency Fund
When you live with your parents, they’re always ready to step in when emergencies arise. But, it’s not the same scenario when you’re living without them. It’s now time for you to start building an emergency fund if you’re planning to move out of your parents’ house. As the name suggests, an emergency fund is for emergencies and it doesn’t have to be a large-scale emergency, it can also be for small things.
For example, imagine your car broke down or your AC unit has stopped functioning. When you’re already putting in so much money away every month just for living expenses, you might not have enough left to get such small things fixed. In such cases, an emergency fund is what will save you.
4. Start Establishing Your Credit Score
You might have already heard of this, and it’s an important step if you’re going to be renting or buying a house once you move out of your parents’ home. The better your credit score, the higher your chances of getting accepted for a flat or home that you want, so it’s not something you should take lightly. A low credit score can also lead to a loan rejection from the bank if you want to buy a house.
Your credit score says a lot about your past history with debt and repayment, and it’s something that landlords run checks on before signing a lease. One of the best ways to start establishing a credit score is to take care of your debt if you have any. A large debt can lower your chances of a good credit score and the subsequent chances of getting the kind of house you want.
5. Think Of Securing A Job
Even though you might have some form of monetary help from your parents, you can’t keep asking them to pay for your rent or mortgage once you’ve moved out of their house. So, it’s best if you start looking for a job if you don’t have one so that you can sustain yourself. Only once you have a steady flow of income can you think of budgeting, living a comfortable life, and saving whatever possible.
We suggest that you take up an entry-level job no matter the field if you’re not able to find anything that offers a steady income. You can start off with this so that you have the opportunity tob save for the time you do have to move out.
Also Read: Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Job Seekers
6. Get Familiar With Real Estate Terms
If you’re moving out, you’re definitely going to be living somewhere, either in a rental or your own new home. Whatever the case, you’ll have to be well acquainted with real estate terms, prices, security deposits, and everything related to it.
More than anything, start looking at the areas you’re interested in moving to or will move to and find out all you can about costs in that area. At the same time, every state has its own laws when it comes to renting or buying property so you’ll have to research and look at it according to the state.
7. Start Looking For Roommates And A Place To Live
As you make yourself familiar with real estate terms, laws, and the neighborhoods, also start looking at housing online. We suggest you live with roommates once you move out of your parents’ house because that can help you save a lot of money. You can always rent an apartment by yourself later when you’re well settled and have savings kept aside.
You can look for roommates on websites like Craigslist, Roomie, Roomster, or even Spareroom . Be sure to interview them multiple times and go through their background before you decide to take someone as your roommate.
In a scenario that you’re planning to buy a house, it’s best to hire a realtor so that you can be professionally guided to the best possible options that suit both your budget and your needs. While living in a rented apartment while you look for a house to buy is an option, it’s not the best since you’ll be running into a large number of costs which you can save and keep for your down payment by just living with your parents.
8. Hire Movers Or Take Help From Friends
As the moving out day comes close, try hiring professional movers if you’ve got a large number of items to be moved or if you have to move cross country. Full-service movers take care of everything from packing to moving and unpacking for you, so if you don’t mind spending the money, you can go with that option.
If you’re moving out close by or don’t have a load of items to move, you can always ask your parents or friends to help you out. Not only will this save some cash, but this way your transition to your new home will be a happy one with family and friends being a part of the process!
Also See: 4 Best Apartment Movers
Additional Tips For Moving Out Of Your Parents’ Home
There are a few little things that you need to keep in mind if you’ve planned to move out of your parents home, we’ve listed those down for you:
- Budget well right from the start and always consider hidden expenses. From insurance and taxes to paying additionally for utilities, you’ll have to research and ask around properly.
- Keep in touch with your parents. Even though this might seem like an unnecessary point to add, we often tend to communicate less with our parents once we’ve settled into a new home and our busy routines start. Try arranging frequent lunches or dinners to catch up.
- Ask for help from your parents when need be. Even though you’ve moved up, they can be the biggest support systems you’ll have which is why you shouldn’t be embarrassed or scared to reach out for help.
Also Read: When is the Best Time to Move?
FAQs
What Is A Good Age To Move Out Of Your Parents’ House?
Many believe that 25 to 26 is a good age to move out of your parents’ house for multiple reasons. One of the biggest is the amount of money you’ll be able to save which will ensure that you have a steady life once you do move out. If money is not something you’re worried about then you can move out much sooner than this age.
Is 18 A Good Age To Move Out?
Yes, 18 is a good age to move out since that’s usually the age when you start university and it’s also an age where the transition of moving out will be easier to adjust to!
Is It Hard To Move Out Of Your Parents’ House?
Yes, no matter what age you’re at, it is going to be harder than you imagine to move out of your parents’ house. But remember that it’s an essential step to take so that you learn to become independent and know how to sustain yourself in the future. While it might be hard at first, you’ll slowly master the knack of living by yourself and adjust to your new life.
Conclusion
While the thought of moving out of your parents’ home can be scary, the step is extremely enriching, and one that you’ll be grateful you took in the future. Try your best to do as much research as possible beforehand and take the help of your parents with things you don’t understand or need advice about. All in all, see the positives that the experience will give you, and don’t hesitate to take the leap if you’re ready!
See Also: 10 Best Cities For 20 Somethings | List of Residential Moving Companies in the America
