Moving Out of Your Parents’ House

Moving out of your parents’ house for the first time is a scary situation. You never know how much you need your mom & dad until you don’t have them around. For a lot of people, moving out of their parents’ house for the first time means going to college, for others it means starting a full-time job in a new city. Dealing with all these changes at the same time without help can be really tough. Do your best to help yourself prepare by utilizing our advice:

 MOVE FLEXIBILITY

If you’re thinking about hiring movers to get some of your larger or more challenging to move items into your new home, it can be easier and more affordable for first-time movers because they have some flexibility. Many people can only move at very specific times, often near last day or first day of any given month; these trends make moving on those days more expensive. If you have as much flexibility with your new home as you do with your old one, use this flexibility to get the best deal possible on a moving company and let your friends off the hook.

BUDGET

Parents have dealt with most of the bills up until now, but it’s up to you once you move out of the house. Young people often have a difficult time keeping track of their spending habits and their income. A short term budgeting strategy that keeps track of what should be spent on certain necessities (food, rent, other bills) and income/spending money available can help first time movers contextualize their spending habits and re-evaluate them to create a sustainable lifestyle for the next few months, and maybe even years, of their adult lives. Your first budget should not only take all these living expenses into consideration; it should also consider your moving expenses.

 SIZE/LIMITATIONS

Don’t assume that everything will fit into the new place. Most of the time, first time movers are saying goodbye to their parents’ houses to move into shared rooms or small apartments. Spatial limitations play a huge part in dictating the possibilities of the space. Bring a tape measure to determine the size of each room in the new home, as well as the clearance available in doorframes to move in larger items like beds or couches. This can help you arrange your new furniture alignment and make sure you will (or won’t) have to disassemble items before you move into your new home.

KEEP A CHORES LIST

Grocery Shopping, Laundromat visits, and home cleaning are about to become a big part of your life. Otherwise, you might get stuck in a smelly bathroom on a Monday morning with no clean underwear and no milk for your cereal. (No one wants dry cereal, trust me.) Make sure to include cleaning, shopping, and laundry onto a to-do list, whether on pen & paper or in a notes/reminders app on your phone. Add on other common housekeeping chores that you might be handling, like ironing clothes or washing dishes, or other necessities like making dentist appointments and managing vehicle maintenance.

 CHECKLIST/ EXTRA ITEMS

It’s a given that most parents with grown children have lived long enough to accumulate a lot of home necessities – more than they likely need. Go through your parents’ house before moving out to see if they have any extra items that you can borrow for your new home. If there aren’t extras of these items in your parents’ house, make sure to purchase whichever you need before moving into your new home.


KITCHEN ITEMS:
  • Microwave
  • Pans
  • Pots
  • Utensils
  • Pasta Strainer
  • Blender
  • Toaster
  • Toaster Oven
  • Bed Sheets
  • Plates
  • Bowls
  • Tupperware
  • Fan
  • Cooking Oils
  • Placemats
  • Bottle Opener
BEDROOM ITEMS:
  • Clock
  • Sheets
  • Blankets
  • Pillowcases
  • Bookends
LIVING ROOM ITEMS
  • Fan
  • Lamp
  • Doormat
  • Storage Rack
  • Chair
  • Stand for TV
  • TV Tray