Create a budget and stick to it.
Only buy the essentials at first.
Learn the life skills you’ll need to look after yourself in your new home.
Ask for help when you need it!
There are lots of things you need when moving out of your parents’ house, so set some money aside in the lead up to make sure you can afford them all.
When you’re moving out for the first time it’s a big deal – and there are lots of questions you’ll be asking yourself. What are the important things to do when moving house? What do I need? Life will be much easier if you’re organised, so we’ve got 5 top tips to help you succeed in living away from home.
1. Get your finances in order
Living on your own brings a whole new raft of responsibilities, and looking after your money is one of them. A solid plan is one of the key things you need when moving out, and budgeting is a huge part of that.
Budgeting means finding out what your utility bills are, how much you’re going to spend on food, how your income will cover your outgoings, and so on. Being financially savvy when you’re living away from home is vital, so focus on that and draw up a spreadsheet to help you live within your means.
2. Buy the essentials
Once you’ve set aside money for your monthly budget you can move onto buying some of the things you need when moving out of your parents’ house. You don’t need to go for the really expensive options, but it can be a false economy to buy very cheap items as they often break and need replacing. Find a balance between price and quality.
Here’s our moving out of parents’ house checklist:
Pots and pans
Fridge and freezer
Bed and mattress
Furniture – keep costs down as much as you can
Cutlery and crockery
Cleaning supplies.
3. Learn some life skills
We’ve already covered the financial skills you need, but there are a handful of other life skills that’ll come in handy when you’re moving out for the first time. These include:
How to cook and plan your meals – this will help save money on groceries.
How to do your own washing.
How to iron your clothes – de-wrinkling your clothes is essential for job interviews.
How to clean.
You might be thinking, ‘I’m living on my own but I can still ask my parents to do things for me or head back home to get my washing done.’ If you are, you’re setting yourself up for a fail! Embrace your new independence and learn how to look after yourself so that living on your own isn’t a short-term experience.
4. Get some help
One of the things you need when moving out is sound advice. Talk to friends who’ve done it and find out what worked and what didn’t work for them. Talk to your parents too. All you need to say is, ‘I’m planning on living on my own, but if you’ve got any tips that would be great!’ And they’ll more than likely enjoy being involved in helping you make that first step.
5. Prioritise tasks and purchases
We’ve given you a moving out of parents’ house checklist that covers the essentials you need to buy. Now here’s a quick summary of tasks to prioritise before the move:
Start picking up useful life skills.
Put some money aside to cover essentials.
Set up utilities.
Notify banks, mobile phone suppliers, etc. of your new address.
There are so many things to do when moving house for the first time, and the simpler you can make it the better. Use our top tips to get yourself organised and make the move a positive experience. Good luck in your new place!