Leaving the nest is increasingly becoming harder for the majority of young people in the United States. The reasons are quite obvious. They are already reeling under the pressure of student debts and other types of loans. The rents are skyrocketing due to the skewed ratio of the number of tenants looking for rentals to the number of rentals available on the market. The academic achievements required to land a decent job are taking longer to come by. All these factors cause many young people to keep postponing their ‘independence’.
However, there is no denying the fact that you eventually have to face the reality and move out. Whether you want to move out of your parents’ house at 18 or at 28, you can make certain preparations to ensure that you are financially and emotionally prepared for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here at EasyMove, we help many young people just like you with moving and we have seen their struggles and challenges up close.
From creating a budget to assisting you with a move of any size or type, EasyMove will make your move a breeze. You can hire moving and delivery help with just a tap on your smartphone (Here is the link to our iOS app and here is the link to our Android app). However, we understand that the moving process goes beyond packing, loading, unloading and hiring a truck, so in in this guide you will learn about all the most important steps you need to take when moving out of your parents’ house:
Be financially prepared
Regardless of whether you are moving out at 18 or 28, you must be financially prepared for the move.
This first step in being financially prepared is to determine your monthly budget when you are on your own. Your budget will depend on the following factors:
- Whether you are planning to buy a home or rent one. In case you want to buy a home, you should have a stellar credit score, employment history and a low debt-to-income ratio. These are some of the factors lenders take into consideration when evaluating your credit worthiness. You need to arrange for a down payment also. It could be up to 20% of the property’s value. In case you are taking out an FHA loan, you can buy a home with as little as 3.5% down payment. So first determine your home buying budget based on your current financial situation. If you are renting a home, you will need to arrange for a security deposit which could be equal to two months worth of rent.
- Which housing market you are planning to buy or rent a home in. In competitive markets, you will need to arrange for a large down payment or a large security deposit.
- Your lifestyle expenses.
- Whether you are moving into a furnished apartment or a non-furnished one.
Most experts recommend that you should have enough money to sustain yourself for up to six months.
Your monthly expenses will primarily include rent, groceries, utility bills, gas, parking (if applicable) and your lifestyle expenses such as dining out and gym or club memberships. On top of that, you will also need to budget for your existing monthly liabilities such as car payments and credit card payments.
Before moving into an area, do some research and try to find out the average rent of the type of property you are planning to rent there. You should also get an idea about the fuel expense depending on the commute distance between your new neighborhood and work.
So let’s say for example, you did some calculation and determined that you would need about $1300/month to be on your own. Add a buffer of about 10% to this amount and multiply it by 6. This is approximately the amount of money you would ideally need on a monthly basis.
You don’t necessarily need to save enough money to survive for six months. Many people move out even when they have enough money saved for just three months. It depends on your current monthly income. If you are going to start looking for a job after moving out, you should have enough money to be on your own for at least six months, but if you are already working and making a good monthly income you can move out even when you have savings only for three months.
Be emotionally and mentally prepared before moving out of your parents’ house
You need to know your parents’ emotional approach to your decision to move out. While some parents encourage their kids to move out at an appropriate time, other parents want to stay together.
Before deciding whether it’s the right time for you to move out, find out how your parents are going to react. Your decision shouldn’t come as a last-minutesurprise to them. This may hurt them emotionally. Lay out your future plans and try to convince them how your decision has been taken after a lot of consideration.
Your parents will be particularly worried if you are moving out at a young age – let’s say for example – at 18. They definitely deserve an explanation.
Not only your parents, but you too need to be mentally and emotionally prepared for the move. When you move out – particularly to a new city or neighborhood, you leave a lot of memories and support behind. In most cases, you will miss your parents, your childhood friends from the neighborhood and siblings.
Make a move-out plan & checklist
Now that you are financially, emotionally and mentally prepared for moving out of your parents’ house, you need to come up with a ‘move-out plan’. Moving can be extremely stressful, so it’s important that you are organized and plan in advance. In a recent article, we discussed a complete ‘moving checklist’. Check this out. Since you are moving out of your parents’ house, here are a few specific steps you need to take (apart from the generic moving guidelines):
- Come up with a moving date. It will put some pressure on you and serve as a deadline by which you need to prepare yourself financially for the move.
- De-clutter your room in your parent’s house and get rid of things you won’t need in your new home. Either organize a garage sale or donate these items.
- Make a list of all the times you will need in your new home. They may include bedding, curtains, groceries, appliances, kitchenware, furniture and cleaning supplies. Now find out which items you already have and just need to move to your new home and which ones you will need to buy. If you will need to buy new furniture, make sure that you order for them in advance so that they can be delivered to your new home on time.
- Make sure that utilities that you are going to need at your new home are already in place. If they are not, you should order for them a few days prior to your moving day.
Budget for your move
There are going to be two types of expenses when you move out – one-time expenses and monthly expenses. We have already discussed how much you need to save for your monthly expenses. Let’s now discuss which one-time expenses you should budget for when moving out of your parent’s house.
- Budget for movers:If you are moving to a new city, your move can be really expensive. The good news is that you can make your move budget friendly with EasyMove’s customized moving plans based on the type and size of your move. We will take care of everything – from loading and unloading to renting a truck. You can even find out in advance what your move will likely cost. It will be an estimate, but it will definitely give you an idea.
- If you are planning a do-it-yourself (DIY) move (without hiring a moving agency), you can hire helpers – a cheaper option for moving heavy items and loading and unloading. You can also ask your friends and family members for help on your moving day. You should rent a van or truck depending on the size of your move. EasyMove app makes it possible to hire only helpers or just a moving truck in your area.
In conclusion
If you think that it’s the right time to move out of your parents’ house irrespective of your age (whether you are 18 years old or 30), you should come up with a moving date and start making necessary preparations early on. The biggest challenge is to determine your moving budget and save enough to live on your own for a few months.
If you are looking for professional moving help, your first step is to check out our free online moving budget estimator.
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