Hello, Emma’s Diary
A milestone all young adults will eventually hit is moving out for the first time. If you yourself have already moved out for the first time but find that it went by in a sort of blur, then stick around so you can better prepare yourself for your next move.
Moving might prompt stress and anxiety, especially when doing it for the first time. For some of us this is unknown territory. Where do you even begin?
Well, I recently made my second move as a young adult and I believe I now have enough experience and clarity to set a few stones on your path.
When moving out for the first time, there are some steps that you might want to follow to make the process easier for you. I put together a simple beginners guide that will walk you through those steps and give you some tips along the way.
In this post-
- Budgeting
- Looking
- Moving
- Living independently
Budgeting
Before we can leave the nest, we must first have the funds to do so.
Everyone’s first thoughts are to make sure you have enough money for the month-to-month stuff. And though that is true, it’s also important to remember there are going to be large amounts of money necessary for the starting steps when getting a place of your own for the first time.
When browsing housing in your area, be sure to note what fees and deposits places are charging so you can get a ballpark number of what you’re willing to spend.
On top of this, if there’s any big-ticket items you might want or need when you move in, be sure to budget that out as well. For instance, any furniture you might need, or appliances. Always be sure to overbudget for these things so you’re prepared for any surprises.
Of course, the month-to-month stuff is also important. So, a brief word on that is to focus on a few key areas: Loans, subscriptions, insurance, rent, general bills, and necessities like gas and grocery.
Keep in mind that your rent doesn’t always include things like water-sewer-garbage, power, and internet.
Research the general costs of those things in your area, as well as asking people you know what they pay on average so you can prepare for those expenses.
Then, figure out how much you’ll want for yourself each month. How secure would you like to feel? It’s important to be making as close to 3 times your rent as possible.
Looking
Now, the fun part for some; aggravating part for most. Actually finding a place.
You’ll want to download a variety of apps specified for this stuff, I personally relied on apartments.com the majority of the time but occasionally found stuff on realtor.com or Zillow.
It’d also be a good idea to google available housing in the area to see what websites have the most coverage and are making sure you don’t miss anything.
A necessity with this step is establishing your needs and wants. The needs will help you weed out the bad and show you the good. Some areas to consider are:
- Location
- Amenities
- Square footage
- Budget
- Pet friendly: Yes or No?
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
When setting your filters, keep it simple. Sometimes the listings on the apps might not include a need of yours and will get filtered out even though they might actually meet that requirement of yours but didn’t have it specified in the listing.
For example, if you’re looking for something pet friendly and put in your filters “Allows pets,” then the places without a clear pet policy get cut, even if they might actually allow pets, but just didn’t have it listed.
Once you find a few contenders that meet your requirements, schedule some tours!
Personally, this is what I believe to be the fun part.
Get a feeling for the area, the space, and if applicable, the management. Get on waitlists, if possible, but be patient.
There was a point I thought I’d never find the right place, until one day an apartment complex I was put on the waitlist for had an opening and reached out to me.
Sometimes, when you find a few places you like you just have to be patient and have faith the right place will make itself available to you.
Moving
When it comes to moving, you’ll probably hear every adult around you say how much they hate it. This never made me feel confident about that approaching move-in date.
There are a few things you can do to make this step easier for yourself.
First, don’t pack everything into boxes. I thought I had to pack everything into boxes, even if that meant taking things out of perfectly good containers.
That was just a waste of my time and boxes.
If something is already in a container or bin of some sort, leave it. Throw some stuff in with it, even. You’re gonna have to reorganize everything anyways.
Secondly, if you have hangable items, leave them on the hangers and throw a garbage bag around them. Once you get into your new space, you can place them in the closet on their rack and simply remove the bag.
Third, try to put everything into their respective areas, like dishes in the kitchen or clothes in the bedroom.
Fourth, find some people to help you out if possible. Having support there takes a lot of the stress off your shoulders.
Living independently
Finally, the living on your own part. This part for many is an adjustment. Even if you previously lived on your own, simply relocating can be an adjustment.
Try to tell yourself that you’re moving forward, taking new steps.
Allow yourself time to establish a new routine and get comfortable with the space. If necessary, allow yourself to feel whatever emotions you might feel about the move.
If you happen to be moving out of your families house, or a space you shared with roommates, then try to maintain those relationships. They might have changed but they were once a part of your home and feeling like a stranger won’t help the adjustment. Give yourself time.
This is a new step in your life, enjoy it!
