Moving out for the first time is such an important and responsible step that a lot of young people simply get scared by the new responsibility and try to postpone this step for as long as possible. However, without moving out of your parents’ home calling yourself a true adult isn’t right – your adult life normally doesn’t start until you try living on your own or with your new family. Whether you’re 18, 25 or 30, we’ll help you make this transition less stressful for all parties involved – simply check out our tips for moving out.
Find your perfect place on Jiji
Is it the right time?
Most people leave their parents’ home when they start working in another city, go to study in a university, or get married and go to live with their new family. If your move happens for one of these reasons, then the transition will usually be smooth and effortless. However, if your decision to move is fuelled by a conflict with your relatives or your sudden decision to live alone, you need to think twice, because if you make a rushed decision, you may very soon need to move back to the family home due to lack of finances or skills for living alone.
Choose the right place
Unless you are moving to the house of your new husband or wife, accommodation is the first thing to consider after you’ve made the decision to move. Take a good look at your finances and find out what you can afford. Typically, young people prefer to rent their first place after the parents’ home. If you plan to live in a large city or expensive neighbourhood, you may consider sharing an apartment with a roommate – not only does this decision save you money on rent, but you’ll also have someone to share your experiences with.
Mind your finances
Rent is not the only thing you need to have money for when you live alone. Adult life has a lot of various expenses, from food to transportation. A lot of expenses depend on who you’re living with, how you plan to get to work and back, whether you have your own car or you need to use public transportation. Plus, from now on you’ll need to cover your bills, including mobile and internet expenses, yourself, so plan for these expenses as well. If your family is not struggling financially, asking them for help in a dire situation is ok, but make sure not to do it too often.
Learn to do the chores
If you were lucky enough to have your family members do most of the chores while you were living with them, when you’re living alone, there’s no one to do it all but yourself. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, ironing, dish washing, taking out the garbage – there are a lot of daily chores to keep you busy! Don’t let housework intimidate you, because as some time passes it will take you less and less time. You can find some helpful cooking tips and recipes in our Cooking blog on Jiji.
Get a spare key
This incident happens to a lot of young people who have just moved to their first place. One day they either lock themselves out of the apartment while the key is still inside, or they simply lose the key and have no way to get inside the house, especially if they’re not living with a roommate. To avoid embarrassing situation like this one, get a spare key and give it someone you trust – it can be your neighbour, co-worker, or even your parents, given that you still live in the same city. That way you won’t have to spend hours in front of your door waiting for a locksmith to arrive.
Practice before moving
A good way to find out if you’re ready to live without your family is to test your skills for a couple of weeks somewhere. If your parents plan to go on vacation, it can be a great chance for you to see how well you cope on your own. You can also move in to a friend’s apartment while he’s away for some time and try to live there. A couple of weeks is enough to realize if you have enough skills to make it on your own without your family and if you can cope with minor problems without asking for help. However, remember that asking for help from your family is never embarrassing and is actually the best way to make sure that living alone won’t frustrate or scare you.
