At one point, you will grow old and become a young adult. And with this, comes one of the biggest changes you’ll ever have to make in life — moving out of home. While this is one of the most anticipated moments of many teenagers, you’ll find that it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. 

Entering this new life phase introduces a lot of factors to consider. You have to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially. After all, this is a period of independent living. With that, in this article, you will learn how to prepare yourself for your big move once the time comes.

1. Do Your Research

Are you moving to a nearby neighborhood? A college dorm or apartment? Or are you moving out of state or moving to another state? There are a lot of things to research in preparing for your move. 

First and foremost, you have to be familiar with the neighborhood you’ll be moving into. You have to be aware of the surrounding areas and nearby amenities before you move. As much as possible, it’s advisable to choose a location in proximity to your school or university and work. 

2. Know Your Budget and Identify Expenses

Expenses, expenses, expenses. As a teen, you’ve relied on your parents all your life for providing you with your needs. When you move out, you will have to handle expenses you’ve never had to deal with before. You’ll be surprised by how much money you need to survive your day-to-day life on your own.

To give you an idea, here are some expenses you need to consider:

• Rent
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Insurance
• Grocery
• Food
• School expenses
• Other expenses

Apart from these, you’d also have to pay for things such as security deposits, utility connection fees, and other hidden expenses. 

That said, sit down and plan your budget. Make sure you have enough savings and a source of income to cover all your necessities moving forward. Involving your parents in this part would be of great help. Since they’re more knowledgeable about finances, they can help you create a realistic budget game plan.

3. Create a Moving Out Checklist

Of course, you have to prepare for the actual moving out. Packing can be overwhelming for everyone. To get this out of the way, it would help to create a checklist of things you need to pack. Note the possible restrictions your apartment complex would have. 

Below are some things to include in your checklist:

• Clothes
• Household items
• Toiletry
• Furniture
• Appliances
• Important documents (IDs, birth certificate, passport, diploma, financial documents, medical records and prescriptions, insurance documents, etc.)

Remember, you can’t bring everything from home. Not only will it cause a hefty packing but remember that you will also come home from time to time. And so, decide on what personal items to bring with you and what to leave. Also, make sure to keep all your IDs and documents organized neatly into binders.

For furniture and appliances, you can save money by opting for good-quality second-hand items. You can check out online buy-and-sell pages, garage sales, or ask for old items from family and friends. You can build out your household with these initial purchases and replace them when you have extra funds.

4. Organize Your Moving in To-Do List

Once you’ve had a successful move-out, it’s time for the next step — moving in. You have to anticipate the amount of work needed for your moving in cleaning and organization. It would help to write down a to-do list and set a clear timetable of when to accomplish them. Set a schedule on when you should finish unpacking things upon moving in.

It would be a heavy task, so make sure to ask for help from your parents during this process.

5. Make Sure You Can Handle Basic Household Chores

You’re only ready to move out once you can already handle basic household chores yourself. Can you do your own laundry? Cook your meals? Unclog a drain? You have to have these skills to keep your home functioning.

Part of being a young adult is knowing how to take care of yourself. As early as now, you have to develop these abilities for yourself. That way, you won’t be inconveniencing your parents or roommate by not knowing how to do something.

6. Practice Making Your Own Appointments

It may sound basic, but not every teen can make appointments on their own, even with a simple doctor appointment. Often, it is your parents who schedule these things for you. It’s easy because the only thing you need to do is show up. But this is not the case when you live alone.

Hence, practice picking up the phone and booking appointments yourself. You’ll find that this is a crucial skill in being fully independent and self-sufficient.

The Takeaway

Being independent and living on your own is an exciting experience. However, it’s critical to keep in mind all the factors you need to consider before moving out. Make sure to prepare smartly. This way, you work towards becoming a reliable and capable young adult.