Moving out for the first time can often be a truly daunting task for a number of valid reasons. Number one, you may feel scared of moving out for the first time simply because you’ve never done it before. And number two, moving out of your parent’s house for the first time will put a heavy financial toll on you – something which you may or may not be ready to face.
On top of that, moving away from home for the first time will often prove to be an emotional rollercoaster – on one hand, you may be glad and excited by the prospect of finally living on your own with no one around telling you what to do, but on the other hand, you may be deeply worried and even terrified at the thought that you’re losing the security and support you’ve enjoyed so far and that things may not work out as you hope.
Follow these 10 useful tips for moving out of home for the first time so that you can practically survive your very first house move. Armed with this guide for first-time movers, you’ll definitely be well prepared as to what to expect when moving out for the first time.
- Create a moving checklist
- Set up a moving budget
- Hire a good moving company
- Find a steady job
- Find a good place to live
- Know what to pack
- Ask friends to help you out
- Throw a farewell party
- Have a safe Moving day
- Set up a schedule of chores
1. Create a moving to-do list
You’ll probably get plenty of advice on what to do when moving out for the first time, but the truth is that some of those tips will work great for you, and some just won’t. The problem with never having done something before is that you’re not entirely sure what to expect, therefore what you think will happen and what will actually happen can be two rather distinctive things.
With no previous house moving experience, you’ll probably find it really difficult to figure out where to start. You know that you are supposed to start planning and preparing to move out, but you probably have no idea about what things to do when moving out for the first time.
Don’t just stand there doing nothing – instead, create a checklist for moving out for the first time. It’s not complicated – you just need to write down all the things you have to do, and then start working on those tasks. It’s merely a to-do list that will help you organize the time you have until Moving day.
Moving checklist: Free, printable, interactive
2. Set up a moving budget
How much money you have saved up and how you manage your finances will be essential for the success of the relocation project. Therefore, budgeting for moving out for the first time should be a top priority for you during your very first move.
What’s the cost of moving out for the first time? Make sure you factor in all
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Proper budgeting is the key to a successful first-time move.
moving expenses – hiring professional moving services, buying proper packing materials, purchasing moving insurance, etc.;
- housing expenses – paying your first month’s rent plus a security deposit, paying the utility bills, etc.;
- other expenses – all the things you’ll need for the new home.
Don’t forget to include any non-negotiable payments like groceries, car payments, or college loans.
If your moving budget gives you bad news, then don’t despair because moving out for the first time with no money – insufficient money, that is – is still possible. In addition to some good ways to save money when moving out for the first time (hiring cheap movers, taking only the things you really need, packing on your own), you can always consider
- asking your parents for a first-time moving loan, or
- postponing the move until you save up enough money to move out.
10 tips for moving on a low budget
3. Hire a good moving company
Moving out for the first time to a new state or to a new town or city within the same state is a big challenge for any first-time mover in terms of preparation and execution. Therefore, instead of attempting to organize a self-move against all odds, your safest bet is to rely on professionalism and experience so that you won’t have to deal with the stress that comes with moving house for the very first time.
Finding a good moving company that offers affordable relocation services is not overly complicated as long as you follow these 3 simple steps:
- Step 1. Get free moving estimates from pre-screened professional moving companies that are adequately insured and have been licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
- Step 2. Request in-home surveys by the moving company representatives that will result in you getting accurate moving cost estimates. Those in-house visits are the perfect opportunities for you to find the answers to important questions.
- Step 3. Compare the moving quotes provided by the professional movers and pick the offer you can afford in terms of cost and you like in terms of conditions. Don’t forget to compare the movers as well.
4. Find a steady job
Moving out of your parents’ home is a brave decision that should not be made hastily. Without a doubt, the most important question you should ask yourself before initiating the moving preparation is whether you are financially ready to move away from your folks.
It’s vital that you secure a job prior to the move simply because living off your savings until you find a job can be too risky. Still, the decision whether to find a steady job before or after the move will depend on a number of factors, including how sought after your qualifications, skills, and abilities are on the labor market.
The majority of young adults start their careers at entry-level positions until they find a way to climb the corporate ladder. Securing a steady income is essential, but your salary must cover the basic living expenses – otherwise, you may not be ready yet to start living on your own.
How to deal with moving away from home, family, and friends
5. Find a good and affordable place to live
Finding a suitable place to live after the move is one of the major steps to moving out for the first time. After all, you will need to have a place to move to, right? The important thing here is not to rush this step – you will have numerous options to choose from so you will need to find the place that best suits your budget and lifestyle.
Don’t rush the step of finding a suitable place to live.
There are many things to consider when deciding where you will live after moving out for the first time. Assuming that the town or city is already a confirmed choice, then you need to think about the LOCATION of your new home.
Research various neighborhoods when it comes to safety, cost of living, accessibility, cleanness, green areas, and so on. How close or how far will your new place be from your workplace?
The AFFORDABILITY of your new home is another major factor to take into consideration when moving out for the first time with a limited budget. As a rule of thumb, your rent should not be more than 30% of your disposable income.
So, teaming up with a roommate – ideally, a friend or a colleague – is the more frugal choice as the costs for the rent and utilities will be halved, but you won’t have the complete freedom you wanted. If you can manage the living expenses, then you should definitely choose to have the first place all to yourself.
10 things people forget to do when moving house
6. Know what to pack when moving out for the first time
One of the best tips for moving out of state for the first time is to decide beforehand what things to take with you and what things to just leave behind. And since you haven’t moved house before, you may easily make one of the most common moving mistakes – to pack and move everything that you own without any careful sorting and meticulous selection.
One of the things to remember when moving out for the first time is that you’ll most likely be moving on a tight budget, which means that any avoidable expenses are not welcomed. Remember that the more items you move with you, the higher the transportation costs will be. Therefore, the cost-saving formula is simple: move only the most essential items.
Inventory your possessions and create a packing list for moving out for the first time. Be ruthless while figuring out whether to take an item or not – ask yourself if you really intend to use it in the foreseeable future. Be on the lookout for items that are too worn out to be used again, items that are out of fashion, broken things, unwanted items, duplicate items, or just possessions you know you will store infinitely in the new home without any good reason.
One good piece of advice is to accept whatever usable items your parents offer you. After all, every new beginning is tough so you should be appreciative of all the help you can get.
Packing timeline for moving: Your packing checklist
7. Ask friends to help you out
Is moving out for the first time hard? It sure is.
As you can see, there are many things to keep in mind while preparing to move out of your parents’ house, and one of those things is that, as a first-time mover, you must ask your parents and your friends to help you out during that highly transitional period.
Ask friends to help you pack simply because, you know, you’ve never packed your things for a move before.
Don’t be too shy to ask for help!
Find the courage to ask your friends to help you move. Being overconfident in your abilities to organize your first move entirely on your own, or being too shy to ask your pals to give you a hand, may ruin your chances for a smooth household move.
Unless you’re moving a very short distance and you are sure you can make it work without any professional assistance, then you’ll most likely be hiring professional moving services as described above. And if that is the case, then your parents, siblings or buddies can save you money by helping you pack up your things really fast.
Be considerate and inform your friends that you’re going to need their help as early in your moving preparations as possible. It would not be nice to ask them for assistance at the last minute and expect them to change their plans all because of you. Naturally, you’d want to minimize the disruption of their daily schedule and plans.
Finally, don’t judge your pals too quickly or too harshly if they (kindly) say NO to your call for aid. Not everyone can spare the time, and some of your potential helpers may not be willing to help you out. Either way, you should be grateful and make the most of any kind of help you get.
8. Throw a farewell party
One of the things you need when moving out for the first time is to say goodbye to your friends before you go away. This is an important step – one that you shouldn’t just skip for lack of time or lack of desire to see your pals one more time. The thing is that you don’t know when you’ll see your buddies again, and of course – you’ll only have your goodbyes with the closest friends you’ve got – the ones you’ll surely miss after the move.
Moving out for the first time is a special occasion!
So, one great way to create long-lasting memories is to organize a farewell party to remember.
- Invite your best friends to an informal get-together in your soon-to-be old home, just to have them all in one place before you move out;
- Do something fun, reminisce about the past, listen to good music, have some snacks and drinks – just spend quality time together;
- Consider preparing some customized gifts to your pals to remind them of you when you’re gone;
- Take plenty of photos and record videos to seal that special moment for years to come;
- Exchange your contacts and promise each other that you’ll keep in touch.
How to say goodbye to your friends when you move
9. Have a safe move-out day
Have a safe Moving day
The thing is that you have no idea what to expect on Moving day since you’re moving out of your parents’ house for the first time. Move-out days can be rather dangerous and unpredictable – it’s the time when heavy and bulky items are being taken out of the house in the general direction of the moving vehicle.
And that’s when physical strength, previous experience, and common sense come into one to make Moving day safe and stress-free for everyone involved.
The only problem? You have no previous experience because you happen to be moving out for the very first time in your life.
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When moving out for the first time, Moving day can be more dangerous than you think. Think ahead and think will be just fine.
Do yourself a favor and hire a full-service moving company to handle all the tough aspects of your residential move;
- Reserve the building elevator for the duration of the move if you’re moving out of a high-rise building;
- Cover the floors with protective plastic sheets or large pieces of cardboard to avoid property damage;
- Check whether all boxes are packed up and labeled if you’ve handled the packing job without professional assistance;
- Keep young children and pets away from the packing and moving actions;
- Clear the exit paths of any obstacles to prevent accidents from happening on your very first house move;
- Dress properly for the occasion – wear comfortable clothes made of breathable fabric and have closed-toe shoes with anti-slip soles for better traction. Always wear durable work gloves for that extra grip;
- Use the proper moving equipment whenever necessary – an appliance dolly or a furniture dolly, furniture sliders, and straps.
Moving Day Checklist: How to survive your moving day
10. Set up a schedule of chores
Follow the above tips for moving out of home for the first time and you should be able to bring that all-important first house move to a successful end. Having survived the feverish preparation and the stressful moving day, you will soon find yourself in the new place, away from your parents’ home where things were well-organized and everything made sense.
Now, it’s time to organize your time by setting up a schedule of chores – tasks that you must do on a regular basis to keep things running smoothly like they used to be prior to the move. You’re in charge now, so do your best to avoid any serious post-relocation mistakes.
- Set up a schedule of your daily and weekly household chores and stick to that agenda to make the most of your time. List all errands that require your attention – cleaning, laundry, shopping, meal planning, cooking, and so on.
- Switch into a super-economical mode after the move until you figure out how to budget your money properly. Limit greatly the amount of money you spend on leisure activities – your financial priorities should be the rent, utilities, groceries, and other types of payments that you must pay every single month.
- Be a smart shopper, use public transportation, and most importantly – resist the temptation to rush to the stores and purchase a bunch of items for the new home – things that you may not need at the moment and may never actually use.
