Sooner or later, the time comes for young adults to leave the family nest and begin their own independent life somewhere else. It’s a dreadful moment for some, for others it’s a long-awaited moment filled with excitement and joy.
If you’re about to move out of your parents’ house, then you’ll need to know what steps you’ll need to take in order to turn the whole relocation affair as stress-free and pain-free for everyone as possible.
The first rule you’ll need to remember is that independence brings about many responsibilities, and you may not be ready yet to be a responsible adult. Time will certainly help you in that regard, but right now, you’ll need to focus entirely on pulling off a successful move – the first tricky step toward a new life chapter away from your parents.
Read on to learn how to move out of your parents’ house without getting too stressed out, remaining calm and clear-thinking even if it turns out that your budget is insufficient to cover the moving expenses.
Reassess your reasons to move out of your parents’ house
Oftentimes, the big question is WHY – why do you want to move out of your parents’ house?
When you understand and accept the main reason for wanting to move out of your parents’ place, then everything will become a bit easier for you. However, it’s still a good idea to double-check your decision to make sure it’s the right one under the circumstances. Once you move away, you may not have the chance to undo it – that is, to move back with your parents at a later stage.
- Do you wish to move out because you have a serious conflict with your folks and you can’t seem to resolve the issue peacefully?
- Are you moving out of your parents’ home in order to move in with your significant other?
- Are you moving away so that you can continue your education at a college or university that’s located in another part of the country?
- Are you moving out because you’ve found a good job in another state?
Or you could be moving away from your parents to celebrate your independence – no more condescending instances of being treated like a child, right?
Tell your parents that you’re moving out
Once you’ve made up your mind to move out of your parents’ house, then it’s time to tell your parents about that important decision of yours. The thing is that unless you’re moving out due to a big fight with your folks, then you’re going to need their help throughout the house moving process.
You don’t have to worry too much about how they will take the news – in most cases, they will either suspect your intention to move out or will simply know about it even before you tell them.
Still, it’s best if you wait for the right moment to inform them of your intention to leave the family nest. You know your parents well enough so you should know what the best timing is for letting them know. You may need to think about the right setting too – will you do it at home or will it be better if you do it while taking a walk with them in the city park?
Whichever setting you pick for telling your parents that you’re moving out – private or public, your best bet is to convince your mom and dad that you’re ready to make that decisive, life-changing step.
Interactive & Printable Moving Checklist
Come up with a good move-out plan
Moving house can be a chaotic experience so make sure you’ve got a fool-proof plan for moving out.
You shouldn’t move out of your parents’ house until you have a good plan of how exactly you will do it. It would be disastrous for you if you just left without any concrete future plans.
All in all, there are several critical questions to answer even before you get to the point of telling your parents that you’re leaving soon.
- How will you fund the move? Do you happen to have enough money saved to cover the substantial moving expenses?
- Where will you live? Have you secured a place where you will be living once you move away from your childhood home?
- How will you survive the first several months after the relocation? Do you have a steady income that will help you get through the great deal of post-move expenses?
Even if your preliminary plan isn’t perfect, having a plan is a good start that will prove to your folks that you’re responsible and mature enough to start living on your own. Soon your desire to become totally independent will become a reality… but it’ll come with loads of responsibilities as well.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Mover?
Create a preliminary budget
Ideally, you’ll have your parents’ blessing for your decision to move out of your childhood house. Now, the next big step is to create a budget so that you can see whether you’re financially ready to be independent.
How much to save to move out of your parents’ house?
The right answer will depend on many factors, but a good rule of thumb is to have enough money to cover the first 3 months of living expenses (at least).
Moving costs. Your mom and dad may agree to cover your moving expenses as a farewell present. The final moving cost will depend on how far you’re going, how many items you choose to take with you, and whether you hire professional movers or organize a Do-It-Yourself move.
Monthly expenses. After the move, you’ll have the following monthly expenses to worry about:
- rent,
- deposit (one-time payment),
- utility bills (electricity, water, gas, Internet, phone, etc.),
- insurance,
- groceries,
- fuel and parking,
- pocket money.
Once you figure out your non-negotiable payments, then you’ll have a better idea of how much you can afford to spend on rent.
As far as the moving expenses go, get a free quote from professional movers to know what to expect in that regard.
Secure a steady income
Every beginning is tough so you shouldn’t get discouraged easily.
You want to move out of your parents’ house – that much is clear. So, the only way you can make this work is to find a job with a steady income so that you can pay up your bills and cover the rest of your monthly expenses while living away from your mom and dad.
Most young adults start their professional careers in entry-level positions and then begin their gradual ascent up the corporate ladder (if applicable). If that’s the case with you as well, then, hopefully, your salary will be enough to let you stay independent. Usually, things improve as time passes as you manage to create some financial stability.
In the best-case scenario, you’ll be moving out of your parents’ home because you’ve found a good job in another state or in another city in the same state. Either way, having a steady job is the key that will unlock the door to the independent life you wish to lead.
Find a good place you can afford
Pick a place to live according to your needs and budget.
One of the best tips for moving out of your parents’ house is to rent a good place to call your home.
That’s right – the initial calculations of your preliminary budget and a quick check of your needs should show you what type of residence you can afford at the beginning. It’s OK to move into a small starter apartment at first while you’re still new to that living-on-your-own experience, especially when you’re single and your paycheck is far from what you want it to be.
If you can’t afford to pay the rent, then do consider finding a roommate with whom to share the living space… and all the living expenses, of course. That way, you may not get the complete freedom and independence you’ve always wanted, but it can still be a good compromise, especially if you happen to find a person who will become a good friend of yours in the future.
Don’t underestimate the importance of the rental being close to your workplace – a long commute to work will not only waste much of your free time, but it will also burden your personal budget.
Moving Into an Apartment for the First Time
Ask your parents for help
Without a doubt, the best way to move out of your parents’ house is to get your folks’ assurance that they will help you with whatever they can. And, unless you’re moving out because of them, you should gladly accept their valuable assistance.
Thankfully, there are many ways caring parents can help their children during the tough house moving process.
- Don’t hesitate to accept your parents’ offer to cover the moving expenses. Depending on the move parameters, that could prove to be very generous of them.
- Ask your parents if you could loan some money from them until you get back on your feet. Needless to say, you should insist that you pay the money back as soon as you can. That’s especially relevant if you want to move out of your parents’ house with no money saved.
- See if your mom and dad will be willing to give you a hand with the moving preparations, mainly with sorting out and packing up your things.
- Ask your parents if they can provide you with any essential items for the new place so that you won’t need to buy those necessities after the move.
Packing Checklist: Packing Timeline for Moving
Decide between renting a truck or hiring movers
Do you know how to prepare to move out of your parents’ house? One of the very first preparation steps is to figure out how you’ll transport your things to the new place.
Will you rent a moving truck and drive it yourself, or ask your dad to drive the moving vehicle since he must be the more experienced driver?
Or will you hire a professional moving company to take care of all the move details for you so that you won’t have to lift a finger?
The truth is that the best relocation scenario for you will depend on a number of factors.
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Organizing a self-move could work out well for you.
Distance. If your destination town or city is located several states away from your parents’ home, then it makes sense to hire professionals to move your belongings as driving a moving truck across the country will be both risky and expensive.
- Number of items. If you’ve got too many items to pack and move, including some specialty items that require special packing techniques, then it’s clear that you’d be better off using a moving company to get the job done.
- Level of assistance. If you know that you can rely on timely help from your parents and some of your friends, then a DIY move may be worth it. But if you’re left to deal with it on your own, then you’ll have to hire experienced movers.
Hire Movers or Move by Yourself? What Should You Do?
Decide what items you’ll take with you
One of the most important steps to moving out of your parents’ house is to decide what items you’ll take with you and what items you’ll leave behind. In fact, this is a critical step because it will help you lower the moving expenses, sometimes by A LOT.
Since you’ll be moving house for the first time, you may not fully understand how the moving price is formed. Basically, it will depend on several factors such as move distance, weight of the shipment, extra services, and the movers you hire. What this means is that the more things you choose to move to your new place, the more money you’ll have to pay for their transportation simply because of the increased total weight of the shipment.
Go through your things carefully and decide whether moving each item is really worth it. Avoid moving large and heavy furniture items – oftentimes, the cost of moving furniture will be more than purchasing brand-new furniture items after the move. Don’t move too many books as books are heavier than you think – just take a few favorite volumes and leave the rest behind.
It’s always a good idea to donate some of the gently-used items to local charities – the very things you won’t ever plan on using again.
How to Get Rid of Stuff Before Moving
Find free packing supplies
Moving out for the first time is always tough for a number of reasons, one of them being that you won’t likely have enough money to cover the future moving expenses. So, taking into account that your moving budget will be extremely limited, you must do all in your power to reduce the moving costs as much as you can.
One excellent way to cut moving costs is to use free packing materials (whenever possible) instead of purchasing brand-new packing supplies. That way, you should be able to save hundreds of dollars on moving boxes, bubble wrap, and even packing paper.
After all, why should you pay for something when you can get it for free, right?
Your priority goal should be to score as many free moving boxes as possible because those cardboard containers will be your biggest packing expense. So, where to get free cardboard boxes? Luckily, you’re got a variety of options to do just that.
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Scoring free packing boxes will help you keep your moving expenses to a minimum.
Friends and neighbors;
- Online: specialized websites such as Freecycle and Craigslist;
- Large supermarkets;
- Shopping centers;
- Home electronics stores;
- Furniture stores;
- Bookstores;
- Liquor stores;
- Recycling centers.
Don’t forget to make sure that the moving boxes you’ve managed to find for free are strong, dry, infestation-free, and have no visible signs of damage.
Where to Find Free Packing Materials
Ask your friends to help you pack (and move)
One of the best ways to move out of your parents’ house is to get your good friends to help you pack and possibly move your stuff to the rental truck in case you’ve opted for a Do-It-Yourself move.
On the other hand, if you’ve already hired professional movers to transport your stuff, you can still get friendly assistance during the packing process. That way, you won’t have to pay extra for professional packing services, which should save you a good deal of money in the end.
To have the best possible experience with your friends helping you pack and move, here are a few unwritten rules you are recommended to follow:
- Don’t bother your friends if you think that you’ll manage on your own, partly assisted by your parents and your siblings, if any.
- Reach out to your pals as early as you can to minimize the disruption of their own plans.
- Be honest with your buddies about what type of assistance you will need.
- Assure your good friends that there’ll be a nice party after the work is done, so it won’t be just work, work, and more work.
- Be prepared for the arrival of your helpers by securing in advance all the required packing supplies and the necessary moving equipment.
