How to Move Out of Parents’ House [11 Easy Steps]

After living life under your parents’ roof, the time has come for you to go at it on your own. While you gain a new level of independence with this milestone, it also means leaving behind the shelter and security of your parents and their house. You probably have a ton of questions you need answers for… Thankfully, there’s a perfectly organized way to go about moving out. From budgeting to bills, we’ve answered every question on how to move out, even those you haven’t thought of yet!

CALCULATE MY MOVE

1. Rip The Bandaid

If you’re already searching for how to move out on the internet, chances are you’ve been pondering over this for a while. Your parents may have sensed this already, or are completely oblivious. Either way, you have to communicate it to them that you intend on moving out. Our only advice? While it is an exciting and daunting thing for you, your parents are likely to feel a tinge of sadness as they see you go off on your own. Keep their emotions in mind and be patient with the way they react so they have the time they need to process this new information.

2. Hash Out A Plan

Ideally, have a rough plan in place even before you tell your parents. This way they know this isn’t just an impulsive decision, but one you are serious about. Additionally, having a rough plan gives you a base for you to chalk things out with your parents’ help. Try to narrow down on things like a moving date, a location and what your plans are i.e. to move in with someone, rent a place and look for a roomie, or own a place of your own.

See also: How to Decide Where to Move

3. Play Pretend

Moving out sure may bring independence, but it also brings a load of responsibility. An easy way to prep for all the duties is to pretend you’re already living on your own. Help out with all the cleaning, whether it’s vacuuming or mowing the lawn. Do your own laundry, keep tabs on how much food is left and when you’ll have to prep more. Also keep tabs on the groceries, and pay attention to how much things like milk and vegetables cost.

There are also important financial aspects that you need to get used to, the most important of which is paying your bills on time. We recommend getting an understanding of the bill payments before you move out.

• List down all the things that you (in this case, your parents) pay the bill for.
• Understand how much is usually due, and how due dates and penalties work.
• Set up a system of reminding yourself when a bill is due. This could work with reminders on your phone calendar, or physically jotting it down on a calendar.

Following these steps will help set up a template of sorts in your mind that you can rely on once you do move out.

CALCULATE MY MOVE

4. Start Working On Your Credit

A credit score is something you want to get working on right away. Your credit score is a metric that lets mortgage lenders and landlords know how responsible you are with money, and how risky it might be to lend you money or let you be their renter. It is a mark of whether you pay the bills and rent on time. As a result, a lower or no credit score lowers your chances to obtain a home loan or have landlords accept you. This makes it so much harder to buy your own home or rent a place of your own.

You can check your credit score for free on the FTC recommended AnnualCreditReport.com. You can always get a co-signer for the lease, preferably with a good credit score, if you plan on renting without credit. In the meantime, work on your own score to get a headstart on how to move out.

5. Financial Goals

Whether it is paying off college debt or saving a certain amount of money for the future, it is important to set some financial goals when moving out. This is especially important if you have something like a postgraduate degree or marriage lined up. Your goals will determine things like how much you should be spending on rent and utilities every month, and even deciding on if you want to rent or buy a place.

6. Determine A Budget

Crunching numbers and calculating an estimated budget is not a step you want to skip. Your current monthly income should be able to comfortably afford you rent and utility costs once you move out, alongside other expenses. You should still ideally have some money leftover after all these costs are done with. Here’s some of the things to think of when calculating a budget:

• Rent
• Utilities (internet, water, electricity, heating, cooling)
• Insurance
• Cell phone bill
• Groceries
• Gas and parking
• Additional expenses

This is also where your understanding of grocery and bill costs comes into play. Your budget will be an estimate, but you want to be as accurate as it can possibly get. So look at your old bank statements to calculate just where and how you spend your money. This gives you a lot more realistic prediction of what your budget will be like. It also helps identify spots where you’ve been splurging, and that can help you change your behaviour to save more money.

Alongside this, your living situation will also have to be taken into account. Your expenses will differ if you’re splitting monthly rent with a roommate, as compared to splitting monthly bills with a flatmate in a house you own. Mortgage brokers can take a look at things like your bank statements and debt to help you calculate your range of affording a house. They give you an estimate as to how much lenders will be willing to loan you, which then determines the kind of house you pick.

There are several budget calculating and tracking softwares and apps you can use, so feel free to use technology’s assistance with this one.

7. Start To Save

If you’re looking into buying your own place, now’s the time to start saving for a down payment. Even if you’re going to be paying rent, remember that even just moving is a pretty expensive activity. Also, you ought to have saved up enough for a few months’ worth of expenses at least. An easy way to calculate this figure is taking your approximate budget for a month. Calculate 10% of it as a buffer and add that to the amount. Multiply this by 5 or 6, for the first five or six months post moving out. This total figure should be in your savings account before you move out.

CALCULATE MY MOVE

8. Inventory Your Items

It’s important to list down everything you intend on taking with you so you have an idea of how mammoth or manageable moving will be. Ask yourself practical questions, like ‘What will I need to cook with? What are my bathroom essentials? How will I clean and iron my clothes?’ and so on.

9. Sell, Donate Or Ditch

Chances are there’s a ton of stuff you’re not sure what to do with. It makes no sense to lug it to your new place, and it’ll just pile up and gather dust at your parents’. Here’s where you sell, donate or ditch. Have a yard sale for things that are in good, usable condition. Alternatively, consider donating those things. There are several places that accept various items, from clothes to household items.

If you’ve cleared out everything useful and are left with a pile of junk, dump it. You can call for a junk remover to come pick it up. If there’s genuinely too much, rent a small dumpster so your job is made easier. Dumpster rental companies also donate and ditch items responsibly, so enquire to confirm this and simply rent a dumpster. This helps if you’re short on time and would rather have someone take care of the tasks for you.

10. Stock Up On Packing Supplies

There’s several ways you can go about a move. If there isn’t too much stuff to pack, call your friends over and get them to help in exchange for pizza. Rent a truck to do the shipping. If it’s a big move, or if you’d rather have the professionals handle it all, contact a moving company. In either case, one thing you’ll need plenty of is packing supplies. Start stocking up on boxes, tape, packing foam, newspapers, and bubble wrap. There’s also ways to get free boxes that you can look into.

11. Address Change

Changing your address as soon as possible is a great way to prep for life in the new house. USPS makes an easy job of this on their website, even letting you choose the date on which you want your mail to be forwarded to the new address. Make sure you apply for address changes at the bank and other important places. Lastly, let family and friends know as well.

Conclusion

As time progresses closer to your moving date, make sure you get every detail in place. Contact a realtor if you’re buying a house, and contact your new roommates if you’re moving in. Check for things like internet service providers and cable in your new locality. Moving out may be daunting, but getting the right movers for the job from a place like 9Kilo Moving solves half your worries so you can fully embrace this new adventure in life.

CALCULATE MY MOVE

See also: Your First Apartment Checklist