14th September 2022
Moving out of the family home for the first time is a huge deal. It is a major life event. While it offers you a huge amount of freedom and independence, it brings a lot more too. There is a lot involved with moving out of your parent’s home and starting on your own. Living on your own is very different from living at home.
It’s essential that you do your research before moving out of home. There is a lot that you may not have considered. There’s also lots that you need to prepare for too. We have put together some top things that you need know before out of your parents’ home. These tips will help you prepare for the move and make moving day a lot easier to cope with.
This is our list of things you need to know about before moving out of the parental home.
Your Budget
Before you start looking for a new home, you need to look at your budget. Look at all the income you get. This could include a full-time job salary, part-time work wages and even pocket money or your student loan for example. Think about the sources of income you have and add these up.
Next, look at the expenses of moving house that are non-negotiable. These non-negotiable costs will include things like your rent or mortgage and council tax. Your electric, gas, water and broadband will be non-negotiable costs for your home too. There will be things like your TV licence and home insurance too. Then you need to think about how you get to work or university. How much does petrol, diesel or public transport cost you? There are all non-negotiable costs that you need to include in your monthly outgoings.
You will then have annual bills that need to be budgeted for and included in your allowance too. This will include things like your car MOT, a boiler service for your home, your car insurance, tax and more. It’s a good idea to divide this figure by twelve. That will give you a rough idea of how much needs to be put aside each month for these annual costs.
Once you have figured out the breakdown of yearly costs, add this to your monthly costs. When you know what is going out each month, take this off what is coming in each month. What you have left will be your extra money each month. This is the money that will cover the costs of food and drink, cleaning products, entertainment, nights out, gym memberships, holidays and presents for friends and family.
If you find that the monthly money left over each month is too small, you may want to consider moving to a cheaper area or into a smaller home. You could also look at house share options or moving house with a friend. This way the bills can be split so you’ll still be able to move out of your parents and have money to spare.
There will also be upfront costs that you need to be aware of too. For example, if you are renting you will need one month’s deposit upfront as well as a deposit in some cases. However, if you are buying you will need a deposit as well as solicitor and other legal fees. Think about how you will move too, and if you will need to hire a van.
You may also need to furnish the home. Think about what furniture you will need to be able to move in. This could include a bed, sofa, washing machine, fridge, wardrobe and more. Look around your parent’s home and see what furniture surrounds you. This will help make sure that nothing is forgotten, you’re fully prepared and it’s all included in your budget.
What You Need For Your New Home
We have already said that you need to think about the furniture for your new home. You might be lucky enough that your parents let you take your bedroom furniture with you. If not, you will need to buy new furniture. As well as the standard furniture such as a bed and mattress, bedside table, washing machine, etc – there will be other things that you need to think about. Such as a vacuum cleaner, a mop or broom, an iron and ironing board and a clothes drier for example.
There will also be basic furnishings you need to consider too. These include things like pillows and a duvet for your bed. In addition to this you will need a bed sheet, duvet cover and pillow cases. You may choose to have at least one spare set for when the first set is in the wash too. There may be a need for curtains and blinds in your windows too. Things like hand towels, bath towels and coat hangers and things you’ll need for your new home as well. You will also need things like a toaster, cutlery, crockery, cups and glasses.
While you are still in your parent’s home look around you at the things they have. What things are you using each day? Do you have these for your new home? If you don’t and you think you’ll need them, add it to a list.
Things To Consider When Moving In
For your own peace of mind and security, if you are buying the house, and not renting it, you may want to change the locks. The people that lived in the home before could still have a set. They may have given to sets to neighbours, friends, pet sitters, cleaners and more. By having new locks on your home, you will know exactly how can enter your home and who has keys.
It’s a good idea to get to know your neighbours too. Not only will this make it a nicer area for you to live in, but it will help with home security too. When you’re not home it will be your neighbours keeping an eye on your home for you. They will also be a great source of local information and may have some good knowledge, recommendation or advice for you too. They’ll also be able to tell you the bin days and which bins go out when.
When moving home it’s a good idea to be aware of the location of certain things within your home. For example, knowing where the fuse box is and how to chance the fuse if one blows is a good start. You should also find out where the stop cock in case the water supply needs to be turned off. We recommend that you check where the smoke alarms are too. Give them a quick test to ensure they are in good working order too.
Take the time to make note of the electricity and gas readings to. It’s a good idea to take a dated photo in case there are any disputes further down the line. You should do the same for your water meter reading if you have one fitted.
Things To Consider After Moving In
Once you have moved in, you can sign up for things like gas, electric and broadband. You will also need to register for Council Tax which will enable you to register to vote. Contact the DVLA to change your address. You will need to do this for your bank account and other companies that send you paperwork or require your address.
If you move in and find you don’t have enough room for all your summer or winter sports equipment, Christmas decorations, family heirlooms and more, then consider affordable self storage in Peterborough. This could be used as an afford self storage solution in the short term until you make more room, or until you move to a bigger home and can keep these items in your own home, if you choose.
There will be lots of cleaning and chores around the home that you may not have considered before. If you live with others or like to work from a list or routine, why not create something to go up in the kitchen? You should include things like bleaching the toilet, changing the beds, vacuuming the floors, mopping and dusting. Then there will be cleaning jobs that need to be done less frequently. This includes things like cleaning the windows or deep cleaning the carpets for example.
Moving out of your parents’ home for the first time is an exciting thing to do. However, there is a lot more involved than you might think. There are also a lot of expenses you might not have considered, and these can leave you feeling tied down or stuck. If you have dreams of travelling the world and experiencing new things, why not do this before you get your first home? You can place your items in an affordable self storage unit and collect those memories that will last a lifetime.
While you might dream of a huge home in Hampton Views, a large cottage in Stilton or a mansion overlooking Ferry Meadows, this is unlikely to be your first home. Friends and family may give you stunning furniture for your new home that you want to keep. However, while you may love it all and want to keep it, there might just not be the room for it. This is where you can place the items in self storage in Peterborough. It can then be kept there safely until you are ready to take your next step on the housing ladder.
Remember, this is your first home and a really exciting time for you. Your parents will be on hand if you need them, but this your home and your first step into adulthood. Enjoy it!
