There comes a time in everyone's life when moving from their parents' house becomes necessary.
Even though the thought of an independent lifestyle could be exciting for some, it is also quite terrifying for others, especially for those who are scared to deal with responsibilities on their own.
The latest statistics show that 52% of young adults in the US with ages between 18 and 24 still live with their parents.
These people choose to share their home for various reasons - they want to save money, have exhausting jobs, have kids on their own to take care of, or are simply frightened of the stressful and challenging process of moving out.
But what exactly does this process entail, and where should you start?
If you're wondering how to move out of your parents' house, you've come to the right place.
Multi-generational living is not uncommon nowadays. Nonetheless, there are mixed opinions about it - some move out immediately after becoming students, others live their entire 20's in their parents' house, and others never think about moving out.
Of course, the situation is different for each person, which is why you should focus strictly on the reasons why YOU want to move out of your parent's house.
Therefore, the first thing you should do before deciding to move is to analyze the pros and cons of living with them.
Save money- There is no better reason to start with. Depending on the family, living with parents can save you from paying partial or total rent and many costs such as bills, groceries, and other household expenses.
For this reason, if you plan to save for a new car or even a place to live on your own, sharing the home with your parents for a while can be a great start.
Fewer housework responsibilities- Many people living together means fewer responsibilities in the household for you. If you have a demanding job or are still a student and struggling with dozens of exams, living with your parents will save you from many daily chores, so you will have the time to enjoy other activities after work/class.
Unlimited homemade meals- Another perk of living with parents is that you won't have to cook for yourself all the time or order food - which can be quite expensive if you take into account the three regular daily meals. That will save you both time and money.
Free babysitting- If you have children, your parents will be the ones who will enjoy the most spending time with them. Of course, this could also happen if you do not live with your parents, but sharing the same house will be easier for them to always be close to their grandchildren.
Emotional support- Having your family close in challenging situations can be very helpful. You can always rely on your parents whenever you encounter difficulties in life, either financial or emotional.
Limited space-Not your house, not your rules - that means you can't just break the wall in your room to expand, or to bring things that take up a lot of space, at least not without approval.
Lack of privacy- If sharing all aspects of your life with your parents is not bothering you, then living together will never be an issue. But if you're not much of a talker, consider that it will be hard to live with your parents without them wanting to know what you're doing with your life constantly.
Limited control- Living with your parents as a young adult is like sharing open space with all your neighbors. It will be hard for you to bring friends home, play your music loudly, or cook at three in the morning because you are in the mood to eat french fries.
Fighting the generation gap- Different opinions between generations are common among families. There is a good chance that you do not have the same beliefs and values as your parents, no matter how solid your relationship is. That will make a living with them difficult and stressful in the long run.
Slowing down your progress- It may be surprising, but all the advantages of living with your parents can make a huge disadvantage together - you will slow down or even stagnate the progress of becoming an independent adult.
Sure, free meals and no bills to pay is the dream, but what will happen when you have to do all this yourself? And it will definitely happen at some point in your life.
If you were convinced by the cons and not the pros, that means you officially decided it's time to move out of your parents' house.
In this case, we recommend arming yourself with a lot of patience, because there are some initial costs you will have to consider and some that will require planning a monthly budget.
Take a look at our checklist and see if you are ready to cover all the costs involved in moving to a new home.
How to move out of your parent's house:
Start saving a couple months in advance of your move out. There are cases where you will have to pay the rent for the first month, the last month, and a security deposit - this means a total of 3 months' rent in advance. More than that, you may also need to pay the renters insurance if your landlord or the building requires it.
If you decide to move to another city and have many personal belongings to transport, you will need help. Unless you have some friends willing to support you on this step, you will need some money to turn to a professional movers company.
You can either rent a moving van or truck and let your friends help facilitate the move!
Go to your favorite furniture store and pick out what you need. By paying an extra handling fee you can have the store deliver straight to your new house. When you move for the first time, you will feel that your parents' house had them all. On the other hand, your next home may not have all the things you are used to. Therefore, you will have to make a first-time investment in furniture and some appliances.
Supply:
Tools:
Materials: Lots of patience and planning
The average monthly apartment rent in the U.S. 2017-2021 is $1,124, so you will have to think about whether you can afford to rent before you leave your parents' house. One rule of thumb states that you should spend around 30% of your gross income on rent.
Bills. You will need to have a budget for monthly bills such as electricity, gas, and water, in addition to internet and TV service. However, there are some cases in which, if you rent a place, these bills will be included in the monthly rent.
Health insurance. This is an expense you don't want to ignore. Without insurance, the average cost for an emergency room visit is $150- $3,000 or even more, depending on your condition and the performed diagnostic tests and treatment.
Transportation Costs. If you are a driver and own a car that you use regularly, consider paying for the fuel, auto insurance, and vehicle registration. Moreover, you may have to pay for a parking space.
If you are not a driver, there will still be transportation costs arising from the use of taxis, flights, and all those related to daily commute costs.
Emergency savings. Without your parents around, you will need to build an emergency fund by yourself, which you will use only in emergencies, as you probably already noticed by its name. Depending on your monthly income, and usual expenses, you should put away 3-6 months for the emergency savings before moving out.
Services & memberships. Now it's your turn to pay for services such as the internet or TV, as well as other streaming subscriptions that you used in your parents' house. By putting all this on a list you will probably feel the need to give up a few.
Key Insight: If you have a pet, you will have to pay an additional deposit to cover the possible damages caused by it during the rental period. This fee varies depending on the landlord and can be around $35 or less.
Now that you know what costs to expect once you move out of your parent's home, let's talk about the things you should avoid.
Do NOT move out of your parent's house if:
You have not set a budget. If you make a hasty decision and leave your parents' house without an already established budget, the chances of going back in just a few days are very high. Therefore, you should consider absolutely all the start-up costs involved in moving to your own place and the ongoing ones that you will have to take care of monthly.
You don't have a secure income. Even if you have a budget ready to move into a new house, you will need a stable income to cope with all the expenses. Unless your parents are willing to help you with a monthly amount of money for bills and other costs, having a job it's a must.
You don't have an emergency fund. As we said before, the emergency fund should be mandatory when leaving your parents' house. If you question the need to save at least three months for this, think about the expenses resulting from unexpected events such as a car breakdown or a pipe network issue.
You are planning to move to an expensive place. Nothing wrong with moving to a costly place, but how expensive can it be? If you choose to move to downtown New York or San Francisco, and living there will cost you more than 25-33% of your income, you should consider your decision.
You want to save money. Except for the case when your job is ten times your rent, moving out of your parents' house won't help you save money, at least not in the first few months. If you plan to save money to fulfill some pricey goals, you should wait to do this first before moving out.
Key Insight: Usually, apartment and house leases have a term of 1 year. So, if you are not ready to rent for at least a year, you should reconsider that decision.
All things considered, moving out of your parents' house is an important step that should not be treated superficially.
If you make a hasty decision without having the necessary budget or informing what it means to live on your own and all the involved costs, it is possible to regret moving out too soon.
To learn even more about how to move out of your parents' house, watch the following video.
There is no right age to move out of your parents' house. This decision should be entirely up to you, and you should only move out when you are ready. However, according to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 exploring the experiences of young millennials, their median age at the time of moving out of their parents' home was about 19 years.
This amount can cover the rent for several months and some initial expenses. Nevertheless, if you do not have a steady income, a budget of only $5000 will not be enough to live on your own after moving.
If you are afraid of huge expenses when moving out, you should consider a roommate. Sharing rent and other expenses with another person will help you save more money over time.
Finding a cheap rental is rare but not impossible. Cities like Omaha, Tucson, and Springfield have an average studio rent of $615- $841 per month. Despite the advantages of cheap rent, keep in mind that apartments with small rents could be positioned in areas far away from your zones of interest or even your workplace.
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