I was 21 years old when I moved out of my parents’ house. I’d always wanted to experience how to become independent just like my friends who experienced living in dorms when they were in universities. Looking back, it was really a fun learning experience that helped me shape my life today. If you are thinking of how to move out of your parents’ house, then read on.
I’ll share some tips, my mistakes, and successes in the process of moving out of my parents’ house.
Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash
Prior to my Move to a Shared Apartment
Before I moved to a shared apartment (which I stayed at for a year) with my office colleagues, I had already been working for a couple of years while still living with my parents.
Technically, I already had a ‘stable’ job when I decided to move out. The main reason for the move was for convenience.
My commute during that time was around 2 hours per way. So basically, I’m spending 4 hours per day just to commute back and forth to work.
I moved to almost the same location as my office and it took me probably 20 minutes to walk to my office or around 10 – 20 minutes via commute.
Looking back, I was lucky that I shared my first apartment with easy-going, very kind, and very considerate people who made the transition from living at home to living on my own, an easy process for me.
If you are thinking of moving out soon from your parent’s house, here are a few tips that could help you easily transition to living on your own.
How to Move Out of Your Parents House
Plan the Financial Aspect of the Move
Before you decide to move to your own apartment/shared apartment, I highly suggest that you plan the financial aspect of living on your own. This will be a big transition for you since when we’re living with our parents, almost all bills are paid by them.
When you move to your own apartment, then you’ll be paying for your own bills and it might be a huge shock in the first couple of months.
Think about your:
- Monthly Net Salary (Less all deductions including taxes and other mandatory contributions)
- Cost of Rent plus the required Deposit and Advance Payment
- Estimated Monthly Utilities Bill (Water, Electricity, and WiFi)
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Food and Drinks
- Transportation Cost from your Apartment to your Workplace
- Target Monthly Savings
Once you have confirmed (or have saved up) that you can afford to move, then it’s time to look for an apartment/shared apartment.
In Choosing Where to Live
When choosing the location for an apartment that you’ll be renting out, here are some important things to check and think about:
- Is the neighborhood safe? Is it safe to walk around at night?
- Are there enough street lights?
- What about the crime rate in that area? Is it low?
- How easy is it to commute to and from your workplace? How much does the transportation cost on a daily and monthly basis?
- Does it get flooded very often? How easy is it to commute to and from your workplace during the rainy season?
- Is it a quiet neighborhood or is the noise level tolerable?
- Are there shops nearby such as convenience stores, pharmacies, laundry shops, water, refill stations, etc?
Should You Rent Your Own Studio or Share an Apartment
The answer will all boil down to your salary of course. When I first moved out of my house, my first apartment was shared with three of my colleagues.
Looking back, I’m really really happy with that decision because it made the transition to living on my own very easy.
It was actually a spur of the moment though, I’ve known them for quite some time since I worked with them in the same office. And then, I remember that they were planning to move to a new apartment and then one person backed out and they’re looking for another guy to fill in the spot.
So, when I heard that, I decided to go for it and try living on my own with two of my colleagues.
The main advantage that I saw during that time was that the rent would become very affordable since we split the rent into three. And also all the bills were split and even the cost of food since we cooked at home. It really was a very pleasant experience for me since all of my housemates were very responsible.
However, living with people you don’t fully know does not sound appealing to everyone of course.
But sometimes, living with other people is the only affordable option for low-mid income earners especially if you’re going to live near the business centers.
So this will be a decision that you have to think about for yourself.
Photo by Joseph Albanese on Unsplash
Talk to Your Family Ahead of the Move
Once you have confirmed that you can afford to live on your own then it’s time to talk to your family about your decision.
This is one of the things that I wasn’t able to do properly since I only told them when I was about to move. LOL! But then, I was only living a couple of hours away from them so it’s not really an issue and I still went home every weekend or during holidays and my days off.
But if you’re going to move to another island or if you’re moving to the city to work and if you’re living from far-flung places then you have to talk to your family way ahead of time.
In the Philippines, families are so close that sometimes it pains our parents to see us move out of their house. They worry much about us (their kids) that even if we’re already adults and grown-ups, sometimes they think that we’re still kids and need their help on almost anything we have to do.
Having said that, you will have to talk to them about your plan, why you want to move, where you want to move and even let them meet your housemates if there would be any.
And once you’ve found the apartment that you’ll be moving into, tag them along so they can see the place as well.
Create a Checklist
Before you start packing your things up, create a checklist of the things that you need to bring with you or to buy before you move to your apartment.
If you’re moving to an unfurnished apartment, then be ready to buy/bring a lot of things such as (but not limited to):
- Bed
- Pillows Bed Cover and Blanket
- Fan/Aircon
- Cooking Utensils/Equipment
- Dining Table and Chair
- Cabinet or Clothes Bin
- TV
- Etc
This is actually the most expensive part of the move.
Personally, I have always rented an unfurnished apartment since all of the things that I would buy could be sold anyways.
But not everyone likes the hassle of furnishing an apartment. For me, it’s actually a fun way to make the new apartment cozy and comfortable.
If you’re moving into a furnished apartment, then all you have to bring are yourself, a few perosnal things and your clothes and that’s it.
Get the Important Contact Numbers
Once or before you even move to your new apartment, for your own security, it’s important to get the important contact numbers of the following:
- Landlord’s Phone Number
- Contact Number of Nearest Laundry and Water Refill Stations
- Nearest Police Station/ Baranggay
- Condo Admin/Guard/Reception Phone Number (If you’re going to live in a condo unit)
- Nearest Hospital Emergency Phone Number
It would be best if you’re also going to give your family these phone numbers, just in case.
Settle In
After the move, I always familiarize myself with my neighborhood by walking around. This helps me identify the available shops and services that I need such as:
- Sari-sari Stores or 24/7 Convenience Stores
- Drug Store (Pharmacy)
- Carinderias
- Public Transportation Options
- Baranggay Office/Police Station
- Nearest Hospital and Dental Clinic
You can also do this before the move. But if you’re going to move into Metro Manila, almost all neighborhoods have these kinds of shops.
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Final Thoughts
I remember vividly my first move and it was really an exciting and life-enriching experience for me. Feel free to leave some comments down below if you have any suggestions or additional tips. Thanks!
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