8 Tips for Moving Out of Parents’ House: Moving Checklist

After years and years of living together with your parents, the time has finally come for you to leave the family nest.

Before the risky plunge, however, you must understand that moving out of your parents’ house is a crucial step that will have life-changing consequences for you.  And no, it’s definitely not another routine decision of yours that may ultimately go unnoticed or have little or no repercussions at all.

The decision to leave your parents’ home and start a new life on your own in a place of your own is, without a doubt, a huge step toward liberating independence and responsible adulthood.

If you are gifted with a highly analytical, logical, and agile mind, then you should know how greatly satisfying it is to be able to see clearly the available options in front of you and make the right choices, at least most of the time.

But to be really successful, you should also understand that the timing to put a particular decision into practice is as important as the decision itself, if not even more so.

So, how to move out of your parents’ house?

Here are the top 8 tips for moving out of your parents’ house – a moving checklist that will help you make that brave jump into the unknown a bit less intimidating.

1. Double-check your decision to move out of your parents’ house

Moving out of your parents’ house is a serious decision so you have to be sure it’s the right one. In other words, WHY, why are you moving away from your folks? Do the circumstances force you to do it, or do you have a personal reason to move out?

Bear in mind that sometimes you may not have the chance to move back with your parents, especially if the underlying reason for your departure is some kind of a conflict between you and them.

• Education. Are you moving out of your parents’ house in order to continue your education in another part of the country? This is one of the most frequent reasons to say bye-bye to your parents.
• Work. Are you moving out of your parents’ home because of a good job you’ve found in another city, often located in another state altogether?
• Love. Are you moving away to be with a person you’ve fallen in love with? Without a doubt, this is the most romantic reason to start a new life in a new place, away from your mom and dad.
• Independence. Once you turn 18, you’re likely to feel old enough to celebrate your independence by moving away from your folks and getting the fresh start you’ve wanted for some time now.

Whatever the main reason to want to move out of your parent’s place, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Pros and Cons of Moving Out of Parents’ House

2. Create a preliminary budget

The seed of the idea of moving out of your family home has been planted and there’s no turning back now. One of the most important things that you need to do next is to figure out whether you will be able to survive financially out there in the “real” world.

Ask your parents to help you set up a preliminary personal budget to get a much better idea of what you can afford when living on your own. It’s the numbers that will tell you the whole story, and funnily enough, in the end, it’ll be just mere digits that will determine the outcome of your endeavor.

In the blue corner, you’ll have your income – hopefully, a well-paid job, current or future, that will let you have a fighting chance against life’s mean punches.

And in the red corner, you’ll have your living expenses that, hopefully, you won’t have to ever see them go in the red.

And then, when you’ve done the rough calculations, discuss with your parents the long-term strategy that will let you emerge victorious from that unfair fight.

You may not fully understand what living expenses really are and what they include simply because you’ve never had to deal with them until now. Let’s face it: there’s some kind of inexplicable magic in the family house while living together with your parents. Why?

The bills are always paid without you even realizing it, the enchanted fridge is always stacked up and the groceries in it just seem to appear out of thin air. Everything is going smoothly and you never have to really think about what it takes to keep them that way.

But it’s all going to change soon, for the big move is just a matter of time. And while you’re still living with your mom and dad, it’s imperative that you learn more about living expenses. When you move out of your parents’ place, it won’t be just the rent you’ll be expected to pay each and every month, but also:

• A renter’s security deposit;
• Utilities: electricity, water, gas, cable, Internet, phone, etc.;
• Groceries;
• Insurance policies: renters’ insurance, auto insurance, and so on;
• Clothes;
• Transportation;
• Personal expenses: student loans, car loans, or any other debt you need to take care of;
• Entertainment;
• Medical expenses, such as prescription medications, or doctor visits;
• Any other monthly costs that are not mentioned above.

3. Plan your moving budget

Although most moves look similar on the surface, in reality, each and every instance of relocation to another location has its own set of unique features. And, of course, one of the elements that differs in each relocation case is the total price of the move itself.

As you probably suspect, the main factors that determine the moving price are:

• Household size: Or to be more precise, the number of household items in it. The more things you have to move to your new residence, the more their total weight will be and therefore, the more money you will have to pay for their transportation.
• Distance: Naturally, the longer the distance to your new home, the more expensive the relocation of your possessions will be.
• Type of move: Long-distance moves across the country are charged by the distance and the weight of your household goods, while local moves are usually charged by the hour.
• Additional services: The accessorial services you hire, such as packing materials, packing, unpacking, transporting your car, etc., will be charged extra.

It’s important to know how much your relocation will cost you in advance, and that’s easy enough – all you have to do is fill out our free Cost Calculator to receive an accurate estimate of the overall moving costs.

Once you are fully aware of how much your move will cost you, you can start thinking about proven ways to lower your moving expenses. Is it possible? Absolutely!

Here are the top 3 ways to pay less for your upcoming move out of your parents’ house:

• Inventory your stuff and choose to move only the things you do intend to use in the near future.
• Get your hands on free moving boxes – seriously, why should you pay for something when you can get it for free, right?
• Pack up your things by yourself. Your parents can help you out, of course.

How to Cut Moving Costs

4. Solve the dilemma – movers or DIY?

One of the most important things you’ll need to decide early on when moving out of your parents’ place is how exactly you’re going to transport your things from your childhood home to the new place.

In other words, you have to solve the great dilemma – move by yourself or hire movers?

Will it be better to rent a moving vehicle, load it up with your belongings, and drive it to the destination? Maybe you can ask your dad to drive the truck for you if you don’t feel confident that you can manage it.

Or will it be better for you to use the services of a professional moving company since it’s going to be your very first time moving out of a place?

Keep in mind that the right decision in your case will depend on a few critical factors:

• Move distance. If you’re moving locally (within a radius of around 50 miles), then organizing a self-move out of your parent’s house can actually work out well. But if you’re moving long-distance (for example, moving to a new state), then hiring an interstate moving company is by far the better option for you, including from a financial point of view.
• Number and type of items. If you’re not moving too many items with you, then yes – a DIY move may be a good option. However, if you happen to have too many things, including some specialty items that will require special packing skills, then you’d be better off leaving the job to experienced moving professionals.
• Moving help. The big question here is how much can you rely on your parents to get ready for moving out? Will they be willing to help you pack up and then give you a hand with the heavy lifting? What about your friends – can you rely on them too? If not, then you should do what makes the most sense – hire movers to do all the hard work for you.
• Previous experience. Have you ever organized a house move before? Chances are that you haven’t since you’re likely moving out of your parents’ home for the very first time. If so, then hiring a moving company is the right thing to do for your own sake and your parents’ sake as well.

5. Secure a steady income

There are several real-life scenarios that may work out great in your case and most often, it’s the one where you secure a steady income through a job and then move out of your parents’ home. In fact, financial stability is the only true way to achieve total independence from your parents.

Needless to say, you’ll need to have a monthly income so that you can pay your rent, utility bills, and all the other monthly expenses you’ll incur when living independently.

Yes, every start of a life away from one’s parents is difficult, and you shouldn’t expect anything less.

The good news is that things will get better with time. But at first, the majority of young adults begin their careers in entry-level positions where the pay is not exceptional but should be enough to cover their living expenses. So, you’re likely to start the same way and work your way up to better positions that pay better.

If you’re moving out of your parents’ house because you’re starting work in another city in another state, then that’s a great start you can build on to reach the level of independence you want. But if you’re yet to secure a job in the destination place, then that should be your priority task… unless you’re lucky enough to be attending a college or a university.

Pros and Cons of Moving for a Job

6. Find a good place to live

If you haven’t secured a place where to live on your own yet, you should do so as soon as the decision to leave your parents’ house is final.

The sooner you start searching for a suitable apartment or house to rent, the better. What’s more, your parents can provide invaluable assistance in the search process, so don’t forget to ask for their help (provided that you’re on good terms with them, of course).

While considering and inspecting different properties, find the right answers to a few questions of major significance that you can’t afford to look over:

• What is the current condition of the property? Is it clean and well-maintained? Can you spot any unwanted signs of wear and tear, water or fire damage, or infestation?
• Does the property meet the state safety standards? Is the neighborhood safe, and if yes – how safe? Would you dare to walk back home in the middle of the night? Choosing a good neighborhood will be essential for your upcoming life away from your parents.
• What are the neighbors like? Many young families or mostly retired people?
• How far is your future apartment or house from your job (if you have one)? Take into account the transportation expenses and the commuting time as well.

Ultimately, your choice of a new apartment or house to move into will highly depend on your initial budget and particular needs. After all, this is only the beginning of your independent life and even if you’re forced to put up with a much humbler place than you want, you can always move into a bigger home later on when you save up enough money.

How to Choose a Good Neighborhood to Move To

7. Inform your parents that you’re moving out

So, you’ve made up your mind to move out of your family home. That’s fine. But now it’s time to inform your parents about your decision – after all, you’re not sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night, are you?

Without a doubt, the best way to tell your parents that you’re moving out is to sit down with them and have a serious conversation about it all.

• Get the timing right. It’s important to choose WHEN to have that important talk with your mom and dad, so pick a good time. Ideally, everyone will be in a fairly good mood, so the time just after dinner sounds like a good idea. Bear in mind that most of the time, your parents will suspect that you intend to leave the family nest soon, so your news will rarely come as a big surprise to them.
• Show them that you’re ready. Your parents know that you won’t stay at their home indefinitely after you’ve turned 18, so what they really want to hear is that you have a good plan in place. First of all, the reason you state for wanting to move out should be a valid one, and then – you’ll have to lay out your plan in detail. Once your parents see that you’ve got it all figured out (or at least part of it), they’ll be more willing to accept your decision.
• Listen to what they have to say. This is really important – just listen to what your parents have to say about your decision to move out of the house. Even if you think you’ve got it all under control, you may be surprised by what you’ll hear. After all, your parents have been in your position before, so they can really offer you some wise advice that’s the result of a rich life experience.
• Ask for their help. Once you tell your parents that you’re moving out, it’s perfectly fine to ask them for assistance with the move. In a way, they will be expecting that call for help, so they may be the first ones to offer it. Your mom and dad can offer to help you financially (to cover the moving expenses, for example) or to give you some of the household items that you will need in the beginning.            

How to Tell Your Parents You’re Moving Out

8. Decide what you will take with you

You’re advised to create a checklist with all the things you will desperately need right after you move into your new house or apartment. And once again, your parents can really save the day here – discuss the new home checklist with them and see if they can help out with certain items or if they have good advice on where you can obtain some of those things at a reasonable price, or even for free

Don’t take any household items that you probably won’t use anyway because you will only lose money for their meaningless transportation. Also, take into consideration the space of your new home – if the living space is too small, do not be quick to clutter it with too much stuff unless you’re certain you’re going to need it.

The best way to decide which items you will move with you and which items you will just leave behind is to create an inventory list. Inventory all your possessions, then take a closer look at the sheet and start to slim it down as much as you can.

There are a couple of things to remember when you’re inventorying your stuff:

1. Moving more things with you will only burden your moving budget more since the cost to transport those items will be higher. So, be critical and don’t take any stuff you won’t really use in the beginning.
2. It’s OK to leave some of your things behind as they will remain safe and sound in your family house – you can always come back and take them if you happen to need them later on. After all, you can trust your mom and dad to keep your things safe, can’t you?

Follow the link below to learn the best way to create an inventory sheet when moving house.

How to Make a Moving Inventory List

Bonus advice – Hire professional movers

Hiring the professional services of a reputable moving company is the best course of action for a smooth and headache-free move out of your parents’ house.

Just be mindful of the following tips when choosing the movers that will satisfy your particular needs and will fit into your moving budget:

• Take a look at trustworthy moving companies, state by state;
• Read some moving reviews about the quality of the services offered by the shortlisted candidates. These reviews and testimonials have been left by customers who cared enough to take a few minutes off of their post-move time to help other compatriots have a successful move across the country.
• Make sure the selected few movers are properly licensed by the Department of Transportation by checking their USDOT number.
• Request a visual in-house inspection of the household things to be transported and opt for a binding written estimate of the moving costs.

How to Choose a Moving Company in 31.5 Steps

The safety net when moving out of your parents’ house

If you happen to have an income while still residing with your parents, then do consider opening a savings account and contributing to its well-being with each paycheck you receive. Think about how tough the first several months will probably be when you move away from your parents’ house.

Your initial disposable income will most likely disappear faster than a speeding ticket, and you’ll need a financial cushion of some sort to lean upon – exactly where your shrewd savings can come into play.

Saving up before moving out of your parent’s place is just like building yourself a safety net that will catch you on your way down. Remember that unexpected financial strains (losing your job, medical expenses, or any other emergency situations) can be found hiding behind every corner, ready to attack you if you carelessly turn your back on them. And while your parents can be your first line of defense, you can’t always rely on them if you’re seeking true independence.

Provided that you feel mentally and financially ready to move out of your parents’ house, you’re going to need to know how to organize the forthcoming relocation. Familiarize yourself with the consecutive and logical steps you must take for a successful first move.

If you’re on friendly terms with your parents, then you’re in luck.

They are exactly the folks who will guide you through your moving adventure by providing timely moving tips and giving you a helping hand when you need it the most.

They are the people who will teach you how to survive on your own and how to manage your living expenses effectively.

Discuss openly pressing issues with them, especially the life-and-death issue of whether you are mentally and financially ready for this big move. Moving out of your parents’ house prematurely can turn out to be disastrous for you, and you may be forced to move back home or even worse – get into debt.

So, be patient and wait for your opportune moment to celebrate your true independence away from your parents.

Your Guide to Moving Back In With Your Parents