Moving Out Of Home For The First Time? Here’s How To Crush It

Everyone remembers moving out for the first time. That unknown feeling of what it feels like to be renting for the first time. For some, it’s a fantastic mixture of excitement and anticipation and for others… well not so much. It is, however, a place you’ll finally be able to experience your own space for the first time and everything that comes with it.

While there’s certainly plenty to look forward to when flying the nest for the first time, there are some realities to the whole thing that you need to keep in mind when moving out of home for the first time.

There’ll be several responsibilities that you may have not known about, and of course, a whole bunch of new financial burdens to stay on top of.

If you’re making the ‘Big Move’, here are the main first time tips and questions to ask yourself in this guide to moving for the first time.

Moving Out For The First Time Checklist

Is now the right time?

Everybody moves home for different reasons, but if you are moving out for the first time then it’s really important to look at every aspect of your life to see if the timing is right.

Consider whether you’re moving for a job, for education or for other reasons, the following questions will come in handy to help you time things just right:

What is the right age?

Everybody has their own life circumstances, so there is no actual age that someone ‘should’ be moving out. The most important thing is not to feel pressured to move out, even if you’re older than your friends or acquaintances.

Do things in your own time.

Do you understand the responsibilities ahead?

Having your own place isn’t just about enjoying some privacy or space – it’s also about bills, maintenance, lease agreements, neighbour disputes and all manner of different situations. By having a good idea of what to expect when moving out of your home, you can be ready to deal with whatever comes up.

Can you afford it?

Similar to the above point, the financial responsibilities of moving to your own place are more than what you might expect. As well as rent and bills, you’ll need to cover costs such as groceries, cleaning materials, travelling costs and daily essentials. 

Have you found the right place?

Moving home doesn’t need to be permanent, but being sure about where you’re going may just save you some headache in the future.

• What is the local area like?
• Are the transport links to where you need to go any good?
• How about the quality of the home?
• Is it in a good state of repair, or are there mould and ceiling plaster issues?

Take a good look around before deciding on your new place.

Are you moving with a partner or friends?

While living with friends or your partner might seem better than living with your parents, there will be a whole new range of social dynamics at play.

People often find that their friends or partners are more messy or noisy than they might have thought, and if everyone isn’t on the same page about how to live together, there may be some arguments down the line.

Set the ground rules with your future housemate beforehand so that you can all agree on what’s important for harmonious cohabitation.

Cost Considerations: When Moving Out of Home For The First Time

As we know, putting together a realistic and manageable budget for purchasing or renting your new home will make or break the whole thing.

Of course, you don’t want to shoot for the lowest possible cost and deal with all the problems that come with that, but you also don’t want to go through the whole process of moving, only to return home once the money runs out.

By putting together a realistic moving budget, you’ll be able to live within a range that’s reasonable and realistic.

A good rule of thumb is to put the budget together based on what you CURRENTLY have, not what you HOPE to have.

Here are some examples of costs to expect:

General Moving Out Costs

These are the normal, day to day costs that you can expect to occur on a regular basis. Because they are predictable, it will be easy for you to budget for them. 

• Rent and mortgages.
• Utility bills for electricity, water, gas, phone and Internet.
• Groceries and general pharmaceuticals.
• Transport to work or other destinations.
• Fuel and vehicle maintenance.
• Insurances for your household contents and belongings.
• Council taxes and bills.

Sudden, Unexpected or One-Off Costs

Life is not always predictable, and we all often get hit with problems that need money to solve them. It’s always a good idea to have money saved up on the side for ‘rainy days’ and emergencies.

• Medical emergencies for you, family or pets.
• Equipment or appliance replacement.
• Car failure or accident.
• New furniture or indoor fixings.
• Increased groceries or specialist items.
• Deposits for the landlords.

Household Items You’ll Need When Moving Out For The First Time 

If you’re moving out of home for the first time, you’ll soon realise that there were lots of little things that you took for granted when living with your parents or other loved ones.

The sheer number of these things is staggering once you start thinking about it, so it’s better to make a list (or look at ours) to ensure that you have everything you need.

By having a list of everything you need when moving, you’ll be able to make the first few weeks a lot easier. For instance, you’ll probably already know that plates and a hoover are useful – but what about a broom, washing up liquid, washing up brush, bin bags, iron, ironing board, and so on? You might think you have it all covered in your head, but trust us, you don’t!

Here is a shortlist of items you should consider when moving out for the first time : 

• A Bed – Does your new place have a bed, if not you will need to factor in the size of your bed, along with a good quality mattress (learn how to move a mattress), how many pillows you will want to take, duvets and bed sheets.
• Favourite Items – After moving out, don’t forget to consider taking your favourite belongings. This can mean items for your favourite hobby and pastime activities. They may help remind you of home if you have a tendency to get homesick.
• Toolkit – You may find that part of leaving home may include fixing things. We recommend considering taking a toolkit with you which might include hammers, a spanner, screwdrivers, and nails – They may come in handy if you need to do a little DIY.
• Toilet paper – You never know when you run low!
• First aid kit – This is always recommended. It’s always useful to have spare plasters, painkillers and antiseptic cream ready on hand.
• Kitchen supplies – Depending on your living situation, this may not be mandatory, but if you’re planning to live on your own you may want to consider taking washing up liquid, soap, all-purpose cleaner, oven cleaner, scrubbing sponges, microfiber cloths and more.
•  Electrics – Finally, ensure sure you’ve got a few spare batteries and extension leads.

Other Arrangements To Consider When Moving Out Of Home For The First Time

Finally, as part of our moving out for the first time checklist, we would also recommend considering some of the following : 

Ensuring You Have Internet: You’re going to want to make sure you still have access to your favourite TV shows and the general internet.

We recommend looking into prices using comparison websites on broadband and book your internet router to be delivered (or installed) when you arrive at your new home.

Update Your Address Details: You’re going to also want to inform your doctor, dentist, workplace as well as the council of your change of address so that your mail is sent to the correct destination.

We hope that our moving out of home tips have been useful for you. Before we go, we would be amiss not to mention that the mover you choose can also make a world of difference.

Need Moving Assistance?

We hope you enjoyed our checklist and blog post on moving out for the first time. For more useful resources

• Change Of Address Checklist
• A Downloadable Moving Home Checklist
• How To Move a Fridge

Additional Moving Services

We highly recommend checking out our removals insurance, use our free moving boxes and consider our movers and packers services too they all help improve your overall peace of mind for any move.

If you’re in a rush then check out our last minute removals or man with a van hire services!

Finally, if you’re thinking about moving a bed, then why not check out our bed movers page.

Zoom removals are a moving company here to take all the stress away and handle everything on your behalf – including packing, loading and unloading. Just give us a call and let’s talk about how to make your big day a complete success.