moving out of home for the first time

Everyone has to do this at some point. Some of us have the advantage of taking time, finding the right people to move in with and the perfect place but for others it might not be that straight forward. Moving out of home for the first time without having a good support network of friends and family may be hard.

If you wanna know how much you should spend on rent check this out: How much to spend on rent.

Beck who we interviewed on the episode is 23 and moved out of home when she was 22.

The good bits From Beck:

Freedom (no annoying parents)
She could make the space a reflection of her
It was empowering for her

The challenges from Beck:

She did get lonely (she ended up getting a flatmate)
She had to really be on top of her money

Laura added the following that she found when moving out of home:

Don’t buy expensive things (Kmart kit of kitchen pots and pans)
Check the back-yard situation (she had a hilly & annoying yard and had to get a lawn person)

Glen’s tips for when you start looking at places to rent (or buy even!)

Check that you have phone reception & internet

There is nothing worse than being somewhere with out phone service. It’s too late if you’re lock in a phone plan and then you’re locked into a rental contact without service. Also, check the internet in the area. If you do need to work from home – is the connection reliable?

Check to see if public transport is close

You might think this is a no brainer. Correct. But don’t get caught up in the hype of finding your first place with a friend and forget this if you do not have any other transport options to work.

Check out the street parking after hours at night

Are you near a city? Do you own a car? Firstly, ask the real estate about street parking permits and then swing by of an evening to see what the parking situation is like.

Take a friend at night and go for a walk to get a vibe for the area (does it feel safe?)

This is simple and could save you lots of stress. Please take a friend and when you’re looking at car spots of a night, go for a little walk after dark and see what the area is like of a night? If something feels off – it could just be.

Does it have aircon or fans?

It does get bloody hot and if you’re like me – you’d want to see if this stuff in in the place. If there is air con, just make sure of the responsibilities for tenants for this as there could be special conditions, much like if there was a hot-tub or something on the property.

Check if the windows work, if there are fly screens and for mold

Many old properties have windows they are really bad, it might be worth checking. Mold is also really annoying and horrendous to your health. Run your eyes over any darker rooms or wet areas.

Ask if they will take a cheaper price for rent & negotiate

Depending on your location, if the property does not have many people at the inspection or it’s been available for a while, can you offer less? This could be in your favour.

Ask about the landlord & the desired tenants

In order to stop your own time being wasted – ask the property manager what type of tenant the owner is after. Are they wanting a professional couple, a young family or are they open to anything?

Factor in an amount of real-world rent when still living at home

While you’re still living at home, pick an amount (even if it’s $200 per week) and factor that into your spending plan. This will ensure when the time is right you will have already have had money accounted for. If you pay board under this amount, factor the difference in.

Again, these tips seem very obvious when reading but you’d be surprised on how much you miss when you’re excited and are looking and thinking of stuff like “how would the lounge go”.