Pros And Cons Of Moving On Your Own

The act of leaving home is considered to be a significant turning point in your life because it marks the big change from childhood to adulthood as well as the start of your totally independent and self-sufficient life. When you leave your parent’s home, you will finally have the freedom to live the lifestyle you have always imagined for yourself ‒ with all the difficulties that might come along. You will be in charge of taking care of your own needs, getting yourself out of every problematic situation, and building a vibrant and full of new bright memories life. 

As eager as you might be to live independently, you can also experience anxiety. This is a pretty common thing to have when you have to leave the family home and follow your own path in life. In order to avoid making a decision you later regret, this very important step must be carefully thought through and planned.

Why moving out of your parents’ house is worth it?

There are many telltale signs that can tell you for sure it’s time to leave your family home. You might start to feel stifled there, lacking either independence or personal space ‒ sometimes, both of these.

Moving out is your choice ‒ and it can have very solid reason beneath:

• you might want to prove yourself as a grown-up, which is totally understandable;
• you probably want to move in with your partner;
• or, as an alternative, you might want to live closer to your workplace or college (or both).

Living independently will definitely give you more freedom and space for yourself, but the real advantages of leaving your parents’ home are much more prominent and important for your growth as a person. Living on your own, you will have more opportunities to develop your life skills and general knowledge and get more experience in handling common daily issues and challenging circumstances.

Basically, this is a very important, even crucial, step in the life you’re about to take. It’s a great opportunity to grow and show your life skills, get more opportunities for every sector of your life, and probably even change your mindset. As an adult person, you will face a lot of challenges that will assist your personal growth. It’s better to face these challenges in the comfort of your own space, though, rather than struggle with them in the presence of your parents ‒ they will try to help you, and give you advice, but in the end, those are their opinions and choices, not your own.

So, let’s sum up the main advantages:

1. Your independence. Having autonomy over your daily schedule, plans and goals are important for your personal growth. This is the part where you become an adult. From the day you start living separately from your parents, you will have your own house rules, set only by you. Also, you will have full autonomy over your food choices and personal space ‒ this also comes with taking responsibility for your life.
2. Your privacy. Having a bed in a room and having a proper house for yourself is a huge difference. You have to hold responsibility only before your own self ‒ where have you been, what are you going to do, who is that person you are talking to. Your privacy is your basic right, and moving out of your family home is your best chance to fully have it.
3. Your self-esteem boost. Sure, your personal growth doesn’t come in one day ‒ you have to work on it. But when you’re living on your own, every daily challenge you experience will be only yours to take. This way, you’ll be able to work toward your ambitions and fight for a better life. These challenges will eventually make you a more responsible and self-assured person, which is definitely a good thing. Practice makes perfect ‒ as you gain common knowledge and practical life experience, you will feel more and more sure about your life choices.
4. Your time for your own needs. If earlier you had to consider your family schedule while making plans, now you have definitely more freedom to fulfill your needs and manage your personal plans. You will have more time for that and certainly more place. You can plan your day with only your needs in mind, and set a schedule that will be the most productive for you, including working toward your dreams. You will probably need more time to adjust to this freedom, but eventually, you’ll grow accustomed to the thought that your life choices are only your own choices.
5. You will have generally more opportunities. New job? You can move closer to your new workplace. No job? You can find one in a more comfortable neighborhood that will have more professional opportunities for you. Living on your own exposes you to new skills, new knowledge, and, thus, new opportunities both for jobs and education.

Sure, not everything is so bright and optimistic ‒ moving out on your own is still a challenge and every challenge can give you some hard times. These challenges shouldn’t scare you right away, but you also deserve to know about them and take them into account when thinking about moving out of your parent’s house to a new place.

The challenges you’re most likely to face

So, yeah, you will probably or most likely face these difficulties after moving in on your own. These challenges are expected, and everyone eventually grows thorugh them, but still ‒ you have to know about them in order to have a more realistic picture of your life yourself.

1. Financial problems you might face. From now on, your spendings are only your responsibility. No pocket money, no borrowing without giving it back. You will eventually have to learn how to plan your budget and cover all of your expenses ‒ transportation, groceries, insurance, emergency expenses, toiletries, and utilities, not to mention all the entertainment spending you will most likely have. Planning is the key to not going broke there, even if you don’t earn that much. Take care of your income, have a responsible financial plan, and save more on things that aren’t that necessary.
2. All the housework is now on you. Now, this one will give you a hard time adjusting because now you won’t have anyone to delegate certain responsibilities to. Cooking, laundry, cleaning ‒ everything is now on you and you only. You will not always have enough energy to do it all, you will eventually experience exhaustion from cleaning days. Again, everyone goes through it, and you don’t have to rush yourself. Do everything at your own pace, but don’t be lazy ‒ the main word there is “do”.
3. You might experience loneliness. As much as moving out from your parents looks appealing, there will be days when you will feel very lonely and alone in your new home. Things might be even worse if you will try to jump the gun and more out instantly after your graduation day. Without emotional support and a stable income, your new life won’t be that pleasurable. Moreover, you still have to maintain contact with your family without feeling guilty for “abandoning” them. This also requires a smooth move out rather than burning all bridges in instant. Sure, if you will move in with your partner, things will go more smoothly, but if you won’t, it’s better you remain in touch with your family in order to refrain from negative experiences.

All in all, whatever struggle you have with your move-in, you can handle it ‒ especially if you know some lifehacks that will help you handle the situation.

Tips for moving on your own

The first and probably the most obvious tip is to choose an appropriate house. Consider the location (it has to be in a safe neighborhood and closer to your workplace) and the spending this house will require. Spending all the money on the big house without being able to keep it clean and in one piece is not the wisest choice. 

This also means you have to plan your moving budget properly. If you found a perfect how in a perfect place, but you feel like you won’t have enough money to run it, consider looking for a roommate. This way, it will be easier to accommodate your living. Also, keep in mind that you will have moving expenses ‒ for packing and unpacking, transportation, loading, and loading services. 

Sure, your parents might help you with this one, but it’s always better to count solely on yourself. If they can help you with moving your belongings ‒ great. If they will be able to pay for professional moving services ‒ even better, but don’t forget that your move-in is entirely your responsibility.

The next tip is quite obvious, but still needs a reminder: pack important things first. All necessary and first-need belongings should be moved in the first place so you will adjust to a new home quicker. After all, it won’t be a problem to move your off-season clothes when the time comes to wear them. 

Finally, as much as you might enjoy life on your own, don’t forget about your family and friends. Stay in touch with them ‒ call, arrange a video chat, or even invite them for a Thanksgiving or a summer break. Let them know about important events in your life ‒ it’s a bare minimum. To keep better contact, fill them in with some good things happening in your life. Even small things like finding a nice grocery store close by or looking forward to your weekend plans will bring smiles to your closest ones’ faces.