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Should I Move Out of My Parents' House? Pros & Cons

November 8, 2021

Are you currently living at home and wondering if it’s time for you to move out of your parents’ house? We’re here to help by providing you with some things to think of before making the big move.

In this article, we’ll tackle a few questions you should ask yourself to determine if you’re ready, as well as the pros and cons of moving out of your parents’ house.

1. Are You Financially Ready?

One of the first questions you should ask yourself if you consider moving out of your parents’ house is if you are financially ready to do so. Do you make enough money to move out?

To determine whether or not you are financially ready to move out, you’ll need to consider the cost of living in your new apartment. Take that amount and multiple it by four to figure out how much money you need to be ready to move out.

The reason you need to have so much money initially to move out is to cover moving expenses and have a cushion of two to three months of emergency savings.

Do You Know How to Manage Money?

Unfortunately, making enough money is not an indicator that you are financially ready to move out. You must also make sure you know how to manage money.

If you don’t already have one, it’s time for you to create a budget to track your income and expenses. Creating a budget will help you get a better idea of how much rent you can afford.

When creating a budget, make sure you consider both fixed and variable expenses. Some of the more common fixed costs will include:

While some of the everyday variable expenses include things like:

  • Entertainment
  • Groceries
  • Clothing
  • Restaurants

2. Are You Emotionally Ready?

You can’t predict the future, and you certainly cannot predict how you will feel in the future, but you do need to sit down and consider if you are emotionally ready to move out of your parents’ house.

Living on your own means being entirely independent, which can be a drastic change for people who heavily rely on their parents.

Not only do you have to consider your feelings, but you should also make sure that your parents’ are also emotionally ready for you to leave the house as well. While it needs to be a decision you ultimately make on your own, their feelings should not be entirely ignored.

3. Do You Have Basic Life Skills or a Desire to Learn?

Having basic life skills is essential when living independently since you will only have yourself to rely on. Thankfully, nowadays, it is easy to pick up critical life skills thanks to online tutorials and YouTube videos.

Regardless, you should have some life skills or, at minimum, a desire to learn life skills. Without that desire, you’ll find that you may struggle with living on your own.

4. Would it Shorten Your Commute?

As a working professional, you want to consider your commute time. Sometimes, moving out of your parents’ house can be an excellent option if it helps shorten your commute.

If moving out will increase your commute time, it might be a decision worth reconsidering.

5. Would Your Parents Be Safe Without You?

Some children stay home to help their parents around the house as they get older. Remember to consider the needs of your parents, especially if they are elderly or need any extra assistance.

Will your parents be safe in their home without you there? If so, you shouldn’t have any issues with moving out. Otherwise, you might need to figure out an alternative solution or reconsider altogether.

Pros of Living on Your Own

When you choose to live on your own, you can look forward to gaining independence, privacy, self-esteem, and opportunities.

Independence

When you move out of your parents’ house and begin living on your own, you will almost immediately feel a gratifying sense of self-sufficiency and autonomy. While you may face hardships along the way, the path to independence is rewarding enough to endure.

Living on your own means that you make the rules for your house, how you live, and how you spend your time and money. Some of these big decisions you will now make on your own may include things like:

  • When you eat your meals
  • What you eat for your meals
  • If you want a pet (if your apartment allows it)
  • Who can come over and when
  • If you want to have a party

Above all, though, the feeling of knowing that you support yourself is one of the most gratifying feelings out there.

More Privacy

In addition to making your own decisions, you will have much more privacy living on your own. Parents are naturally curious because they care and want to know what’s going on in your life.

While they can still show that they care by calling and checking in, you will have more freedom and privacy.

Social activities can now go uninterrupted without your parents around, whether in your apartment or outside.

For those with a significant other, having more privacy is crucial for a developing relationship. Moving out of your parents’ house and into an apartment of your own is a big and important step for the both of you.

Self-Esteem

Since living on your own requires a whole new level of independence, you must elevate your sense of self-esteem and self-reliance. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that there may be difficult trials and tribulations to get here, but in the end, it is gratifying.

Living on your own will put you to the test emotionally, as it will force you to become more resourceful. You will learn to problem-solve on your own and overcome obstacles that you may be faced with on your own.

As you get the hang of living on your own, you may not realize you are gaining both practical knowledge and experience in real-life scenarios. All of these things contribute to your development as an individual.

Opportunities

Choosing to live on your own opens doors to countless opportunities you may not experience while in the comfort of your parents’ home. For starters, you may choose to move cities or even states.

Maybe you’re choosing to move for a job, in which you will have to relocate. This opportunity will bring with it a new environment, new people, and new adventures for you to pursue.

Stepping out of your comfort zone and moving out of your parents’ house is the first step in a long path to self-discovery. As new opportunities constantly present themselves, you are forced to make decisions independently. The options you seek out and pursue, and your decision will ultimately help shape who you are as an individual.

Cons of Living on Your Own

While there are many benefits to living on your own, there are also downsides. Some of these pitfalls might include more responsibilities, costs adding up, and emotional disadvantages.

More Responsibility

You might think that you’ve got a good amount of household chores to take care of at home, but almost assuredly, these responsibilities are split between you and your parents.

When you live on your own, you immediately become responsible for cooking your own meals, cleaning up your apartment, etc. Not only are these chores annoying and laborious, but they can also be incredibly time-consuming.

Some renters think that living on their own means they have all the time in the world to spend as they please. However, they might not realize they now need to allocate much of their time to household chores. You’ll not only need to find time each day to commit to tasks but also large chunks of time for the deep cleans and bigger projects your apartment requires.

It Adds Up

One of the most significant disadvantages to living on your own is that it is more costly. You are at greater risk of unanticipated expenses than when you live at home. You will be solely responsible for paying for your living expenses, which will include things like:

  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Groceries
  • Transportation
  • Household supplies
  • Toiletries
  • Etc.

All of these regular living expenses add up quickly, let alone the countless other things that may pop up, including minor maintenance concerns, gifts, entertainment, etc.

It can be challenging to save money while living on your own, which is why many renters put a lot of thought into it before deciding to move out of their parents’ house.

Emotional Disadvantages

Not only do you have a fewer household and financial responsibilities when you live at home with your parents, but it is also a more emotionally secure environment. When you live at home, more often than not, you can rely on the fact that your parents will be there to support you should you need it.

However, if you move out of the house, you start on your own path of independence and freedom. With that comes physical separation from your parents. In some instances, you might be divided by county lines, and in others, you could be near across the country from one another.

Some people might look forward to having some separation from their parents, though others might have a hard time with the emotional repercussions. Thankfully, with the technology of today, your parents are a mere Facetime or phone call away.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the decision to move out of your parents’ house comes down to several considerations, each of which you have to make on your own.

However, if you decide to leap and are interested in moving out of your parents’ house, now might be a good time to start looking around at your options. First, find out more information about the true cost of renting an apartment. Next, register with Apartment List today and start checking out the thousands of available apartments to rent in your area!

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Emily Kho
EMILY KHO
Emily is a professionally trained writer who covers a wide range of topics associated with the rental market and real estate industry. With over a decade of professional writing experience, Emily comes from a strong background in the field backed with a Bachelor of Science from the world-renowned William F. Read More

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