If you haven’t already, eventually, you are going to leave home. Exciting! Well, for a while. Then you realize you have no idea what you’re doing. Maybe you should have tried the dorm life first? Maybe living in the dorms wasn’t a good enough transition between living at home and your first apartment?
Are you ready for the responsibility of not living with your parents?
The first thing you should have before stepping into the world of independent living is a realistic view of how much it’s going to cost (unless you’re not really moving out, you’re just moving into another extension of your parents’ income). I’m talking to the people who are going out on their own for real.
I’m starting a lease in June for a 2-bedroom condo in Milwaukee. A thousand dollars a month for 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, full kitchen, my own washer and drier, living room, dining room, and a 2-car garage, in a nice part of the neighborhood, sounds fairly reasonable to me.
But I have to remember that this is a condominium, not an apartment complex. Condominiums have association fees. My rent covers that. It’s nice to know I don’t pay extra for water, sewage, trash pick-up, and someone even shovels snow for me so I don’t have to. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve had to shovel snow; I really don’t want to do it again. ;-)
Finding out which amenities are included with your new dwelling can often be a pleasant surprise. Water, sewage, and sanitation are usually not something you get a monthly bill for, because it’s usually covered with rent (from my experience).
Aside from the double bill for my first month of rent (hello, security deposit!), what am I going to be getting monthly bills for?
Other Expenses include (but are not limited to)
So, on top of my rent, I can look forward to about $500 a month in additional expenses, give or take. Roommates can cut down on the cost of living. In half, just about. I am still toying with this idea, but I’m leaning towards no.
And that security deposit (usually a month of rent) isn't the only "hidden expense" of living on your own. You'll usually have to pay to have the utilities turned on. Gas and electricity are seperate fees. It's not hard to do on your own, but if you don't want to set up your internet on your own once you purchase a plan, set up costs money as well (I recommend doing it on your own, just because you can call tech support, they will talk you through the whole process, and that's free).
Expenses aren’t the only difference between living at home and not.
Are you responsible enough to make it on your own?
These things don’t really seem important, but if you’re ready to move out, you should be ready to take responsibility for yourself. These are just little things you don’t realize you never learned until 6 days after you’re moved in, looking at half-unpacked boxes, and thinking, "oh shit."
If you’re showing up at your parent(s)’ home every week for food and laundry and maybe just a couple hundred dollars that you swear you’ll pay back, perhaps you weren’t actually ready to move out?
Find out about the place you’re thinking about moving into. What’s the crime rate in the neighborhood? Are you willing to sacrifice your car windshield (perhaps more than once) for a $217 a month difference on your rent bill?
Looking for a place in Tempe, AZ? Avoid renting from Rentals Tempe. They are slum lords who have a history of not fixing any problems at all during the duration of your lease, and then manage to find ways of suing for damages (in addition to not returning security deposits) on a great many of the people renting from them—including damages documented by previous tenants—as in, the person being sued did not cause them. There are ways to find out about your potential landlord(s) before renting from them. The internet is a great resource, especially for reviews. Use it.
Know your State’s laws regarding rental agreements. I’ve had to bring them up in the past, like when my water heater started leaking and my landlord claimed it wasn’t something that needed to be fixed right away. Flooding of any degree in Arizona means immediate intercession. That, and I’ve heard that leaky water heaters have a tendency to explode. I also remember having a little difficulty getting someone to come out when the pilot light on my oven went out and caused a gas leak.
Know what the penalty is for breaking your lease, and know if there are ways to break your lease without having to incur those penalties (military is moving you, etc.).
What are your lease options? Six months, a year, 2 years? What is the fine/consequence for paying your rent a few days late? Can you have pets? Is there a pet rent and/or additional security deposit for them? Ask questions!!
This is all I can think of right now. If anyone else can add, please feel free to hit the "comment" button.
And please rate highly if you liked my post! :-)
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