Moving out
of home is a rite of passage, we all have to do it at some point in our lives.
Whether it be for Uni, travelling abroad or your own personal choices.
After college/
Uni we are kinda just thrown into the world with no life jacket and given a pat
on the back; that transition can be kinda hard at times because sometimes it
doesn’t feel like there is any transition at all. From being a kid to somehow
learning to “adult”.
So I have
decided to compile some do’s & don’ts on moving out and how to survive!
SAVING ££:
Saving is
important as no one likes to be out of pocket, especially in LDN (story of my
life!); so save dudes! Try starting a savings account, whether it’s for that
house share, apartment or just for a rainy day.
Another great way of managing your money is getting a Monzo account. If you haven't heard of Monzo, it's a virtual bank that provides you with a pre paid card which allows you to control what goes in and out of your account. As soon as you spend money they send you an alert and provide you with details of where you spent your money, what you spent it on and how much you spent. It's pretty dope if you ask me. Since using it I've managed to save a lot!
Pick the right area:
House
hunting is so much fun because you get to find out what home style suits you.
London is fastly becoming gentrified; so most areas are quirky and cool and if you
pop out of your house there’s bound to be a small coffee shop 2mins away selling a 6 quid coffee.
Due to all
this gentrification malarkey rent prices are rising, but this shouldn’t hinder
your search. Doing your research and shopping around for the cheapest deals on
a room or a house will be well worth it in the long run.
I've lived all over London and one app that helped me the most on my flat share quest was the spare room app. It's super easy to use, one thing though - never view a house that doesn't display images of the house. some adds do this and i find it super suspect.
Being
realistic:
Although
moving out of home is a new fun & existing experience I would be lying if I
said it was all shits and giggles.
Truth is
that sometimes it can be a lonely time, when I first moved out I was always
inviting my friends over to keep me company because i hadn't quite adjusted to staying on my own with complete strangers.
I was very
much unaware of the housemate etiquette I should have had.
Also you
never really notice how useful your parents are until you come home and
realize that dinner isn’t ready and your clothes are not washed. WORST. THING.
EVER.
Picking the
right people:
It’s
imperative that we all have a good understanding of who we may be living with.
Who you live with could make or break your moving out experience. If you’re
moving in with friends or moving in with strangers it’s always going To be a
fun experience meeting new people. Who knows you could end up meeting the
housemates from hell or the best friends you ever had, the fun part is the
mystery behind it all.
Safety:
One way to
stay safe is to live in an area that you are familiar with.
Another is
to attend house viewings with someone so that you are not alone
#StrangerDanger.
One key
thing to also be aware of is to never hand over rent money/ deposit money
before you have moved in. A lot of people are tricked in to handing over wods of cash and then their landlord to be just disappears like a fart in the wind - I shed a tear for everyone who has gone through this.
Always do
bank transfer so you can keep track of what you have paid in.
Also,
remember to always, always, always sign some form of contract and make sure you
have read it before signing!!!
Housemates:
The only thing i can say about housemates (because everyone is different) is don't be that person who steals someone's food! once i needed milk and i took someone's milk ended up with a dodgy stomach...i never did that again! Karma was not playing that day.
You'll never feel that pain of someone taking your food until it happens to you. Once i cam down to the kitchen and saw a housemate holding my milk. i said "oh did you need some milk" to which she replied "no i don't need it actually". i found it so funny!
Also it's okay to be free with people but always remember that too much familiarity breeds discontent. We all hate a housemate drama episode, in the end these are people you live with. The same as you don't know your mate until you go on holiday with them. The same can be said for housemates, never know who you are living with until you actually live with them so take heed.
Can I afford
this?
Sometimes we
may feel under pressure to take certain steps in life that we may not be
ready for. Other times what our friends are doing influence our choices.
There is no
set age for when you should have achieved anything in life. Now now I’m not saying
to be a bum, but just make sure that the choices you make are for the right
reasons and do what makes you happy, not what you think will make you happy.
Till next
time dudes!!
,xoxo Tara
