Are you excited about moving out for the first time? You should be! This is a great opportunity to grow and learn many new things, but this process also brings many responsibilities. Single life is challenging everywhere in the world, but in LA, it can also be very exciting and terribly expensive, so you have to consider every aspect of it.
Moving Out for the First Time Brings Many Responsibilities – Make Sure You Are Ready for All of Them
Moving out on your own for the first time is one of the things you have probably dreamed of since you were a teenager. But the older you get, the more you realize that living on your own is not all fun and games. You’ll have to make many sacrifices, at least for the first couple of months or years, especially if you still don’t have a steady job or regular income. Your parents might help you at first, but the sooner you get on your own feet, the sooner you’ll feel more independent and confident that this relocation was a good idea.
It’s Always Hard to Leave Your Parents’ Nest, but What Age Is Best to Move Out?
There is no one right answer to this – the best period to move out is when you feel ready. Some people have to move out to go to college but still don’t feel quite ready to leave their parents, and that’s completely fine. Many young adults feel like that, but there comes a time in everyone’s life when we need to grow up and step into the unknown.
At first, you’ll probably feel a lot of anxiety and relocation stress, but this is a step you’ll have to take sooner or later, and it’s always better to do this when all of your friends are leaving their families as well. If you feel anxious about living alone, lying with your best friend and going to college together might help you overcome this challenging period. You won’t feel lonely for sure, and you’ll have someone to help you get through this.
How Do People Afford to Move Out for the First Time?
It’s not that big of a secret that life around some of the best neighborhoods in LA for singles is very expensive, especially if you are still a college student with an underpaid job. Rent is just one part of your monthly expenses, so you have to think this through very rationally if you don’t want to come back to your parents and admit that they were right and you failed your maturity test. It might be a good thing to consider finding a roommate – sharing your monthly rent and bills with someone can make everything exactly 50% cheaper and easier. You’ll also need to have some savings, at least for the first couple of months, especially if you still don’t have a job.
How Much Money Should You Have Saved Before Moving Out?
It is hard to tell because it all depends on your lifestyle. Experts suggest you should start writing down your daily expenses for a month to get an idea of how much you’re actually spending. You might get surprised when you realize how much unnecessary spendings you have on a monthly level.
Don’t forget to add paying for rent, bills, and groceries on top of everything else, because this is something your parents probably covered until now, so you weren’t even thinking about those expenses. That will give you an idea of how much you’ll need to survive on your own. Driving around LA is often very nerve-wracking and expensive, so learning how to live in LA without a car is one thing that you can do during the first period if you want to save money.
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Budget Planning Tips
If you still don’t know how to make a relocation expenses checklist and wonder what you have to include, here’s a little list you can begin with. Obviously, you can add some other expenses, but this is something everyone should include in planning their relocation budget:
- Rent for at least two months,
- Deposit,
- Pet deposit if you are relocating with pets,
- Utilities,
- Transportation,
- College fees,
- Groceries,
- Drinks,
- Packing supplies.
How Do I Cope With Moving Out for the First Time?
Living in downtown LA is probably one of the most exciting places for every single person in the world. However, when the period of relocation starts approaching, anxiety and fear might replace all the excitement and happiness. Fear of the unknown is one of the biggest fears familiar to mankind. Questions that will probably come up to your mind million times will be something like “how am I going to fit in”, “what if my college friends don’t accept me“, “what if I don’t like rented apartment”, “what if I get lost”, “what if I can’t afford all the stuff I need”, “what if my roommate don’t like me”, and so on.
This is a completely normal way of thinking, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself if you experience some kind of anxiety during this period. Some of the best techniques you can use to prevent negative thoughts from overwhelming you are eating healthy, exercising, and having enough sleep. Feel free to talk to your friends and parents about the way you feel and ask them about their opinion. They should know you well enough to know if you are truly ready for this step and if they do, they’ll be your biggest support in this.
Apartment Hunting and Packing Tips for Beginners
Apartment hunting might be challenging, especially in some LA neighborhoods where monthly rent goes over $3,000. If you look at the renting statistics on Rentcafe, you’ll see that only 1% of apartments in LA come with $1,000 rent, and 58% of the real estates you can rent around here are more expensive than $2,500 per month. If you are living alone, you might consider relocating to some more affordable neighborhoods in LA. After you get familiar with renters’ rights and define your expectations, you should consider hiring a real estate agent as well.
Declutter Before You Start Packing
If you lived with your parents before and had a lot of storage space in your home, you probably never thought about decluttering. But that is one of the most important parts of a successful move. No matter if you are relocating to a college dorm room or a rented apartment, you probably won’t have a lot of storage space where you can keep all of your belongings, including clothes and favorite Christmas decorations.
If your parents will still be living close to you, you can ask them to keep some of your stuff at their place, or you can rent a storage unit where you can store all the extra inventory. Our moving company in Los Angeles can offer you convenient in- and-out-of storage relocation services for these purposes. During the decluttering phase, you might also bump into some old clothes and items you know you won’t be using in the future, so consider selling or donating them.
Get Suitable Packing Supplies
Another important thing you have to get through if you want to move efficiently is gathering enough packing supplies. Sure, you can buy brand new ones, but getting some free packing supplies is a much more affordable solution. Go to your local liquor store such as BevMo! and ask them politely if they have some clean and quality boxes that you can reuse for relocation purposes. Instead of buying cushioning supplies such as bubble wrap and packing paper, you can reuse old newspapers and wrap fragile objects with your soft clothes, towels, and blankets.
Prepare a Box With Essentials for Moving Day
One of the best relocation hacks you can use to make this process easier for you is to prepare a box or a bag with essential items you’re going to need for the first day or two. This box should contain everything you use daily. For example, a toothbrush, chargers, clothes and towels, toiletries, medication, important documents, and food for your pets.
If You’re Young, You Might Want to Relocate to Some of the Best Neighborhoods for Singles
This attractive city offers many opportunities for young professionals and individuals looking for excitement and entertainment. From breathtaking parks to amusing LA museums and many exciting places to go out at night, you’ll hardly ever get bored around here. If you want to work on your career, you can also find many excellent job opportunities in some of the best companies to work for. That is why you should consider relocating to one of the best neighborhoods for singles and start living your best life right away. Most people agree that the best neighborhoods for a younger population are:
After Successful Relocation, Give Yourself Some Time to Adapt
After getting to your new home and starting a new chapter in your life, it’s normal to feel insecure and worried about things that are about to come. Give yourself some time to adapt to these changes, and don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself. This process might take a few weeks or even months, but you’ll slowly start to feel more comfortable in your skin day by day.
Relax at some of the best beaches around LA and think about your future goals and past accomplishments. Now that you’ve come this far, nothing should stop you from fulfilling your dreams. Take a look at this video to hear an inspiring story of a girl who moved alone at a young age and what her adjustment period looked like.
Consider Hiring One of the Best Moving Companies in Los Angeles for Easier and More Comfortable Relocation
Our Los Angeles moving company can offer you amazing local relocation services that will definitely help you have a less stressful move. Since you’re relocating for the first time, you probably don’t know anything about packing books, and you have to relocate a computer and many other fragile objects to your new home. Luckily, our experienced Los Angeles movers are here for you.
We can offer you excellent residential relocation service, and if you can’t pack dishes on your own, we offer packing services as well. If you have to relocate large items, our local movers in Los Angeles can even offer you additional labor service. Feel free to contact us whenever you feel comfortable, and our kind employees will answer all of your questions. We can even give you a free quote so you can plan your expenses and stay within the budget.