Moving out of your parents’ home and starting your life on your own is super exciting but also a little bit scary. For the first time, you’ll be on your own and you’ll be the one responsible for everything around the house or apartment. Getting a good headstart will make a difference to your experience on your own, so having a moving out of home for the first time checklist is essential.
That’s exactly what we offer you in this article. You’ll have a thorough ‘moving out of home for the first time checklist’ that will help you prepare for the exciting big day and ensure everything goes smoothly.
Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Hire a Moving Company
One of the first things to add to your big moving out of home for the first time checklist is finding the right moving company to move all your belongings from your parents’ home to your new living space. It’s best not to settle for the first option you find because the company may not be exactly what you need.
You should check out all the local moving companies and get to know them a little bit better. Learn more about how they handle your possessions, if they have insurance, if anything breaks, how far they’re willing to travel, what the costs are, and so on. Knowing as much as possible will make it much easier for you to choose the right company and rest assured that everything will be okay on moving day.
Also, make sure you work with a residential mover because companies that typically work with bigger loads may not be suitable for your needs. They may offer more affordable moving services but work on specific schedules, for example. Spend as much time as you need finding the right company because using the wrong one can ruin your moving experience.
Paperwork You Need to Gather
Moving out is about far more than just moving everything you own to a new location and settling there. Surprisingly, there is a lot of paperwork you’ll need to sort out as well. You’ll need to update your insurance information and your driver’s license if you have one, change your address info at your bank and other companies, and ensure that any mail you receive will go to the right address. Remember to update your subscriptions as well, and update your car registration.
Things You Need to Do for the Government
In addition to changing the information that companies have about you and ensuring your mail reaches the right address, you also need to consider that there are government-related matters to sort out when you move. You’ll have to deal with your tax records as soon as possible so you don’t risk getting into legal trouble. You’ll have to make sure your passport shows the correct address if you’ve added it. Your address should be changed with the US Post Office, but chances are you did that already if you followed the instructions in the previous item on this ‘moving out of home for the first time checklist’.
If you’re still waiting for your driver’s license to be changed, you may have to hire a towing company to move your car. You don’t want to be caught driving without your license, do you?
Utilities you Need to Arrange
Before you can spend even a day in your new place, you have to ensure that all the relevant utilities have been sorted out. It would really suck to arrive at your new home only to find that there is no electricity or gas because you didn’t make the relevant arrangements. You’ll have to contact all the right providers at least a few weeks before you move so everything can be taken care of ahead of your big day.
Here are some of the utilities you need to sort out:
- Water
- Gas
- Electricity
- Internet/Wi-Fi
- Garbage
- Cable TV
Bedroom Furniture and Accessories
Your bedroom will be the place where you rest and find peace after a hard day’s work, so it should be taken care of as soon as possible after you’ve started moving out. You may have to consider working with lease moving truck services so you can move your bed and other big furniture items if you don’t find a moving company with vehicles that are big enough.
In addition to getting storage moving trucks for your bed, wardrobe, and other big items, you’ll have to make sure there’s enough space for other essential accessories and items like your sheets, blankets, pillows, bedside tables, rugs, lamps, and decorations.
Laundry Essentials
If you’re moving into an apartment or house without in-unit washers and dryers, you’ll have to get your own or find a nearby laundromat. If you’re planning on visiting a laundromat often, make sure you’ve got coins for the laundry machines. Laundry essentials you need to own include laundry baskets or sacks, laundry detergent (liquid or pods), and drying racks. You may also need to buy an iron and ironing board and learn how to iron your clothes without burning them—some fabrics should never be ironed, so keep that in mind.
Kitchen Must-Haves
The kitchen is meant to be the heart of a home, so it’s only natural to focus on kitchen essentials for our ‘moving out of home for the first time checklist’. Although most homes and apartments offer basic cabinets and appliances, you need to be prepared and have everything else.
You must have your own cooking utensils, pots and pans, measuring cups, spice sets, bakeware, a strainer, silverware, dishes, drinkware, and food storage items. It’s also a good idea to stock up on paper towels, napkins, dish soap, dishwashing sponges, and dishwasher detergent if you’ve got a dishwasher.
Living Room Furniture and Accessories
Your living room is probably going to be the place where you spend most of your time, at least when you’ve got company. If you already have furniture for your living room bought and waiting in storage, that’s awesome! If not, you’ll have to buy everything you need and safely store it in storage facilities that are secure and won’t let any harm come to your possessions.
If you’re unsure of what your living room will need, just look at your parents’ space and make your own list. You’ll need sofas or couches, a coffee table, area rugs, lighting, a TV, curtains, and any other decorations you want for your own place.
Cleaning Supplies
No ‘moving out of home for the first time checklist’ could be considered thorough without listing the cleaning supplies you’ll need for your own home. There are many to consider, but the most important items and supplies include, but are not limited to:
- Broom and dustpan
- Vacuum cleaner
- Rubber gloves
- Window cleaner
- Carpet cleaner
- Detergent/dish soap
- Garbage bags
- Garbage can
- Mop
- Cleaning solutions
- Tile cleaner
- Multipurpose wipes
- Air freshener/diffuser
Bathroom Essentials
Your bathroom needs to be ready for all your messes (bathrooms can become super messy even when you try your best to keep them clean, so you’ll need to have all the essentials prepared when you move in. You’ll have to have soap, toothpaste and a toothbrush, shower products, cleaning products, toilet paper, a shower curtain, and non-slip bath mats. Don’t forget to add all the lovely decorations that make bathrooms feel like sanctuaries!
Basic Maintenance
Your home won’t be perfect, so you need to be prepared for maintenance and tasks that require special tools or equipment. You should make sure your new home has all the extension cords you’ll ever need, you have extra batteries, a snow shovel and ice melt, a few flashlights, paint brushes, industrial cleaners, and the contact numbers of local professional services if you ever need them.
Tool Kit/Toolbox
What would a moving out of home for the first time checklist be without the mention of a toolbox? Incomplete, that’s what! You may not consider yourself a handyman, but it’s important that you have all the basic tools a standard toolbox comes with, so you won’t be lost if something needs your attention in your new place.
You’ll need a sturdy toolbox with items like measuring tape, spare screws and nails, screwdrivers, nails, hooks, an electric drill, a level, a socket wrench, pliers, masking tape, electrical tape, industrial scissors, a multimeter, and cable ties/zip ties.
Safety Items
You can’t move into your new home without making sure that you’ll be safe and that anyone who visits your home won’t be in any danger or at risk. It’s not a pleasant thought, but you need to be prepared to react to emergency situations. You’ll need to ensure that your home has fully-functional smoke detectors, a working carbon monoxide alarm, a fire extinguisher, and a security alarm. You may also have to add a doorbell camera and other cameras around the property to deter criminals.
Pet Care Essentials
If you have pets or plan to have pets once you’ve moved out of your parents’ home, you need to be fully prepared. Having a pet and not having all the essentials to deal with it can lead to disastrous situations. It should go without saying that you need food, relevant medication, toys, blankets, bowls, and treats for your pets, but there are other considerations to keep in mind as well.
Add to your ‘moving out of home for the first time checklist’ a note to make sure that your home and yard are safe for your pet. You don’t want your beloved furry friend to end up loose in the streets or falling from a high balcony because you failed to plan appropriately.
First Aid
It’s really important that you have a fully stocked first aid kit so you can deal with medical emergencies appropriately and quickly. Running around looking for bandages or disinfectant while you’re bleeding is just asking for trouble. Accidents can happen quite easily, so make sure you won’t be ill-prepared for an unexpected incident.
Your first aid kit should have bandages, bandaids, an antiseptic ointment, a thermometer, painkillers, hydrogen peroxide, cold medicine, an ice pack, tweezers, burn ointment, and medical/first aid scissors at the very least. Adding allergy medicine, an EpiPen, and similar items will make your first aid kit ready for any emergency.
Miscellaneous
There are some things you will need that don’t really fall into specific categories but are still necessary for any person moving into their own place. These items are often overlooked and only noticed when they’re needed, which is then too late to plan for. This includes power strips, clothing hangers, candles and matches, an alarm clock, adapters for plugs and appliances, and similar items. Be sure that you’ve got everything you’ll need by making your own ‘moving out of home for the first time checklist’ with all the things you use now and may need when on your own.
Health Insurance
Make sure you have your own health insurance so you can truly live independently. You can stay on your parents’ life insurance until you’ve worked out the details and arranged your own insurance.
Renters’ Insurance
Settling into your own place is awesome, but you need to make sure the prized possessions you adore so much are insured. Getting renters’ insurance isn’t very expensive and will help you be prepared if anything goes wrong.
Community Connections
Even if you’re not a social person, it’s a good idea to befriend your neighbors and community. These folks can prove to be reliable when you’re not home and keep you informed of dangers and check your place for suspicious activity, and you can do the same for them.
Clean First
Living in a dirty environment is bad for your health as well as your state of mind. Before moving into your new place, give it a complete and deep clean so you don’t have to face any dirty messes, and just enjoy your new independence and freedom.
There you have it—the ultimate moving out of home for the first time checklist that will help you make sure moving out is fun and doesn’t go wrong. Thanks to this list (which you can copy and adjust as you see fit), you’ll be ready and properly prepared for your life on your own and enjoy the many perks of being an independent person!
