Any advice for moving out for the first time?

Question

Moving out with boyfriend...will be 19. Is first time moving out for both of us. Thinking of either an appartment or small house. Both of us have jobs and go to college. We also both have a car that is fully paid off. We have no idea on any of the expenses that we should expect or what to look for or what we need.

Answer 1

Always get everything in writing. Do not move in on a verbal promise. The rent, the deposit (& how you get the deposit back), conditions to living there (no extended visitors, pets policy), etc. should all be written into the lease or rental agreement. Don't be afraid of a lease, it is designed to protect you both.

Don't assume anything. You might see no issues in painting a room, but don't do anything without written permission or you will put your deposit at risk.

Agree about roommates, they generally suck.

I know you don't want to hear it, but cover yourself should the relationship sour. Don't be responsible for all of the furniture or all of the lease.

good luck!

Answer 2

If you move into an apartment, then hopefully any problems that you may have will be taken care of by the management (ie. broken lights, outlets that don't work, etc) within a timely matter. Also, most apartments will pay some utilities, but make sure you ask before signing that paperwork. You may want to consider looking for places that have a washer and dryer in unit, even if that means you have to pay for water. It can get very expensive going to the laundry mat every week or two depending on how much laundry you have to do. Not to mention the gas that you use to drive to the laundry mat if there is not one on site. If you have any pets, you may need to pay a pet deposit and/or a monthly pet rent fee in addition to any other fees (which could include deposit, credit check fee, first and/or last month's rent). Since right now the housing market is taking a turn for the worst, trying to find an apartment to rent for a decent price is going to be difficult as anyone who is being forced out of their home is going to look into renting.

A house is a nice place to live, but there can be many problems that come with it. In addition to any problems you might encounter while living in an apartment, you can also find those problems and more living in a house. Again, any maintenance problems you have should be taken care of by the landlord, but some landlords do not always have their tenant's best interest in mind so it could be days or longer for them to get back to you and to fix the problem. Also, houses usually have yards that need to be taken care of on a regular basis, and if the rent does not include a gardener, then you will be the one doing the yard work. Another thing is that landlords that rent out houses don't always pay for any utilities or HOA fees if there are any. And sometimes, houses do not come with appliances such as fridge, dishwasher, stove, washer and dryer, etc. So that may be another added expense on top of everything else.

Probably the best idea is if it's just you and your boyfriend, look for a one bedroom so you can get use to having your own place and paying the bills that go with it. Also, bills like PG&E will be a little cheaper because you are not paying to put energy into a larger space. In addition, sit down and make a list of the different things that you CANNOT live with out (heater, AC, your animal, etc) and things that you would like to have, but could sacrifice to save money (ceiling fans for example). Then, figure out how much you and your boyfriend can afford on top of the bills you already have, and then look for places within that price range and add about $200 a month for any additional utilities you might have (cable, internet, energy bill, phone, etc).

Also, keep in mind that when your lease is up, most apartment complexes will raise your rent a certain percentage to meet the market price. If you live in CA, the legal limit to raise rent is about 10% of whatever you are paying. So, if you plan on staying a while, make sure you sign a longer lease so they can't raise your rent every 6-9 months.

Oh, and don't forget the nessecities!!! (That would be toilet paper, towels, sheets, a bed, couchs, plates, utensils, etc.)
And FYI: Roommates suck.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Keep separate bank accounts. Feel free to give each other money, but don't lend because you're never gonna get it back because

a. if you eventually marry it won't matter
b. if you don't, you're not gonna get it back.