Moving Out of Home Checklist: The Essential Moving Guide

Moving House? Here's the Essential Shifting Guide

You always have a safety net when you live in the family home. It gives you the chance to explore different opportunities and figure out your path in life. With no house-related financial commitments, you can explore all sorts of things.

But eventually, the time will come for you to fly the nest. You’ll leave your parent’s home and strike out on your own.

It’s a scary thought.

There’s a lot to deal with when moving away from the family home. That means you need to prepare yourself for anything that might come along.

This checklist covers all of the major issues that you might face and what you need to have for the move. Make sure you have a solution for all of them to make the move as smooth as possible.

Item #1 – Work Out Your Weekly Budget

Your mortgage or rent payments aren’t the only bills that you have to consider. There are also plenty of other costs of living that you’re going to have to deal with. These include:

• Council rates and charges.
• Phone and internet bills.
• Home and contents insurance.
• Utilities, such as water and electricity.
• Groceries.
• The cost of commuting to work.
• Regular household items, such as toiletries and cleaning products.
• Any personal loans or credit card bills.

That’s without considering one-time expenses, such as furniture.

Failing to account for any of these expenses can have a serious impact on your living conditions.

Creating a budget is the first step for anyone who’s preparing to move home. Figure out the approximate cost for every regular expense you’ll face. If you don’t know the exact dollar figure, err on the side of caution. Assume you’ll pay the highest amount for the service. Then, add a 10% buffer to cover any emergency situations.

This budget helps you to figure out how and where you need to move your money to cover all of the bills. It also gives you an idea of how much disposable income you’ll have for each week.

Item #2 – Consider the Logistics

How are you going to handle the move?

Will you have a removals firm come in to handle all of the heavy lifting for you? Or, are you going to rely on family and friends instead.

In either case, there are several things to consider.

When hiring a removalist, you need to feel sure they’re up for the job. Make sure they have insurance and check what previous customers have to say. You don’t want to work with a firm that damages your stuff and doesn’t take responsibility for it.

If you’re relying on friends and family, you need to set a date for the move. It’s not always possible to get everyone together on the exact date you receive the keys for the house. You may even have to stagger the move to account for differing schedules.

You also have to consider other issues, such as hiring a van.

Plan the logistics early on so that you can get the move done as quickly as possible. List everything that you intend to take so you can figure out how many trips you’ll need.

Item #3 – Buy Some Tools

Mum and dad aren’t here to help you when there’s a maintenance issue around the house. Well…they might be. But you want to strike out on your own which means you need your own tools.

Invest in a set of high-quality tools that will last for a long time. This will ensure you always have something to hand to manage all of the little jobs around the house. These include things like hanging pictures and installing shelving.

Of course, you’ll still have to rely on others for maintenance issues. But having a toolbox means not having to wait to fix the little things.

Item #4 – Learn About the Local Area

You’ll have researched the location in depth while making your home buying decision. However, it’s a good idea to explore the area in more detail before you make the move.

Pay particular attention to the public transport. Many first-time buyers have to rely on it for the morning commute to work. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll find yourself in a panic every morning until you find out.

It’s also worth finding out where all of the local shops and amenities are. This ensures you can get everything you need without any hassle.

You might also consider introducing yourself to the neighbours in advance. They may be able to offer you more information about your new home.

Item #5 – Learn the Basics of Cooking

This one is for all of those people that rely on mom and dad to feed them. You’re going to have to take care of yourself when you move out, which means learning how to cook.

You can subsist on a diet of toast and other simple dishes. Plus, it costs a fortune to eat out or order food every night.

Grab a few simple recipes and practice them before the big move. Pasta and rice dishes are particular popular because they’re easy to make and don’t cost a lot of money.

Speaking of cooking, you also need to take care of the kitchen…

Item #6 – Buy All of Your Kitchen Goods

It’s likely that the previous owners aren’t going to leave any kitchen appliances behind when they move out. At least they won’t if the appliances aren’t built into the kitchen itself.

That means you’re going to need to buy your own before you move.

Make sure you have the major appliances, which include:

• A fridge and freezer
• A cooker
• A washing machine

Dishwashers and clothes dryers are desirable, but not essential.

With the major stuff out of the way, you need to move onto the smaller appliances. These include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

• Toaster
• Coffee maker
• Kettle
• Ironing board and iron
• Food processor

And anything else that you need to make the most out of the kitchen.

That’s not all. You also need cutlery, plates, dishes, mugs, glasses, and so many other smaller items.

The kitchen may actually be one of the more demanding rooms in the house when it comes to the sheer amount that you have to buy for it. Try to buy everything early so you don’t have to waste time later on.

Item #7 – Buy a Good Bedframe

A mattress on a floor is not a good bed.

While a good frame isn’t an essential purchase, it’s definitely recommended. You need your mattress to breathe, otherwise all sorts of gunk can collect under it.

Of course, you solve this problem if you can take your bed from the family home. But mom and dad might want to use your old room as a guest room. If that’s the case, you need a bed of your own.

Think of it like this. The bedroom is the room that you spend most of your time in. A comfortable bed with a good frame makes the room more attractive and keeps you comfortable at night.

Item #8 – Get Rid of the Stuff You’re Not Taking

You don’t want to clog up the family home with all of the junk that you don’t want to take with you. Mom and dad don’t want it just like you don’t.

That means you need to find a way to get rid of it.

Throwing these items away is the easiest option. However, it may be a better idea to hold a garage sale before you move out. Try to sell as much of the stuff as possible. You get it out of the house and make a little bit of money.

That money can then go towards your new home.

Item #9 – Get Everything That You Need for the Bathroom

Unlike with the kitchen, you don’t need to worry about the major appliances for the bathroom. The previous owners aren’t going to take the toilet or bathtub with them (probably).

However, there are still plenty of things that you’ll need for the bathroom. These may include:

• Towels
• Toiletries
• A mirror
• A medicine cabinet
• Bath mats
• Shower curtains
• Soap
• A plunger
• A toilet brush

Those are the essentials. You can add anything else that you’ll need over time, but you need to make sure you have all of the above before you move.

Item #10 – All of the Other Stuff

That covers most of what you need and a few steps you can take to prepare yourself. Now, let’s look at the sorts of items that often slip under the radar:

• Furniture. As surprising as it may seem, many people who move from home for the first time assume they’ll have furniture waiting. That might be the case for rented accommodation. But if you’ve bought a house, you’ll need to get your own furniture too. Just make sure you have the basics, such as tables, chairs, and a sofa. The rest you can buy as you go along.
• Bins and a few garbage bags.
• Some cleaning supplies. You’ll need a vacuum and a broom. You’ll also want a dustpan and brush as well as laundry detergent and window spray.
• A step-ladder. You’ll thank your lucky stars that you have one when the smoke detector decides to go off for no reason. Speaking of which…
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Install several of these throughout the house and make sure you have fresh batteries for them.
• A flashlight and some candles. Again, you’ll appreciate this when you experience your first power cut.
• A first-aid kit. Stock this with bandages and some basic supplies so you can deal with minor cuts and scrapes.

Talk to your parents about the little-known essentials that every home needs. They’re sure to have a few extra ideas for things that you need to stock up on.

The Final Word

Stress can mount up when you’re preparing to move out of the family home. You’re dealing with lenders, landlords, and any number of other things that distract attention away from the move itself.

This checklist ensures you know exactly what you need to do and take when you move home. Follow each item to make sure you’re as ready as can be when the big day arrives.

But here’s the most important tip of all.

Don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go to plan right away. Your old home is still your family home and you’re always welcome there. Ask for help when you need it and take a moment to actually enjoy the process.

The next chapter of your life has just begun.

Finally, keep Luxo Living in mind for your furniture needs. We offer a wide range of items that are perfect for turning your new house into a home.