Moving out on your own for the first time? Follow this dad-approved apartment advice!
Headed to college in the fall or planning to move into your first rental apartment soon? Don’t make any rookie mistakes! To help successfully set you up for living on your own, we asked real Dads to share their best apartment advice. Here’s what 7 dads had to say about living parent-free for the first time.
1. Curate your space to your liking
“Your first home isn’t just a place to lay your head; it’s a space to build deeper memories and friendships,” says Jerrad, the founder of DadTired.com. “Between those four walls, you will laugh, cry and share moments that will turn into life-long memories. From the lighting to the furniture, everything is simply a tool to create deeper relationships. Your new home isn’t just four walls, it’s a sacred space; treat it as such.”
2. Move first, buy second
“The best apartment advice is to occupy before you buy,” says Jed from The Learning Dad blog. “Moving to your own apartment for the first time is always exciting! But try to calm yourself down as it is a phase when many young adults tend to overspend. It is easy to get caught in impulse buying during this time. My advice is to move into your new house first, and then shop for your needs accordingly.”
3. Plan to unpack your essentials first
“Pack the essentials to get you settled quickly,” says Rob from the Regular Dad. “You’ll do more than one trip so have enough clothes for a week and a week of work. Make sure you have your bedding, toilet paper and do some food shopping. The last and most essential item to pack is some beers to celebrate moving out on your own. Enjoy the freedom!”
4. Skip waiting in line and make your own coffee at home
“Live frugal and be careful who you trust. Don’t pay $35 bucks a week for your morning caffeine fix at a coffee shop when you can spend that much a month making your own coffee,” says the executive director of the Dads’ Resource Center, Jeffrey Scott Steiner, M.Ed.
“Be darn sure you can trust someone before you lend them anything, give them your car or apartment keys, etc. New acquaintances can lead to painful lessons.”
5. Invest in your future with smart financial decisions
“Your friends will want new, fancy, lots of amenities, near the popular area,” says Townsend Russell from 100% Dad. “You’re young, this is the time to live like you are broke. Use the difference in money to pursue the things you love. Attempt a business, pursue a passion or invest for the future. High monthly payments rob you of that opportunity.”
6. Investigate your potential apartment thoroughly
“My best apartment advice comes from things I’ve discovered on my renter’s journey,” says Michael Finlay, owner and founder of This is Fatherhood. “If you can, walk into every room in the apartment you want to rent and smell it. We once had a closet that smelled like cat pee and no matter what we did — we could not get it out. Also, make sure to check out the apartment’s surroundings and how much or little tree cover you have. We had a very nice one-story apartment that, unfortunately, absorbed all of the mid-summer sun because there were no big trees or shade of any kind around. It was very difficult to sleep and get comfortable in that apartment during the summer.”
7. Tell everyone you’re moving
“My advice for anyone moving out from their parents’ place and into their own apartment for the first time would be to tell everyone that they are moving out from their parents’ place and into their own apartment for the first time!” says Mike Armstrong from Daddy Realness. “Chances are — the person is going to need more stuff than they can even think of for their new place. Because stuff costs money, telling everyone and their uncle about the impending move opens the door to people offering to give them stuff that they don’t need any longer for free. One person’s clutter is another person’s free microwave, right?”
Moving into your newfound independence
Whether you’re moving out of your parents to live with friends or you’re renting a one-bedroom alone, there’s a lot to learn. As you adventure through your newly found independence of living on your own, keep one thing in mind — you don’t have to have it all figured out right away.
Source: rent.com