
Leaving home can be one of the most significant transitions of your life. Whilst leaving your annoying siblings, tedious job and parent’s rules can be exciting, people who’ve gone through the moving experience rarely give pearls of insider knowledge, which you’d wish you’d been privy to before packing your bags. From having a backup plan in case you run into a problem on moving day and buying furniture second-hand, there are hundreds of things people forget to tell you about when you’re flying the coop.
Although it might be fun to feel like a fully functioning adult, this feeling doesn’t last long. Most of the time, you’ll feel like a camera’s pointed at you, while you have a face skin to something out of ‘The Office’. So, to prevent you from learning these things the hard way, we’ve created this article outlining several things we wish we’d known before we moved house below.
Always Have A Back-Up Plan
No matter what you’re doing, having a backup plan is essential. It gives you a way forward if something unexpected crops up during your plans. Dozens of things could go wrong on the day (fingers crossed that they won’t!), whether the removers you hire are a no-show due to problems with their vehicle or your landlord has a family emergency, so they can’t hand over the keys.
Due to this, you should always have a plan to fall back on. If there’s a minor problem, you could always load your essentials into your car and ask your friends or family to stay a couple of nights at their house until the issue is rectified. Or, if the problem is more significant, consider using self-storage in London like the ones provided by Safestore. With a self-storage unit, you can store personal or professional items for as long as possible until you can move into your new home at affordable rates and across various locations all over London.
Furniture Is Super Expensive
When living with our parents, we take a lot for granted, which we don’t realize until we live on our own – like having a fully furnished house! Sure, it can be fun stepping into the shoes of an interior decorator, but no one tells you how expensive it is, especially when it’s coming out of your pocket!
For instance, you can spend around £1000-£2000 on a good quality sofa, which few can afford on a single person’s income. In contrast, you can get one in just as good a condition second-hand from an online marketplace or local charity store. Although getting everything brand-new for your first home is excellent, the costs can soon increase when second-hand furniture can achieve the same effect for less. Plus, buying second-hand has lots of other benefits besides just being cheap!
The Running Costs Of Appliances
Chances are you’ve probably heard your Dad compare the house to ‘Blackpool illuminations’ when you lived at home. Back then, you’d probably have rolled your eyes and ignored him, but it isn’t until you’ve moved out that you realize how right he was.
No one tells you about the running cost of leaving the bathroom light on all night or using the dryer for just one t-shirt and not a whole load of laundry when you live on your own. If you were to turn that light off before you went to bed, you could save yourself as much as £280 per year! You can then put your savings towards something you need. Not only does it help keep more pennies in your wallet, but it keeps your carbon footprint down and keeps your Dad from saying the dreaded words: “I told you so!’.