So yesterday I got the assurance that I get a nice, little flat (still super excited because it took almost a year to find one yay). So, this is the first time moving for me...and I actually have no idea what to do till then (I'm moving in on the first of August)... So Subeta, how was your first time moving out? Was it very stressing? My parents are going to help me but I'm not quite sure if everything's going to be alright D:

That's so exciting!! Good for you :)

For me moving out definitely had its ups and downs... It took me a few months in that area to find a job so I spent a while not knowing how I was going to continue paying rent after my savings ran out o.o

I took WAY too much stuff with me, especially since it was a small apartment. I should have gotten rid of like half my stuff before I moved (or just stored it at my parents') because I didn't need it and I knew I would only be in that apartment short-term. I ended up carrying SO much furniture and SO many boxes in when I moved and EVEN MORE furniture and boxes out when I moved again and looking back it was not worth the effort.

I hadn't done much cooking or taking care of a place on my own before, so that was hard sometimes. But I learned some simple recipes by watching cooking videos online. And I ate a lot of sandwiches and pasta... It didn't kill me. I called my parents with stupid questions all the time ("Does your vegetable soup have chicken or beef broth in it?" "Where do I get a replacement light bulb for the refrigerator?") and googled the ones that were too embarrassing to ask ("How do I fix burnt carpeting?" "Can I eat week-old leftover pizza?") and so on XD

Anyway it was all SOOOOO worth it to have a space I was in control of. I didn't have to fight with my mom about staying out, or leaving dishes in the sink, or not wanting to do other stuff she wanted me to do. And it was cool to have friends over and not have to stay in just my bedroom or the basement or whatever to get space away from parents (I'm making them sound terrible but really it was just that I needed my own space haha).

As far as what you can do to prepare, I think it would be helpful to make a list of things to take with you when you move to make sure you have everything you need but not more than what will fit in the apartment. If it's in a different area from where you live now, maybe take a visit or spend some time looking online to see where to go get groceries, etc., or some other things you'd like to do nearby.

I'm sure things will go fine :)

congrats!! are you moving in with housemates or is it your own place? either way, i think you're really gonna enjoy all the privacy and space. (:

ps i made a thread last year called "stuff you wish you'd known before you moved out" and people provided a lot of good insight.

Ooh, congrats! Having your own place is so incredibly lovely. I moved out of my parents' house last year and love my apartment so much. I also got my own dog a few months ago. So I really love coming home. :)

Decorating is really fun too! You really get to make the space your own! :D

I'm moving to another part of my hometown (it's a pretty big city), but only 8 minutes away with the tram from where I used to live ^_^' but still I'm so excited!

I'm moving on my own, alone...I wanted a place for myself like forever and this is it now :D

Yes, finally I can throw my precious plushies EVERYWHERE without anyone complaining! Woohoo!!

That is so great! I still live with my parents, although we've moved a couple of times. All I can really say is ORGANIZE. Label what's in your boxes. From the contents to the room they go in, LABEL THE SHIT OUT OF EVERYTHING. XD Losing track of things is SO annoying. And trust me, you will not find that whatever-you-lost until you buy a new one. -_- It's going to be SO frigging much fun decorating how you want though, ugh. I can't wait to be able to do that. And you can get PETS. Whatever critters you can take care of financially and have the time to properly care for can now be YOURS. I'm getting a rat when I move out. XD Anyways...I'm rambling again so I'll shut it. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU AND CONGRATS!

oh gosh i hate moving from one place to another. this is how i lost [literally lost] a big hanging scroll i had [i dont think it can be replaced, as i ordered it from japan, long story >> ] and a lovely cream top with some animal print on the bottom... and recently a lovely Galliano hat ;-; i really want that hat back.. i have no idea where it went ;-; label every box, number them, make double lists with what they contain.

are you renting?

omg. I still store things at my parents because I have a small apartment and I have way too much crap. I'm sort of like a pack-rat... I can't get rid of anything.

Way to go! I moved out about 4 years ago. I was really excited to have my own place (I was kind of kicked out because of some mental disorders and my dad refused to have me in the house. My dad is an asshole, but that's besides the point. I don't really remember how my mom reacted). I didn't go anywhere because I waited day and night for "that call" to see if I got the place or not.

When I moved in, my mom came to stay with me for a few nights. I cried like a little baby when she left. I had help moving in and the boxes were practically unpacked the same day I moved, so I knew what went where.

I'm 10min down the street from my parents, which is cool. I go there pretty much on a daily basis to eat dinner and during the summer, I swim in the pool.

It's really exciting to move. I would certainly recommend only moving once.... it's a lot of work!

I love my hamsters, but I think my next pets are going to be rats. We had rats as kids.

I moved out of my folks' house last summer. It was surprisingly easy. I went through all my stuff and threw away or sold all things unnecessary... Then mom and I drove to my flat a couple of times with my things, and that was it. There were a couple of visits to Ikea, because I had no furniture at all. The hardest part was probably measuring my flat and finding the right-sized furniture for it. I mean, this place is 16 m2 (or 172 ft2) so everything had to be EXACTLY the right size. XD My boyfriend had been living in this city for 1.5 years already so I knew the area pretty well, but I bet things would've been scarier if I had never been here before.

I don't have thaaat much of stuff to label to, but I still need to buy the most of the things :/ this is going to be fuuuun yaaay sigh

Yes, I'm renting ^_^ buying houses/flats in germany is expensive as f*** so no thanks haha

My parents are 8 minutes away with the tram that stops right around the corner where I'm going to live...they still want me to come over for dinner D:

To my luck, that's still my hometown where I live so I pretty much know everything where the important stuff is :D my flat is going to be 30 m² big~

eeh.. going to your parents' house for dinner doesn't sound so bad. i sometimes wish i could go over to my parents' for dinner, but........ they live pretty far. and they dont really cook stuff i like. :/ it's easier if i cook myself, haha

30 m2??? so tiny... but ..... better than nothing... some romanian apartments can be this small as well.. well they do have 1 room, a kitchen and bathroom.. and hallway and balcony if you're lucky. Our flat has a bedroom, living, a LARGE hallway [can be used as extra room], kitchen, bathroom, and 3 balconies. ~70m2 i love it here <3 I'm also renting. Buying a house here is out of the question [for me] but an apartment.... is cheaper and i really want to stop renting -_-;;;

i wish you all the best~~~

Congrats! I first moved out at 17 and went to a hall of residence (dorm) for university. It was pretty scary to leave home (my parents lived in a town 2 hours away), but I soon got used to it. It was pretty hard at first though. After that I lived in shared apartments, a shared old house (really old and scummy but cheap), boarded with a family, and now my partner and I have our own (rented!) place.

I love having my own place - it's so hard sharing with others and my partner works late so it's usually just me at home. It's so great not having to argue with flatmates. When I come home and stay with my family now it can be difficult as parents have their own rules and ways of doing things, whereas when you live by yourself you make the rules. It's great living by yourself and having freedom - even having your own kitchen is a huge benefit and being able to cook what you want, order fast food if you feel like it without being judged, and being able to put your own style and flair into the place. You can easily have dates or friends over and know you won't be disrupted. It's awesome :)! You choose who you want to see every day.

When I moved out, I was barely 18 and I went to the other side of the country (3000km away). So that was stressful, to say the least. XD

I didn't stay out there long, though; just a year before I moved back to my hometown. Returned to my family's home just long enough to find my own place again (it would have been too hard to house-hunt from the other side of the country), and I've been on my own ever since. Sure, paying your own way for things can really suck (especially at the beginning when you're first discovering just how expensive it all can be XD), but the sense of freedom it gives you makes it so completely worth it.

Take these next few months to start packing things you won't need/miss until the move (winter clothing, for example), and start decluttering. Moving is an EXCELLENT time to go through all your things and get rid of all the useless junk you've been holding onto. During my last move I ended up donating at least four garbage bags worth of clothing I just didn't wear anymore.

Also, start acquiring the things you're going to need now. See bulk toilet paper on sale? Buy it. Discounted dishes? Grab 'em. Good price on towels? Well, you get the idea. Make a list of the things you have and the things you still need to get, and cross them off as you find them. This way, come moving day, you don't have a giant hole in your bank account because you needed to buy everything THAT DAY. You have time on your side right now, so use it to hunt for good deals and spread out your spending.

Also, for the first couple of months (at least), keep a very close eye on where you're spending your money. For years I would keep every grocery receipt on my fridge and total up what I spent at the end of each month to make sure I was consistently staying on budget. Not saying you have to do exactly this (online banking is considerably more popular now than it was when I first moved out =P), but just be sure you know where your money is.

Oh, and if anyone asks you what you want for a housewarming present, or even for your birthday, Christmas, whatever holiday - the answer is GIFT CARDS. Grocery stores, IKEA, a shop near your new place you think you'll be shopping at a lot? They may just save your ass one day. Hell, I've been on my own for about 10 years now and I STILL love getting gift cards as presents. =P

Start preparing now, and I'm sure you'll be just fine. =3

Oh yes, can't wait to have all the freedom I've always wanted :3

I'd love to start packing already, but the problem is that I have barely any space to store all the things. I also need to wait with buying all the tiny stuff until I have my own place...ugh