Thinking of moving out for the first time. (advice welcome)

[Kandyapple]

So for the past year I've been just looking online through listings for apartments, seeing what things cost these days, and just getting a general idea of what I'm looking for. And I think I'm finally going to make the jump come September/October when my work picks up again. But I've come to the conclusion that I'm probably going to need a roommate. At first I thought I could do it on my own. But I realized that the areas that I could afford would probably be a bit sketchy to live in, or just too far away from my work.

The thing is for right now I'm actually trying to look for a month to month situation, or at the most a 6 month lease. The reason for this is that my mom and I currently live in a housing arrangement where you have to have a child living with you to stay there. It's subsidized housing and my mom is currently just living on savings. So if I move she has to move too, and her rent is going to be a lot higher then what she is paying now. So this move affects both of us. But with our housing they will actually let you stay 5-6 months longer after your child moves out, incase they want to come home, you don't have to lose the housing right away. And pretty much I just don't want to get locked in, incase she has trouble getting back to work and finding a decent place. (Our place is in a pretty decent location, so it's a bit hard to give up and downgrade if you don't really have too.) I just really feel the need to at least try it on my own. Even if just for a trial period to start.

So I guess this spiel goes with a question to whoever wants to answer.
But does this seem like a feasible plan? I just don't know if there is a lot of somewhat decent housing out there that will do a 6 month lease. And even if you find that, would you live with someone that could only really commit to that much time in the beginning? And if you had to sign up for a year lease, would you still consider living with that person, even though it meant you would have to find someone to take over the other room later down the road? (oh and by decent, I don't mean some swanky Yale town apartment. (I just mean clean, and hopefully with no crack heads living next door.)

Any advice on the first move would be helpful. Things you didn't consider when you first moved out? Extra bills, items you didn't realize you needed, ways to avoid picking the roommate from hell!?!?! lol

Also if your looking for a similar situation around the time I'm looking to move out, let me know. Because so far I don't really have anyone in mind. But don't message me if you like to smoke in every room of the house, or drink/do drugs excessively. Or if you don't care about having a dirty apartment. I can be messy too, but usually that just means some clothing on my bedroom floor, and a couple dishes left in the sink. People I have met before/know well are preferred. ( I guess this is borderline classifieds material)

[Gusto]

what a fun, sexy time for you.

[sidekick]

i just moved out into my own apartment and there are SO many things i never thought i needed. there's no way you are going to pick up everything you need before you move out (and you shouldn't because it means more packing!)

what i'm doing is keeping a piece of paper handy and then writing down something that i need to get when i remember that i need to get it. for instance a few days ago i was going to take something off the stove and realized i didn't have an oven mitt, so that went on the list.

also as you get your mail now, you should write down a list of places that you're going to need to contact to change your address.

[Kandyapple]

lol yes moving is such a sexual experience. :p

[Kandyapple]

Ah yes the mail. I'm hoping that I can just keep it going to my old address to start, since I plan to still be there a lot since it's close to my work. But that's a good point.
I think things like the oven mitt should be somewhat easy, because my mom has more stuff then she can handle right now. lol I swear she just collects furniture and other household items for fun, but has no place too put it! I guess I'm also hoping that me moving out will force my mom to organize her life, and get rid of some stuff that she really doesn't need. There is so much stuff hiding in our place that we never use!

[sidekick]

^hehe, both my parents brought over boxes of dishes and stuff that they had.

[Kandyapple]

They are good for that arn't they. lol I'm trying to find a way to convince my dad he really doesn't need these awsome leather couches he has. haha

[Discord]

I just got my own place a week ago.. i'm not fully moved in.

tho i got a good deal. no roommate needed. I could never live with someone else.. tried it once...it wasn't fun.

[sidekick]

yeah, i've only had roommates since i moved out of my parents place in 2003...definitly great to have a whole place to myself. my apartment looks so empty because i'm used to having to cram everything into one room.

[Goat]

Things I never thought about:
Connection/disconnection fees for utilities and phone
Expect a bigger then normal grocery bill for first month as you need to stock your pad - food, cleaners, mop, broom, PLUNGER, TOILET PAPER, vacuume, plates, cups, cutlery, EGG FLIPPER, pots, pan
when you sign your lease be super thorough when you're inspecting for previously damaged things - you'll get screwed for your damage deposit if the lists don't match up.

things that make all the difference to happy living:
extra toilet paper, coffee table (it sucks not to be able to put your feet up after a long day, and if you're on a budget it's a kitchen table too), decent couch, book shelf


good luck!

[sidekick]

^yeah, i'm going for my first grocery shop in my new apartment sometime today. i know my bill is going to be way higher than it normally would be. but since it's the first tuesday of the month safeway takes an extra 10% off...so i'll be saving probably like fifty dollars just for going shopping today.

[Goat]

Really? 10% off the first of the month, when did they start doing that?

Don't forget about coat hangers, ziplocs, and garbage bags.

[Kandyapple]

Yah I never heard of this 10% off thing. But thanks for the advice on the hook up fees, totaly didn't think of that one.

[Sykonee]

Safeway's always had that. It's their Customer Appreciation Day, first Tuesday of every month. Lot's of rippin' sales going on right now on top of that too (works for Safeway; would know).


As for the whole moving out thing, my best advice is to just stock up on as much funding as you can, then get things as you need them rather than try to get everything all at once. Sometimes you'll think you need an item (like, say a mop) but realize you don't even use it much when sometimes it'd be quicker to just get down on hands and knees with a scrubber. Don't be in a hurry to fill up your pad; just start with the basic essentials for the first week then go from there as the months move along.

[*Geminiz*]

Laundry! It really adds up if you don't have insuite laundry (which is likely the case in most apartments). When I didn't have insuite laundry I was spending between $80-$100 / month on laundry including detergent etc. for the two of us.

Some buildings have move-in fees.

Extra cost of transportation if you are moving further away from work.

I think that it is totally do-able finding a place that allows for month-to-month renting or a 6 month lease. Normally they will want a lease for 1 year signed though. But it is possible to find.

hmmm, I'll try to think of more

[Chewy]

Originally Posted by Sykonee

Safeway's always had that. It's their Customer Appreciation Day, first Tuesday of every month. Lot's of rippin' sales going on right now on top of that too (works for Safeway; would know).
.

yea.. but i wouldnt suggest buying your produce there, the best place to go is those farm produce markets they have in the strip mall type places, my mom only buys our produce there cause its like half the price of safeway

[Sykonee]

Yeah, produce is pretty pricey. Heck, I work there and I never buy any produce (well, aside from maybe a Salad-In-A-Bag... Primo Bachelor cookin'!)

[Kandyapple]

Ok just set up my first appartment viewing. It's actualy a really good location for me, because it's a couple minutes from my work, and some of the units have wicked views of the water and city. It's a large building, so I see availability for units (studio-2bdrm's) come up from time to time. So I hope if it goes well, and I like it, they may have something come up for later in the year.

[Kandyapple]

Oh I also have another question. I've heard that you can break a lease. (Say I do sign up for a one year, but then I need/want to move home after 6 months) But I don't know if that is easy to do, or it depends on the property manager. Some people say you just lose your damage deposit. But that seems too simple. Has anyone done this before?

[PwInCeSs]

It depends on the property manager in some cases...
If its a popular building where they rent out quickly, usually they will not have a problem with you breaking the lease(thats what happend to me i lost my DD thats it though) Ive heard some people having a bit more difficulty but i dont remember what happend...
Most places will let you with just giving up your DD or paying a fine typa thing.

[Goat]

It differs from places to place. The way it works with Sterling Management (a bunch of cheap bastards, the lot of em), is a month to month lease that can be broken anytime as long as long as the place is steam cleaned professionally and available for the 1st of the month.
If it's not steam cleaned there goes your damage deposit. If it's not available for the 1st they charge you an entire months rent extra.

[Jeaninah]

I love living out on my own.. best thing ever

my advice for you, pick a roomate that you don't know very well because its alot easier to fight with a close friend. or something.

also, convince your parents to take you grocery shopping for your first shop cause its expensive as hell. Tell them its an investment into having smaller grocery bills. And then buy all the good shit.

[*Geminiz*]

Regarding breaking leases: I've broken so many! It's different every time as far as how it works. First time I broke my lease - I got all of my damage deposit back after I cleaned the place. Another time our roommate got us kicked out so they paid us our damage deposit less deductions for every little thing they could find that was dirty/damaged. Usually there is a clause in the lease agreement stating how you can move out before you have lived there for the full term. Usually that is that you give up your damage deposit.

[Bitchin]

you shouldnt have a problem getting a month to month lease. erin and i are one and most of the place weve looked at are on them. but also ask if how long they will allow you there for.

if they wanna do a credit check, ask why.
if they want your sin number, i wouldnt give it to them.[imo]
we said no to one guy, he thought we knew too much. sooooooo didnt rent from there.

make sure they dont charge you more then half the rent for the damage deposit. if you have a pet ask bout the pet deposit.

take pics right before you move, and do a walk thru.
so when you move out they can fuck ya over for the deposit.

ask about the area and wats around.

for rent, sumtimes you can bargan. [especially in basement suites]
like if the place has coin laundry make them dock the cost of laundry from the rent.

hrmmmmmmmm

[nabs]

Seriously Save up a lot of money. have a steady job, or steady source of income.