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Just because I moved out of my parents' house does not mean I'm an expert at giving advice on moving out. Here are just a few things that I learned as Grant and I were moving to our new place.

1.) Make a List

I'm a big "list" person. Whether it is a to-do list, or bucket list, I like making them. This helped a lot when Grant and I were planning on moving out. We made a list of what we want in an apartment and what we don't want, and different sorts of things. Since I'm a big fan of lists, I'm going to try to help you out.

Here are the things I made a list of:

1. What I want in an apartment
2. List of possible apartments
3. Pros and cons to each apartment
4. What I have for the apartment
5. What I still need for the apartment

Those are just a few things that I made a list of. Each list is dependent on who is making it. Just know when to stop making the list! When Grant and I were looking for an apartment, the challenge that I had was actually narrowing down the apartments that I actually want to see and that the apartments that I don't care much of. You don't want to be just viewing apartments, you must know when it's time to make a decision on which apartment you'd go for.

2.) Start collecting hand-me-downs

During college, I decided to room in with a friend for one year. Since then, I have just started collecting hand-me-downs from family and friends. And not only that, I started shopping around several thrift stores, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army. Sometimes, I get this idea in my head that I wanted all of our furniture to be new and to be specifically made for us, but if you're just starting out, here's what you need to keep in mind: It doesn't have to be new or expensive.

The couch that we currently have right now was an old couch that my parents used to have. It definitely is not the best couch, but it works well still, so we just decided to keep it. It also goes well with the colors of the furniture that we have been buying from IKEA.

If you can't find anything cheap at the thrift store, it's okay. Buying items from the thrift store doesn't necessarily mean that you're being smart about your money. When Grant and I were looking for a dining set, we couldn't find anything that was 1.) in our budget; 2.) match everything else. We were going to be okay with the dining set if it didn't really go well with our other furniture, but if it definitely is not in our budget, then we are knew that we would not purchase it. We found a couple of dining sets in several thrift stores that cost about $150, and they looked beat up. We knew that we were not going to be happy with the furniture if we bought it, just because it was in the thrift store. We did research on how much dining sets are from other stores, but none really worked out well for us, except for IKEA. Some would argue that IKEA is not really the best place to shop for furniture, but I think if you just got out of college, trying to start living on your own, IKEA is the best place to get what you need.

But don't take my word for it. Make sure you do your research and compare prices. You'll definitely find the right fit for you!

3.) Budget

Growing up, my parents made sure that I know how to budget my money. For a certain amount of time, when I was trying to save up money to go to the Philippines, I was saving money really well. But now, I have been wanting to buy more and more things. Grant made sure that I understand that we can't just spend all our money in things that I just want and not actually need. I mean, I understood that pretty well, but it was definitely not easy not spending money on things like make up and shoes.

Take time to sit down and maybe set up an excel sheet. Make sure you narrow down the necessary purchases and the unnecessary purchases. Do you really need to get another lipstick shade when you still have 5 other ones? Try to see what the maximum rent you can pay every month. You don't want to be looking at an apartment that is way more than what you actually need, Be realistic.

4.) Shop around

Don't settle on whatever you see first. Make sure you have a good amount of apartments you want to see, but not too much where you get too overwhelmed looking at apartments. Maybe a good number of options is five. Then as you go along, make sure to narrow it even more until you find the perfect place.

5.) Visits

Go and visit your top apartment contenders. Make sure to prepare the questions you want to ask the landlord or landlady. As you do your visits, try to make your list smaller. Narrow down your options to make the decision-making easier for you. If you are looking for an apartment with a roommate or a partner, make sure you have time in between each visit to sit down and talk about the apartment that you just saw. It's important to hear what the other person has to say. Also, keep in mind what they say. Make sure that you are compromising, but at the same time not compromising too much to a point where you think you wouldn't be too happy living in the apartment. Remember: It's your place, too. It's your sanctuary.

6.)  Execute

After finding the place, go ahead and sign the lease. Pack your stuff and get going! It would be an anxiety-filled move, but it would be a very rewarding feeling. Gather your friends and family so they can help with moving. I'm pretty sure they'd be excited to help you, and see your new place. I had a couple of friends help Grant and I move to our apartment, and in return I made them a delicious Filipino style spaghetti.


I hope my list helped you figure out which apartment you end up moving to. If you have a different set of list, please share them.