10 Signs It’s Time To Move Out Of Your Parents’ House
Do you ever wonder whether it’s the right time to move out of your parents’ house?
You might have had random thoughts here or there recently about moving out on your own or with roommates. Or maybe you’ve always dreamt about being independent.
If you’re currently live at home as a young adult, it can be a really great thing.
If your parents cook and clean for you and you don’t have to pay rent, it’s a great way to save money along with spending time with your family.
However, sometimes that scenario is just not possible depending on your specific home situation and where you are in life.
10 Signs That It’s Time To Move Out Of Your Parents’ House
If you’re not sure whether it’s something that you’re ready to go through, there can be a variety of subtle signs that it’s time to pack up and move out.
In this post, I lay out 10 signs that it might be time to venture out into the world on your own.
1. You still have a curfew
Back in the day when I still lived at home, my parents wouldn’t let me go out on a work night and I always had to come home by a certain time on weekend nights – no exceptions.
It felt restricting, like I was still a 16-year-old teenager, even though I was already working full-time by then.
Having to follow strict rules at home under your parents’ roof as an adult can be really hard.
You want to stay on your parents’ good side but it might mean kissing your social life goodbye.
If you constantly have to abide by their rules and it’s wearing you down (it is their house after all so they have a right!), it might be time to consider moving out.
2. You don’t have any privacy
Sometimes you just want to keep parts of your life private from your parents and siblings.
If you’re still living at home, nothing is really private.
Your room and belongings are clearly laid out for anyone to just come by and snoop around if you don’t have a lock on your door.
Your family will probably also know a lot about your social and love life if you tend to bring people over.
If you’re a private person and you like to keep things to yourself, moving out can help solve this problem.
3. You have a toxic relationship with your parents
If you have a toxic relationship with your parents where you feel trapped and unhappy, it might be time to think about cutting ties and moving out on your own.
Before I moved out, I was nagged and criticized on a daily basis.
From constantly being told that I wasn’t studying enough to being told that I wasn’t making the right decisions or life path, I felt like I was never good enough or up to their standard no matter what I did.
Moving out did wonders for my mental health and confidence.
You might have very different issues with your parents and close family members.
But regardless of what it is that you might be facing, being around a toxic and negative space can be very draining on your mental health.
If you’re capable of getting away from constant negativity, I highly recommend doing so. It might even improve your relationship with them in the long run!
4. Your commute is too long
We spend enough of our waking hours at work that commuting on top of that can eat up a lot of what’s left of our personal time.
Because commuting can take up a huge chunk of your work day, reducing the amount of time that you spend on the road as much as possible should be a priority.
If you find that you’re spending too much time, it might make more sense to move to a place that’s closer to work if you’re financially able to.
There’s always a trade-off between saving money when you can live at home but spending more time commuting vs. having a shorter commute but spending money on food, rent, utilities, and furniture.
It’s up to you to figure out which is worth it.
5. You hate having to give constant updates of your whereabouts
One of my pet peeves when I lived at home was having to constantly let my parents know where I was.
If I wanted to go somewhere or skip a meal with them, they needed to know exactly where I was going, with whom, and when I’d be back.
For me, having the freedom in my life is really important so constantly updating them back in the day was a total pain.
It is totally understandable that parents in general want to know these details since you are living under their roof and they care about you, but it can be a bit of a nuisance and feel a little restricting.
6. Your parents’ keep dropping hints
If your parents are actually dropping you subtle hints that it’s time to move out, it might be time to finally leave the nest.
Some parents just don’t have the heart to outright tell their adult kids that they want time alone now that their kids have grown up because they don’t want to be mean and kick them out.
7. You don’t have basic life skills
If you’re totally clueless as to how to make your own meals or do your laundry, you might want to consider moving out just to learn how to survive on your own without the help of your family.
Lacking the knowledge of fundamental and basic skills isn’t totally uncommon if you’ve lived at home all of your life, especially if your parents did everything for you.
But growing up means accepting that you have to learn how to do all of this stuff yourself so what better way to learn these skills than by moving out and living on your own!
8. You’re getting to a certain age
Age shouldn’t be the deciding factor on whether you move out if you’re still in your teens and 20’s.
If you’re still in that age range, it’s still seen as perfectly fine if you live at home and get some help from your family.
It might be because you aren’t where you need to be in your career yet or you’re still working on getting further educated.
However, if you’re already past 30 with your own job, friends, and money and you’ve never left home yet, you need to get your own place! By this age, you should be an independent person with your own life.
9. You’re financially stable
If you’re financially stable, it might be a great time in your life to start living a more independent life.
If you don’t need to rely on anyone else to help pay your bills and you’re not living paycheck to paycheck with the constant stress that you can’t make ends meet, you’re a great candidate!
Being financially ready means you have the freedom to decide when you want to move out and to pick from a variety of options of where you want to live.
Being financially stable should always be a goal but this is a definite must if you’re thinking of moving out.
If you’re not sure if you’re ready, I talk more about how to know if you’re financially prepared in my guide on how to move out on your own.
10. You crave independence
Sometimes you just know deep down inside that it’s the right time to move out because you crave to be truly independent and free to discover the world on your own terms.
Living at home can sometimes make it feel impossible to be yourself because you constantly have family telling you what to do and watching every move that you make.
By moving out, you’ll be able to do things at your own pace, think for yourself, and make decisions by yourself without others clouding your thoughts with their judgement.
Conclusion
There’s no right or wrong decision and ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether moving out is right for you or not.
There are always pros and cons to each situation and many factors will affect your decision such as your financial situation and your relationship with your family.
I hope my post was helpful and gives you some ideas as to whether or not it’s the right time for you to move out.
If you’re still on the fence, head on over to my beginner’s guide on how to move out on your own for the very first time where I talk more about everything that you need to know before moving out.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of my posts on how to adult:
- A Beginner’s Guide: How To Move Out For The First Time On Your Own
- 8 Lessons You Learn Once You Move Out On Your Own
- The Ultimate Guide: First Apartment Essentials
- Moving 101: The Essential Guide To A Successful Move
- Should I Move In With My Boyfriend? 8 Questions You Need To Ask Yourself
- How To Find The Perfect Roommate & Tips On How To Avoid Conflict
- 6 Lessons You Learn When You Move In With Your Boyfriend
I honestly started to think about moving out from my parents when I was 22/23 and my friends kept on asking why was I still staying at home, lol. I got super self conscious but I was still in uni. When I graduated, I moved out 5 months later and absolutely loveee it!
I’m so glad you love living on your own!! It’s an awesome time in your life to experience being independent!
Was really unsure about this, but your guide helped me decide, thanks alot.
i am from india and we follow the culture of staying with parents forever. But for a girl like me in her 20’s, it has become really suffocating for me to stay with them, as there is a constant pressure of getting married, they dont like my dating life, constant control, no independence, and the list never ends. It has started taking a toll on my mental health and in last two months i have lost weight drastically due to poor mental health. I am considering moving out and i know that it will really help me. Your post felt like a giant hug that someone is there to listen and understand. Thanks!
Hey saloni, I’m sharmitha and I’m 18. I’m also in the same state right now. But I’m not in my 20s yet. But I wanna move out my parents house, not anytime soon. I’m planning to move out after completion of my uni.I do love them , but it doesn’t mean that I should live with them. They are really controlling. They want me to do what they want me to do. I want to be independent. Again I really love my parents but they are very manipulative and I wanna move abroad they don’t let me. All they want me to do is get a job by final year work for 2 years then get married to a literal stranger that they would choose for me. I feel really really sad.
I pay to live in my parents house because it works for me. I get to spend time with my ailing mother and my son gets to spend her last few years with her too.