This guide contains tips on how to make a smooth adjustments for millennials moving out.

1. Millennial Moving GuideThese tips can help millennials succeed when it’s time to move to a new place
Tips for Moving Out of Your Parents’ House
• Make sure your credit is good. This will make it much easier for you, whether you decide
to rent or own your next home. Make sure you are in good standing with your credit cards,
student loans and other debt. Don’t fall behind on payments, or your credit history will come
back to haunt you.
• Create a budget. Once you start paying your own bills, you’ll need to create a budget to
ensure you can afford everything you need and still have money left for things you want. Your
monthly income ideally will cover all of your expenses and leave you with some for savings
and discretionary spending. Talk to a mortgage broker to help determine how much of a
mortgage you can afford.
• Save for a down payment. If you plan to buy a home, you’ll have to save for a down payment.
Your minimum down payment will be a percentage of the purchase price of the home, so talk
to a mortgage broker to determine a targeted savings amount.
• Hire professional movers. A professional moving company is the best bet to ensure that your
personal belongings make it safely to your new place. Include moving expenses in the budget
for your move.
• Change your address. You’ll need to do more than have your mail sent to your new place to
make the move official. Notify your DMV, your credit card providers and your bank, etc., of
your address change.
Tips for Choosing a New Roommate
• Ask your friends before placing an ad. Reaching out to your social network may be the best
way to find someone you’ll be able to live with, because you can trust the sources more than
a random ad. Ask friends if they know of anyone looking for a place to live, or someone with
whom to split living expenses.
• When all else fails, put out an ad. If you can’t find viable roommates through your social
circles, an online ad may return at least a few good candidates. Be as detailed as possible
about your preferences.
• Talk about schedules and living habits with prospective roommates. The best way to
determine whether you’re compatible is to live with someone for a while. The next-best way
is to have an open and honest discussion about how you live. If you’re a night owl and your
prospective roommate is a morning person, you may not be the best fit. Also, it’s never too
soon to find out a prospective roommate doesn’t “believe in” doing laundry.
• Put it in writing. Create a roommate contract detailing each other’s responsibilities. This is
a good way to prevent arguments, and make sure things such as washing the dishes and
cleaning out the litter box actually get done.
• Get to know each other. You and your new roommates don’t have to become best friends, but
shutting yourselves up in your respective rooms all day isn’t the best way to live. Get to know
each other and spend some time together. At the very least, it will make things less awkward
when you have to ask him or her to please not scrub underwear in the kitchen sink.
Tips for Meeting People in Your New Area
• Make friends at work. If you relocated for a new job, your new workplace is where you’ll have
the most opportunities to meet new people. Even if you don’t really click with anyone there,
expanding your social circle will create other opportunities to meet people outside the office.
• Join a group. Your new neighborhood probably has numerous social clubs and community
groups that share common interests. Find one that appeals to you, and you’re likely to find a
lot of like-minded people.
• Get some exercise. Joining a gym or recreational sports league is a great way to meet your
fitness goals as well as other people. When you work out on a regular schedule, you’re more
likely to bump into the same people frequently and get to know them better.
• Volunteer. Volunteering does a lot of good for your new community, and also gives you a
chance to meet others out to make a difference. Community groups that meet regularly are
your best bet to be introduced to other people.
• Get out there. Going out and exploring your new neighborhood means finding your new
favorite restaurant or cultural sites that will be important to you. It’s also a good way to
meet people.
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