Having your own apartment gives you a significant amount of freedom and autonomy that every adult should experience at some point in their lives. For a lot of young people, their first foray into moving out of their parents’ home is becoming a roommate to someone else.
If you feel like you’re ready to move on to the next step and find affordable apartments for rent in your area that you can call your own, here is a checklist of things you should ask yourself before making the big step.
Are You Financially Stable?
Moving into your own apartment will require you to be financially stable and have a regular and predictable income to ensure that you can pay your monthly rent and additional utilities, such as water, electricity, internet, and subscriptions to streaming services like Netflix.
Financial stability is key, as missing even one month of payment could lead to problems and, ultimately, eviction. To avoid this, don’t move into your own apartment until you’re sure you can pay the rent for at least the duration of the rental agreement, typically one year.
Do You Have Everything You Need?
Moving into your own apartment means that you will probably have to furnish the place yourself, which can be expensive. You should systematically purchase these items one at a time and keep them stored somewhere safe until you can move into your own place and begin using them.
Some apartments are already furnished, which saves you a lot of trouble. However, furnished apartments typically come with a higher rent, so you should take that into account.
Do You Really Need Your Own Place?
For some people, having their own place is a matter of personal preference, but it’s not strictly necessary. If you’re in a financially precarious situation, you should ask yourself if you really need your own place according to your personal goals, aspirations, and place in life. To answer this question, you will need to assess your lifestyle.
Are you somebody who frequently needs privacy, peace, and quiet to function? Do you struggle with a noisy or disturbing roommate? Perhaps you’re entering a phase in your life where you wish to have romantic entanglements, for which you might need privacy and your own place.
Note, however, that living alone might be difficult if you’re someone who frequently needs a lot of socialisation and interaction with others. Carefully assess your own personal needs and be honest with yourself about your own emotional and psychological weaknesses to ensure that having your own place will be beneficial to your mental health.
Are You Ready for the Responsibility?
Renting your own apartment can be liberating, but it comes with a significant amount of responsibility. As mentioned, you need to be in a position where you’re able to hold down steady work and earn an income in a dependable manner so that you can reliably pay your bills.
In addition to being financially responsible, you also need to manage the administrative tasks involved in running a home, such as handling household chores, managing your utilities, and dealing with landlords, among others. You need to be in a position where you’re ready to take on these responsibilities so that your new home does not fall into chaos.
If you feel that you’re ready to move into your own place, then here at Live Easy, we have affordable apartments for rent in Johannesburg and Pretoria that you could call your own. Contact us now to begin your new life!