Living Alone
The Most Important Things to Consider when Moving into your Own Place
There will most likely come a time in your life where you move into your first apartment/home on your own. Living alone can be especially appealing to introverts as it allows them to have their space away from others to unwind and recharge. Here are some important tips and tricks to keep in mind for living on your own:
Make your space personalized to you
Decorate with things that make the place feel like “home” to you - put up photos and artwork, keep knick-knacks around, add some plants, etc.
Hanging extra things on your walls and putting a rug down by your front door can really help deaden the sound of your neighbors and outside noises
Create the layout that makes the most sense for you
Make different areas of your place more versatile - if you don’t have a big closet, buy some clothing racks and turn part of your bedroom into extra “closet” space
If you don’t cook much and have a lot of open cabinets in the kitchen, use them as storage space for things you can’t fit elsewhere
Don’t focus too much on making your space really inviting for guests if that doesn’t realistically align with your lifestyle. For example, if you don’t often have many people over, don’t worry about having tons of extra seating - you can use that space for other things that make more sense with your needs
Safety
Look up the crime rates in the area you’re planning on moving to
This can give you an idea of what the surroundings and atmosphere will feel like
You can potentially use these statistics to negotiate a lower rent
Try to make some connections with the people in your apartment building/neighborhood/etc. so you can look out for one another if you’re in a more dangerous area
Check the locks on your doors and windows before moving in to see if any of them need to be fixed or replaced (this is especially important if you live on the ground floor!)
Make sure the screws in your door jamb aren’t the original ones - they’re usually very short and don’t keep the door locked securely. Replace them with screws that are 2-3 inches long so the deadbolt/lock are much more sturdy and secure.
Make sure you know how many keys to your apartment there are - does management have one? Do you have a spare key to give to somebody else? Who should you give it to?
Hopefully these tips and tricks can help make the transition moving into your first home a little smoother. Oh, and last but not least, be sure to cherish the freedom and independence you now have!
