When Should I Move Back Home?
The past two years have seen many young adults in the US living at home with parents, according to a 2020 Pew Research Survey. So yes, post-college life isn’t always the perfect progression many imagine. Rent is expensive. Student loans take time to pay off. Life happens, so there’s plenty of reasons why people move back in with their parents. When flying solo is not in the cards, moving back home can be your best bet while you figure out your next steps.
Reasons to Move Back Home
Having to move back in with your parents after graduation, or even during the summer, is not the most ideal solution, but it can give you something valuable: time. Unless you have a job waiting for you after graduation, you have got a lot of questions you need to answer for yourself. Where do you want to live? What industry do you want to go into? Do you want to go to graduate school? While you find these answers, your parents can provide you with a safety net. Use it.
Empty nesters, this is your chance to have the nest full one more time. Your college kid is now all grown up, and this is a perfect opportunity to get to know the adult they are becoming, and support that. For many young adults, this time after college is where financial habits start to fossilize. Student loans are only offering a six-month grace period, so this is their chance to start an emergency fund and save up for a security deposit before chipping away at their debt. Moving back home doesn’t have to be a challenge. Here’s our tips for graduates who find themselves back home with the ‘rents.
1. Set a timeline for your goals
Odds are you aren’t planning to stay home with your parents long-term. So, you should figure out some sort of timeline for the next steps. Think about where you see yourself in three months, six months, or even a year. But don’t plan out job applications, where you want to move, or how you’ll pay for housing all at once. That’s a perfect storm for choice paralysis. Instead go piece by piece to set actionable tasks.
The important part is looking for measurable accomplishments. Maybe you decide to move out once you’ve saved enough for a security deposit and three months’ rent. Or maybe you move out once you and your partner get married.
2. Communicate About House Rules
Get out ahead of anything that could cause unwanted tension. You’ll thank yourself later. Parents, it will be tempting to treat your children as children, but they are grown adults. You’ll both have expectations for how this living arrangement will work out – discuss them openly.
Don’t just stew over problems, talk them out.
3. Keeping a Routine Does Wonders
Moving home can feel disorienting for many reasons. Seeing friends, doing activities you like, and straight-up having a daily structure will keep you from feeling like you’re in a slump. Remember there’s always a way to adapt. Find spaces outside your home (whether it’s the gym or weekly trivia night) to regularly carve out space for you.
4. Ask Where You Can Help Out
Living at home as an adult comes with upped responsibilities. Doing your part around the house is a good idea for keeping everyone happy. You wouldn’t leave dishes, cleaning, vacuuming, or your own laundry all to your roommate. If you would, maybe re-evaluate that.
Helping out financially also isn’t a bad idea. Reliably paying a small monthly “rent” can go leaps and bounds in establishing trust with your parents. Additionally, it’s a great way to build good financial habits in a relatively low-risk environment.
5. Reclaim Your Bedroom
Parents: Adult. Children. Don’t. Want. Pink. Princess. Wallpaper. Okay maybe some do, but I doubt that your college grad will feel like a college grad when surrounded by their stuff from high school. Work together to make them a new space, whether it’s redecorating, rearranging furniture, or putting them in a new bedroom altogether. Let them take the lead in the organization and support them by giving them some much-needed space. If you don’t have enough space, that’s where we can help.
6. Enjoy the Time You Have Together!
Your time living at home is a rare moment to quality spend time together. Have baking nights. Culture your parents over a binge-watch-athon weekend. Get the family gossip at game night. While you’re together, even if it’s temporary, have fun.
How to Move Back Home with Self Storage
Whether you’re moving in with your parents, or finally moving out, our college storage solutions can help. With clean, well-lit units offered in a variety of sizes and orientations, we’ve got the storage solution for you (and your parents).
Not sure where to start? Try our Self Storage Calculator to help get the perfect fit for your stuff. Find the space you need online today.