Living on your own
Living on your own brings a sense of freedom but also a lot of responsibility. Before moving, it’s good to be aware of the practicalities of living day-to-day life and doing things on your own. It’s also good to think the pros and cons of moving, and when would be a good time to do so, for example, the physical move and finding places for all of your belongings, or even just finding things from the boxes when you need them takes a lot of time. That’s one reason why students often move between semesters, not during. On the other hand the market for small apartments may also vary throughout the study year because supply and demand affect each other. Maybe if you don’t have to worry so much about studying you can look for an apartment during the spring and autumn semesters, when there are fewer buyers out there. Plan your daily finance situation before moving. When you live independently you need sufficient income to cover your rent, other bills, food and leisure activities. First time movers often need many supplies that will not need to be re-purchased next time round. Remember that you don’t need to buy everything new or right away. Talk to people who are in the same situation as you about living on your own, or becoming more independent.
Living on your own brings a sense of freedom but also a lot of responsibility. Before moving, it’s good to be aware of the practicalities of living day-to-day life and doing things on your own. It’s also good to think the pros and cons of moving, and when would be a good time to do so, for example, the physical move and finding places for all of your belongings, or even just finding things from the boxes when you need them takes a lot of time. That’s one reason why students often move between semesters, not during. On the other hand the market for small apartments may also vary throughout the study year because supply and demand affect each other. Maybe if you don’t have to worry so much about studying you can look for an apartment during the spring and autumn semesters, when there are fewer buyers out there. Plan your daily finance situation before moving. When you live independently you need sufficient income to cover your rent, other bills, food and leisure activities. First time movers often need many supplies that will not need to be re-purchased next time round. Remember that you don’t need to buy everything new or right away. Talk to people who are in the same situation as you about living on your own, or becoming more independent.
Remember that housing comes in different forms and they all come with their own benefits. Would you like to live alone or with a roommate? Could a student apartment or youth housing be a choice you’d like? Do you want to rent or buy an apartment? Do you prefer to seek an apartment to rent from the city, or a private landlord? There are a lot of options so take your time! Remember, the more criteria your new place has to meet, the less likely you’ll be to find exactly what you want. Location, apartment size, furniture and condition all affect the rent - so the more you want, the more rent they’ll ask for. If you want a fine apartment with a sauna in the heart of the city you should be ready for higher rent... Think about what you appreciate most in a home and also ask for an opinion from people that are close to your heart.
Moving to your own apartment is a big step in independent living.
Plan well before moving: if you don’t know something, find out! Ask others what came as a surprise about living alone, or where they would have liked some more advice. Search the web, share good ideas and plan together! Take a look at NAL's check-list of practical matters before a move.
When living on your own you have to know how to take care of the house and what to do when an accident happens. The landlord and property manager can guide you in some areas, although the basic things to know about home economics can be learned from the Martha Organisation. Remember also to ask your friends and family nicely for things such as helping with the move. Also the big clean-up moving in and out of an apartment is a lot more fun when it’s done with friends. Why not ask for a friend or even grandparent to join furniture shopping and second hand shops, or to help organise your home or putting up the curtains. Remember your loved ones also when there are no problems - invite them to the housewarming, make a date for watching a movie, playing board games or just for coffee. There doesn’t need to be a reason, sometimes it’s just nice to have company.
Being independent and living alone doesn’t have to mean feeling lonely
Moving to your own place and having that sense of privacy and feeling of independence is great, enjoy it! Share your joys with your close ones! However, talk also about your fears and any anxiety that might come up. There may be a lot of emotions going around in one’s mind when living an independently. If you feel that you are not enjoying living on your own at the moment and it’s not making you feel empowered, make sure to talk about that with your family. There is no shame in suggesting moving back home. You are not failing if you don’t succeed at first, and it is not a failure to ask for help.
Find out more about housing from The Finnish Youth Housing Association NAL. NAL's A Young Person’s Guide for Becoming Independent (pdf) also available in Simplified Finnish, Russian and Arabic. There are also many language options to select from on InfoFinland's webpage, and on Martha Organization's page you can find tips and videos for many daily housing problems. Click the links for more information about applying an apartment from The Finnish Youth Housing Association NAL or the Finnish Student Housing Association SOA. Help and guidance for people under 30 years of age to variety of issues regarding livelyhood see Ohjaamo.
Moving to your own place and having that sense of privacy and feeling of independence is great, enjoy it! Share your joys with your close ones! However, talk also about your fears and any anxiety that might come up. There may be a lot of emotions going around in one’s mind when living an independently. If you feel that you are not enjoying living on your own at the moment and it’s not making you feel empowered, make sure to talk about that with your family. There is no shame in suggesting moving back home. You are not failing if you don’t succeed at first, and it is not a failure to ask for help.
Find out more about housing from The Finnish Youth Housing Association NAL. NAL's A Young Person’s Guide for Becoming Independent (pdf) also available in Simplified Finnish, Russian and Arabic. There are also many language options to select from on InfoFinland's webpage, and on Martha Organization's page you can find tips and videos for many daily housing problems. Click the links for more information about applying an apartment from The Finnish Youth Housing Association NAL or the Finnish Student Housing Association SOA. Help and guidance for people under 30 years of age to variety of issues regarding livelyhood see Ohjaamo.
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