What do you need to know to live alone?

This moment can occur in different age groups and for numerous reasons, which does not make the whole process of living alone easier, being an experience that is often necessary and individual, where there are no rules on how it should happen, but, by following some tips, common mistakes can be avoided.

Having your own space is the ambition of many people, but it is not always something simple when put into practice. After all, with independence and freedom also comes responsibilities, and this experience does not always occur as had been idealized.

Despite being a very particular event, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of common errors and make this process as easy as possible. To do this, check out some tips.

Get your finances in order

Whether you live with a friend or family member, there is a minimum division of expenses that does not occur when living alone, so many unexpected expenses can arise, so there must be strict control over fixed expenses.

Before making any decision, it is essential to organize yourself financially to do so, this way, it is possible to have an overview of the financial situation and the limits it imposes on property choices.

It is not a good idea to take on a commitment such as buying or renting a property with outstanding debts or without an emergency fund, after all, it is very common for there to be unexpected expenses during a move.

Ideally, this financial reserve should be able to cover fixed expenses for between six months and a year, bringing more peace of mind to the process and reducing the risk of new debts arising.

To arrive at this value, you need to know your monthly fixed expense costs, which defines your standard of living and what you will look for in a property to fit this standard.

For those who are leaving their family home, where they did not have so-called “invisible expenses”, it will be more complicated to obtain this information, since some living expenses were not included in their cost of living, such as energy, water, rent and internet.

In order to perform this calculation, expenses with rent and condominium fees, energy, water, gas, cell phone and internet bills must be considered, as well as expenses with supermarkets and pharmacies, cleaning services, health insurance, gym memberships, streaming services or some course or college.

Know your limits

In addition to the expenses already mentioned, there are also costs related to taxes, pets and vehicles, which include fuel, IPVA, insurance, all of which vary depending on each person's reality and their particularities.

Once you have a clear definition of the sum of your fixed costs, it is time to estimate and limit your variable costs, which usually involves concessions and priorities, after all, a change implies many new and unknown costs.

This budget should be planned according to the monthly income and excluding the fixed expenses already established, and it is interesting to divide this income between fixed expenses, leisure expenses and priorities, including amounts to be saved for the financial reserve.

Be careful when searching for a property

When choosing between renting or buying a property, several factors must be analyzed, each option has advantages and disadvantages that adapt to people's lifestyle, with this in mind, this choice is completely personal.

Since this is your first experience living alone, it may be more interesting to look for furnished properties , thus avoiding all the costs of furniture, after all, those who are not coming from their own space often do not have their own furniture.

The main basis when starting the search for a property is the available budget, which will limit the location, size of the property, rental value, and whether it is more interesting to buy or rent.

The most important thing is to establish the main determining elements of the property, so the search will be more targeted.

Check out properties available for rent on our website .

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