Recently, we asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share some of their experiences with things that nobody told them about before they moved out. I feel way more prepared for "adulting" after reading these responses:
1. "Everything breaks. I'm so thankful that my realtor told me about home warranties and asked the seller to provide me one for a year. What would've been over $500 in plumbing repairs for my entire house only ended up costing me $80. GET THAT HOME WARRANTY WHEN YOU BUY!"
2. "Please know that once your offer on a property has been accepted, do not make any other major purchases until it's finalised! Your lending company is watching your bank account like a hawk!"
3. "During offer acceptance, do not change up jobs unless it was discussed that you were already in the process of doing so. Lending companies also look at this."
—Buzzfeed User
4. "You need to know where your water shut off is! About six months after I bought my home, my water heater broke and flooded my home. It took me way too long to find the water shut off and the flooding completely ruined my carpets."
5. "You need to keep up with basic maintenance and check EVERYTHING about once a month. This will save you tons of money if you learn how to check your home for potential leaks, cracks, breaks, etc. early on. A small leak that you initially shrug off could end up costing thousands in just a few months. Don't hesitate, don't shrug it off, get it done!
6. "If you're renting a furnished place you should definitely buy your own mattress rather than using whatever manky aged mattress is already provided. Trust me."
7. "Listen, if you don’t do something, it won’t get done. It's as simple as that. Don't let your recycling bin become a game of Jenga."
8. "One of the hardest things to do is deciding what to have for dinner every night and then actually cooking it yourself."
9. "I wish I had known beforehand how expensive decorating is. I moved recently and my bedroom walls were this awful purple that made me feel sick! I had to get them repainted as soon as possible, and I'm still saving up to repaint the other rooms."
10. "Someone else isn't going to sweep for you. Someone else isn't going to cook for you. Cleaning the toilet is your job. On your own, everything is your responsibility."
11. "Be prepared for the feeling that every time you get a raise or have extra money, the house knows it and creates an expensive problem to fix."
12. "I didn't realise only nicer places will already come with carpet. It's taken me ages to save up enough for proper flooring."
—nevl
13. "It doesn’t really matter how hard you clean or how much you touch up the walls when you move out, you're still going to get charged for something. Be it repainting, general cleaning, carpet cleaning, etc. So be prepared for that."
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.