Tips for Helping Your Young Adult Find Their First Apartment in Detroit

Has your high school or college grad recently expressed interest in moving out? 17% of Americans live in rented apartments, so your young adult is not alone in seeking independence. Help your child find their first apartment and prepare to move into their own place in Detroit with these tips.

Figure Out Finances

When it comes to moving out, your young adult must first be financially stable and responsible. What kinds of basic expenses will your grown child have to be able to cover on their own? Here are some of the big ones to consider:

Rent
Utilities
Wi-Fi
Groceries
Renter’s insurance
Student loans
Credit card bills
Extraneous expenses and fun stuff

In 2018, 8.5% of people, or 27.5 million, did not have health insurance at any point during the year. Be sure your young adult will have essential resources like health insurance available to them once they’re living independently. Additionally, sit down with your young adult and figure out what they can afford on their own. This will make finding an apartment in their budget doable.

Assess the Roommate Situation

Figuring out finances and a budget will distinguish whether or not your young adult will need a roommate or roommates. Offer advice to your child. Will that one friend’s messiness bug them? Is your child’s personality compatible with that other friend’s? Don’t push your opinions, but guide your child into making the best decision possible. If they don’t have a friend or acquaintance that is ready to take this step, social media platforms can help your young adult find a roommate around the same age who is looking to stay in the same budget and area.

Utilize Resources to Find an Apartment

Once the financial and roommate situations have been figured out, it’s time to look for an apartment. There are several websites to help your child find an apartment that suits their needs. Use filters to find the correct number of bedrooms and bathrooms, in-house laundry, allowance of pets, a specific location, and more.

According to Patch.com, some of the top neighborhoods and suburbs for Millennials to live in include Grosse Pointe Park, Pittsfield Charter Township, Rivertown, Berkley, Farmington, and Troy. Make sure your young adult understands the neighborhood/location of apartments they’re finding online before bothering to schedule tours. If an in-person tour isn’t available, be sure your young adult schedules virtual tours of apartments and makes phone calls to real estate agents or landlords to answer any questions they may have about particular properties.

Once your child, and their roommate or roommates if applicable, has found an apartment, be sure to do some digging. Detroit.curbed.com suggests looking into the landlord’s background, thoroughly reading through the lease, providing the proper — and legal! — security deposit, planning out rent carefully, and some other helpful tips and tricks when it comes to renting a property in Detroit.

Adulting Tips

After your young adult has signed the lease for their first apartment, it’s time to prepare for move-in day. Before moving in, though, what “adulting” tips and tricks can you provide to your child to help prepare them for the real world? Here are some examples.

Smart shopping and food habits:

Don’t grocery shop when you’re hungry
Go to the grocery store with a list — and stick to it!
Think about what meals you want to make before heading to the store
Prepare meals ahead of time and utilize Tupperware to store extra meals for later

Keeping utility bills low:

Keep the thermostat low and dress for the weather
Make sure the apartment is insulated properly. According to the U. S. Department of Energy, air leaks around your windows and doors can add 10% to your heating bills.
Turn the lights off when leaving a room
Try to wash clothes in cold water
Keep showers short
Unplug electronics when they’re not being used

Living with a roommate or roommates:

Discuss lights on/light off times during the work week
Create a cleaning schedule — and stick to it!
Determine how utilities and toiletry costs will be split ahead of time
Discuss issues in a responsible and respectful adult fashion
Be respectful of one another’s personal space and time

Think back to when you first lived on your own, and try to come up with other useful tips and tricks your young adult can utilize. Navigating adulthood looks simple until you’re thrown into it, so give your child a proper head start!

Move In!

As a parent, move-in day can bring about some feelings of anxiety and nervousness as well as happiness and gratitude. Offer to help your young adult move into their first apartment. Unpacking boxes, arranging furniture, and decorating take plenty of time, and having the help of parents can be comforting. Encourage your newly independent child to befriend the neighbors on move-in day so they are aware of who they’ll be living next to as well.

Be sure to express your excitement about your child’s first apartment to them. While they’re happy to be moving out and having a place of their own, they’re also likely feeling nervous. Ensure your young adult that you’re always a phone call or text away and that you’ll answer any questions they have while navigating the new responsibilities that come with adulthood.