Considerations for Living on Your Own for the First Time Moving Out Considerations for Living on Your Own for the First Time

A Place of My Own As adolescents grow up, a common goal is to “live on their own.” However, their expectations can be unrealistic: making it on your own takes money, determination, and planning. Where should I live? How much can I afford to pay for rent? What are the monthly costs for living in an apartment? These questions – along with a variety of other factors – should be addressed before committing to moving out on your own.

A Place of My Own Read the article that you have been assigned, highlighting its key points. Find the other students in the class who had the same article as you. Working as a group, answer the questions that pertain to your article. Find the other students in the class who have the same letter as found at the top of your article. Share your answers from the article you read, explaining each response thoroughly. Ensure that you have complete, accurate answers to every question on your worksheet. Hand in your worksheet when you’re finished.

Understanding Your Lease Now that you are aware of the components of a lease, as well as the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords, you will spend some time reviewing two examples of leases to determine the pros and cons of each. Ensure that, when responding to the questions associated with each lease, you provide complete answers that explain how you knew the information (ie., take evidence from the lease itself to justify your response). Be prepared to share your answers with the class.

Choosing an Apartment Deciding where to live is an important task when first moving out. Spend some time researching apartments in the Peterborough area online, and then compare two. For each apartment, consider . . . Location Proximity to place of employment, school, place of worship, grocery store, public transportation, parks, etc. Building Exterior Condition of the building and grounds, availability of parking, potential recreation facilities, etc. Building Interior Exits, security, hall maintenance, condition of elevators, access to mailboxes, etc. Apartment Layout and Facilities Condition, size, number of closets, carpeting, appliances, type of heat, air conditioning, plumbing, water pressure, storage area, room size, doors, locks, windows, etc. Financial Aspects Rent amount, length of lease, security deposit, utilities, other costs.