Money & Independence
My First Apartment
General information drawn from common experience and public guidance — not medical, legal, or financial advice. For anything urgent or personal to your situation, speak with a qualified professional.
What to expect
Upfront costs often total two to three months of rent once deposit, first month, and fees are counted. Then comes the realisation that a home needs a hundred small objects nobody thinks about. The first month is expensive and slightly euphoric; the second is when the real budget appears.
How to prepare
- Save deposit plus first month plus a moving buffer before you commit.
- Read the lease: notice period, deposit protection, repairs, and who pays what.
- Photograph and document every existing mark at move-in, with dates.
- Check the total monthly cost including utilities, internet, and local tax.
What people say
“Nobody tells you you'll spend a week's wages on a bin, a mop and a shower curtain.”
“The photos I took on day one got my full deposit back two years later.”
What helps
- A written inventory signed by both sides.
- Setting up direct debits for bills the first week so nothing is missed.
- Buying the second-hand version of everything except the mattress.
- Keeping all landlord communication in writing.
Do and don't
- Do confirm the deposit is registered in a protection scheme where that's the law.
- Don't pay a holding fee before seeing the property and the contract.
- Don't let repair requests stay verbal.
When to get help
- Pressure to pay in cash with no receipt or contract.
- No working smoke alarm, damp and mould, or unsafe wiring.
- A landlord refusing access for repairs or entering without notice.
What it costs
Move-in
Often 2–3 months' rent upfront
Setup
Furniture, kitchen, cleaning basics
Monthly
Rent plus utilities, internet, local tax
Afterwards
Diary the notice period and deposit-return window. A clean, photographed move-out is what decides whether the deposit comes back.
Why it matters
Adulthood becomes administrative — bills, deposits, and responsibility for the leak under the sink.
Move-in
Often 2–3 months' rent upfront
Setup
Furniture, kitchen, cleaning basics
Where to turn
National tenants' rights organisation
Related firsts
Life first · general information, not professional advice