Moving out of home for the first time is a bittersweet moment. The parents are pleased to have their home to themselves again, but equally sad to see their child leaving, while the child feels excited and nervous, but sad to leave mum and dad behind.
However, new research indicates that it’s getting harder and more expensive for young Aussies to move out of home. The rising cost of living, stagnant wage growth and an intimidating property market make moving out of home a challenge. But furthermore, new research released by ebay.com.au reveals young Aussies are living without everyday essentials, or are resorting to taking them from work, friends and family, as the cost of being an adult adds up.
The data found that young people typically spend $910 more on moving out of home than originally planned. The hefty upfront cost means average Aussies are living without furniture and homewares for more than six months when they first leave the nest.
5 things you never knew about moving out of home
1. You’ll probably nick everyday essentials from work
More than one-third of young Australians take household items from work (35%) or a public place (31%) due to the cost.
2. Your cupboards will be stocked with things given to you by mum, dad, grandma or great auntie June
A huge 70% of Aussies stock their cupboards with items ‘borrowed’ from family members.
3. You won’t bother replacing or restocking anything until you’re truly desperate
A quarter (24%) of Aussies who have recently moved out of home confess to waiting for ‘as long as possible’ before replacing items when they run out, due to cost.
4. You’ll make like mum and start hunting down those ‘Specials’ tickets at the supermarket
The research found that 88% of the young adult population will stock up on household items when there’s a deal.
5. You WILL struggle to build your Kmart and Ikea furniture
A study by Pure Profile found that 54.3% of Australians spend 2 to 3 hours building a piece of flatpack furniture, and of those who built flatpack furniture, 6 out of 10 people have experienced a flatpack disaster, including legs attached to the wrong place, forgotten screws and worse. On the bright side, it’s reported that millennials are the best generation at building flatpack furniture.
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