Advice on living arrangments.

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I don't know where this should go so I'll put it here as it's the nearest I could think of.

I'm trying to learn what to expect and prepare for in an apartment and what to look for and such and how much it will all cost to live on my own. Any advice or ideas on how to start looking or anything is much appreciated!

From a previous post:
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Negatives

- less family support
- expensive
- having to keep on top of a LOT of different bills
- keeping up your living space (apartment, house, w/e)
- cooking for youself and eating right
- dealing with garbage, mail, neighbours, government, creditors (if applicable), landlord (if applicable), etc.
- keeping track of everything you need and prioritising what you need vs what you want
- taking care of any animals and plants (if applicable)

Positives

- personal space
- no one telling you that something has to be done a certain way
- there are deadlines for things, but for the most part you can go at your own pace
- personal space
- freedom
- no one touching/moving/using your stuff (I think that goes under personal space)
- the up you get from being able to do things by yourself
- not being a burden on others
- ...not to mention, personal space
"

For an appartment in particular, figure out what is included (heat, electricity, water, if you have to pay extra for an air conditioner, furnished/unfurnished) and watch what you have to pay (phone, internet, TV, any of the above that is not covered in the lease, food, insurance if applicable). Of course the prices for everything vary from place to place, but if you get the basic rental price it will give you a start. There are websites with the actual price and what is included in the apartment as well as the newspaper. Be careful though, they usually don't put in the fun stuff (I looked at a place once that literally had a hole in the wall from the inside to the outdoors... they said they would fix it... )

As for the additional costs... for internet, phone and the like, those can be looked up online. Just make sure you take into account that usually there is a start up fee and/or deposit needed. Also usually they have a cheaper price for the first several months then jack up the price... read the fine print on everything. For food and any electric or other utility needs... you can try asking others in your area how much it costs. Prices can vary greatly from place to place.

Hope that helps a bit.

You need to figure how much money will have/how much you need to live on each month. The cost depends on where you live and how you live. You have to consider bills electric/phone/cable/water, then there's food etc. You should never be using very single dime you have to a month live or you might run into problems when emergencies/the unexpected arrive, so learn to budget. If it's your first place I would suggest something close to family or friends. A good neighborhood is important, I think. Do you drive? A place close to school or work might be important. A place near a bus line or train would be good if you don't have a car or in case your car were to breakdown.
Looking for apartments is as simple as going online or finding a apartment locater, I would suggest the latter because they can give you infomation based on your needs. Also be sure to really check places out, like are near a busy highway if that were to be a problem, and the people around the place, is it quiet, are there young people, families, etc...
Take your time, look around, and go for it, it's fun though strange at first

Something else important to consider:

For a first time apartment, you will probably want to get one that has a month-to-month contract instead of a lease contract. With month-to-month you can move out any time, so if you end up hating the apartment, or hating your neightbors, or not able to cope with living alone, or whatever, then you can just move out. With a lease you are obligated to stay in the apartment for however many months the lease was written for (usually 12). If you move out before the lease is over then you have to pay for all the remaining months of the lease.