To move out or not to move out, that is the question. For young adults still living with their parents, this becomes a burning question after a while. The problem is despite being a relatively straight-forward question, it doesn’t always engender a straight-forward answer.

Most people in this position must consider a number of factors before making their decision about when to move out, and while buying a home may still be several years away for you, your first stint at living away from the parents is an important milestone. Those who do manage it well learn how to take care of their finances, how to keep up an abode, and how to make decisions about their future minus parental input.

The goal of this post is to provide you with a guide to get through the process. By answering the following four questions, you’ll come closer to knowing if you’re ready to move out.

1. Are Your Finances Solid?

Let’s face it. One of the most important questions you’ll ask yourself is if your finances are solid. If you cannot answer this question with a yes, then you might want to postpone moving out.

When you live with your parents, you don’t have to worry as much about whether or not you have a steady flow of cash. This is particularly true if you’re not paying rent to them.

That changes when you move out. Not only are you responsible for paying rent, but your car insurance and gas for the car, your food bill, and more. This process throws many people for a loop when they first make the big move.

When you get ready to get your own place, it’s a good idea to have enough money set aside to not only pay rent but all of your bills for three to six months. It’s also a good idea to have a solid budget in place. That is you should know how much money you have coming in each month and how much you’ll have to payout. That way, you’re not surprised when the inevitable bill comes up.

2. Do You Have Basic Life Skills?

Many good things go away once you move out, including someone else cooking meals for you. Once you’re on your own, you’re responsible for buying your own food and cooking it, doing your laundry, getting your car to the repair shop, and more.

Do you have the skills to take care of your life on the fundamental level? If you don’t, it’s best that you learn these skills before embarking on the next phase of your life. Adult life already has its share of challenges. Not knowing how to take care of your life only adds to those challenges.

3. Are You Emotionally and Mentally Independent?

When you live at home, you can usually expect someone to be around if you need emotional support or when you need to make a difficult decision. That safety net gets a bit smaller when you move into your space. Suddenly, you may feel like everyone is better at being an adult than you are.

However, you’ll eventually realize that many adults don’t actually feel that grown-up. Coming to this realization is a big milestone in adult development. When you’re mentally and emotionally independent, you’re better able to face the gray areas of life when it comes to decision-making.

4. Have Your Friends Gone Out on Their Own?

While moving out is an individual decision, it’s also more than that. As you get older, you’ll start finding that your friends have begun to embark on their own stints at solo living.

Some of them have gone on to college or even graduate school. Many are in the process of buying a home. If you wait too long to move out, you’ll begin to feel like you don’t belong in your group of friends.

It may also be that you’re getting to an age where it’s expected of you to move out. Maybe your parents have even started to drop hints about this issue.

At the end of the day, moving out and living on your own is a rite of passage. Most people do it. If your friends have begun to get their own spaces, it might be a sign to you that your turn at this rite of passage is coming up, too.

When you move out on your own, you get a taste of freedom like never before. You start making your own decisions. You may find that you’re ready to undertake the next phase of your education or your career. Buying a home of your own becomes a possibility. In other words, you’re ready to become an adult. Moving out is just the next step in the process.