Leaving home: use this checklist for best results

It's a big step for a young person to move into their first apartment – not least because leaving home leads to a lot more personal responsibility. What’s involved, what costs are incurred and which insurance products are important.

Karin Bucher

14 March 2024 | 3 Min. Reading Time

Your first own apartment

I’m off! Leaving home is a major event. After all, besides the rent, there are other costs to take into account – and administrative things like registering at a new municipality or taking out household contents insurance. This checklist will help ensure that nothing gets forgotten and everything works out.

Leaving home checklist

From admin to ziplock bags: the ABC of moving out is complex. There’s lots to plan and organise before you can settle into your first own apartment. A good checklist and useful tips will help.

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Leaving home: taking care of the admin

Once the right apartment has been found, there’s lots of paperwork to do. After all, you want your internet to work and post to be forwarded from day one.

Rental contract: this regulates the rental relationship and terms in detail. Be sure to read the small print through carefully before signing. The Tenants’ Association offers support with legal questions and provides useful documentation.
Insurance cover: to insure your own belongings and protect yourself from mishaps, we recommend you take out household contents and personal liability insurance
Internet / TV / radio: register for WiFi, TV and radio connections with your chosen provider in plenty of time. The annual Serafe fee will be billed automatically.
Register at a new municipality: go in person to your old and new municipalities to register your new place of residence.
Payments: open an account for payments like rent, health insurance premiums, taxes and other running costs.
Change of address: report your new address to all contracting parties (such as your health insurance company, internet provider, bank and sports club) as well as to the post office. A forwarding order with the post office is valid for a maximum of one year.

Choosing the right furnishings

Would you like everything new or do you prefer vintage style? Your budget will determine what furniture and equipment you can afford. Maybe you can rustle up a dining table and chairs, a shoe cupboard or old crockery from relatives – or trawl the second-hand shops and use the money you save for a nice sofa.

Tip: there’s nothing to be lost by taking your time. When leaving home, all you need to start with are a few important things like lamps, a bed, a table and chair, bathroom items and food. You can then gradually buy or organise what’s still missing.

You’re finally ready to move

It’s almost done! If you’ve noted everything up to now, you’ll still find yourself in a sweat, as the boxes don’t move themselves. As soon as the moving date is fixed, put together a team of friends, family and helpers – it's quicker together and cheaper too.

Checklist for moving house

Household contents insurance: money-saving tips for tenants under 25

Many landlords require their tenants to have household contents insurance. This is often set out in the rental contract, and more and more landlords are asking to see proof of insurance.

Up to 35% discount on household contents insurance

10% discount for young people under 25
10% introductory gift if claim-free
10% discount for CSS clients
Up to 5% discount for a multi-year contract.

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Personal liability: a meaningful combination

When you leave home, you’re no longer covered by your parents’ insurance. So, it’s essential to have your own personal liability insurance. With CSS, you pay up to 25% less.

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Discounted health insurance premiums: How to apply.

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Living together happily in a shared apartment

For many young people, sharing an apartment with others is all part of the adventure. To ensure that everyone gets along, a few things should be noted.

Calculating the rent for a room in a shared apartment: divide the number of square metres of shared space by the number of tenants. Then, add the number of square metres of each person’s own room. The rent is divided by the total area and then multiplied by the number of square metres calculated for each person.
Contracting partner: in the rental contract, one person is recorded as the main tenant who is liable to the person letting the property. Be sure to also record the conditions between each other in a sub-letting contract. Changes in personal details must always be reported to the landlord.
Rules and schedules: it sounds tedious, but it’s important when sharing an apartment. The clearer the rules are on subjects like shopping, cleaning, washing up, visitors and night-time quiet hours, the more fun living together will be.
Sharing costs: who pays how much for what? The fixed costs for shared subscriptions and appliances can be divided equally. The rent for a room in a shared apartment can either be roughly guessed or accurately calculated.

Financial support after leaving home

Maybe your university is in another canton or you’re doing your apprenticeship in the nearest large town. If you’re under 18, you’ll need your parents’ consent before moving out. In the event of conflicts within the family, the youth counselling service or social services of your municipality can help.

From the age of 18 you can make your own decisions

Parents are obliged to financially support their children until they complete their initial education or reach the age of 25. However, that doesn’t mean that they have to pay for their child’s apartment. Offers like the KulturLegi or the GA travelcard for trainees also help reduce costs.

Scholarships or student loans can provide financial support, but you have to apply for them yourself. In Switzerland, scholarships are regulated by each canton. It’s important to know that scholarships don’t need to be paid back while loans do.