Moving Out of My Childhood Home Was Harder Than I Expected

For the longest time, moving out was this thing I’d daydream about. I’d picture myself finally having my own place, my own rules, full adult independence, living life completely on my own terms.

But when the day actually came, I couldn’t help but think — wait, am I actually ready for this?

I was still in my childhood bedroom when I smelled it, my mum’s chicken curry, drifting up from the kitchen the way it always has. I went downstairs, and there she was, already packing it up into containers for me to bring along so I’d have something to eat at my new place.

And just like that, it hit me how hard it actually was to leave all of this behind. The home, the comfort, the people (and fine, maybe I’ll just really miss my mum’s chicken curry, which she cooks every weekend).

Okay, let me back it up a little.

When I was younger, I honestly didn’t mind living the way we did. You kind of just tolerate things when you’re young. But as you get older, things shift, and so does everyone around you.

My sibling got married, started a family, and the way it goes in a lot of Asian households, everyone just stays under the same roof. Multi-generational living, all crammed under one small home.

Oh, and did I mention I work from home? Yeah. Working from home while living in a full house is exactly as peaceful as it sounds.

My niece and nephew, bless them, are feral. I mean that with love. But trying to meet a deadline while they’re in a full screaming argument over the TV remote is a specific kind of suffering. I’d be in the middle of a Google Meet, smiling calmly at my screen, while internally I was somewhere else entirely.

And outside of home? Not much better. Whenever I wanted to meet friends, grab my favourite dessert, or just run a simple errand, it was always the same thing: forty minutes to get there, do the thing, forty minutes back. Every single time.

Slowly, I started realising that this place I grew up in and loved just wasn’t built for the life I was trying to live anymore.

I think it was when I turned 26 that I started genuinely thinking about moving out — not to buy, but to rent. I knew buying wasn’t on the cards just yet. So personally, renting felt like the right first step, a way to finally get that space I needed without having to wait another decade for it.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. 26?? That’s still so young, perfectly normal to still be at home. But also, in this economy??

And look, I get it. A lot of people would rather sacrifice their peace than fork out thousands to buy a property or even simply rent. But I had already spent a couple of years sacrificing my sanity, and honestly, that was getting expensive in its own way. So I needed an actual game plan.

I sat down and mapped out everything — rent, meals, utilities, transport, and an emergency buffer. Then came the hard part: actually being disciplined about it. No random Shopee orders at 2 AM and no “it’s on sale, so it basically doesn’t count” justifications. It took about a year of disciplined effort before I felt confident enough to know I had a proper cushion to fall back on.

The next step? Finding a place.

And wow, this part. Nobody tells you how exhausting the search actually is. You start off excited, browsing listings, checking locations, and then three weeks later you’re still scrolling at midnight wondering if you’ll ever find anything.

My advice? Reach out to a property agent sooner rather than later. I know it sounds like extra effort, but it genuinely speeds up your search so much and ensures you find a place that actually suits your preferences and needs.

Fast forward — I finally found my place!

But my first day there? So quiet it was almost unsettling. I sat in my new space and realised I actually missed the sound of my niece and nephew screaming at each other from the other room, and the waft of Minyak Cap Kapak hitting me the moment I stepped out to the living room.

And then I opened my mum’s chicken curry that she had packed for me before I left, and honestly — who gave her the right to make me miss home that much over a container of curry?

But somewhere in the middle of all that, I felt something else quietly surface. Pride. Because, despite all the mixed emotions, I had actually done it. I had saved for this, planned for this, and finally had a space that was entirely my own. One that actually fits my life.

Honestly, what surprised me most about this whole experience wasn’t the freedom, the quiet, or even the independence. It was realising how much of myself I had been shrinking just to fit into a space that had slowly stopped fitting me.

Because once I had a place that was truly mine, it was like that bubble I didn’t even know I was living in just popped open. And what was waiting on the other side was more growth, more experience, more life than I ever knew I was missing.

And the best part? It’s not as out of reach as it feels. Trust me, if I could figure it out, you can too.

Thinking About Making the Move?

If you have been thinking about moving out of your childhood home as well — maybe you relate to the full house chaos, or perhaps you and your partner are ready to finally have a space of your own, or your daily commute to work has just been draining the life out of you, just know that all you really need is a solid plan and the right guidance to make it happen.

When you do feel ready to take that next step, Ohmyhome’s property agents can assist with your property search. Whether you’re looking to buy or rent a place closer to work, somewhere near an MRT station, or simply somewhere that fits your budget and feels like home, they’ll help you find what you’re actually looking for.

Drop them a WhatsApp and take that first real step towards finding a new place to call home.

On the other hand, if you’re currently a homeowner looking to sell your property and start somewhere new, it helps to know what your home is actually worth. You can get an instant valuation of your home right here, so you can make a more informed decision before taking that next step.

Feel free to WhatsApp Ohmyhome super agents for all your property enquiries.