Moving out of your parents’ house is considered one of the big adult life milestones. But even after leaving home, there are still certain things that you might rely on your parents for.
And honestly, relying on them is a lot more normal than some people would like to admit. A survey conducted by Talker News and CubeSmart Self Storage found that there’s one thing most adults still go to their parents for, even long after they’ve moved out of the house.
Most adults still use their parents for storage after moving out.
Americans either leave behind or toss 42% of their belongings when they first move away from home, the survey found. The online survey of 2,000 U.S. adults living away from their childhood home found the average person leaves home for the first time at age 23.
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While many find the experience to be full of excitement (58%), nervousness (47%), and happiness (44%), there’s one thing they all have in common. And that’s using their childhood home for storage. How could they not? Most first apartments aren’t big enough to store a lifetime of stuff.
An estimated 92% have left behind at least one of their belongings with their parents. On average, respondents said they only have the capacity to take 58% of their belongings with them when they move out, leaving 28% behind and tossing out the remaining 14%.
Most people have no plans on collecting the things they leave with their parents.
On average, people leave nine boxes or large items at home with their parents after moving out, and over a quarter (27%) said they have no plans to collect their left-behind belongings. 30% of respondents admitted they plan to clear out their belongings within the next year, and 44% have plans but aren’t sure when they’ll get around to it.
Many adults usually leave their things at home with their parents for safekeeping, but the truth is probably what others explained — that they want things at home in case they return someday. Let’s face it, no one wants to see their childhood room converted into an office or a gym. Most of us, regardless of age, want our childhood home to always be ours in some way.
“Our survey found that the first move away from where you grew up is a big deal,” explained Annette Dunleavy, SVP of Marketing at CubeSmart. “In between all the feelings of excitement and newness, it also might be the first time young adults are going through their things and making a tough decision on what comes with and what stays behind.”
Space is a commodity many young people can’t afford.
An estimated 31% of respondents claimed they have to leave things at home because their new residence doesn’t have the space for all of their belongings, and 20% said they’re limited by how many of their belongings they can fit in the vehicle used for the move.
It makes sense that young adults would not have the space, considering that moving out is too expensive for many people to even do in the first place.
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In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 18% of adults ages 25 to 34 lived with a parent. A majority of young adults living with a parent say the arrangement is good for their finances.
Many adults are having to make the decision to stay home, and even if they are moving out, it’s clear that, despite having the funds to do so, space costs money. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that relying on your parents for storage doesn’t make you any less independent. It just means you have family that you can depend on, even for something as simple as that.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
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