Are You Ready? What No One Tells You About Living Alone For The First Time

It's finally happening: After years of cramped apartments with roommates or residing with  an overbearing family, you actually have the money and desire to live on your own. It's a rite of passage: jumping from a shared living situation to a place that's all your own.

Still, you may be feeling a little unsure. After all, getting your own apartment or home is a huge step, one that involves taking some risks.

If you're feeling on the fence about moving into your own space, you need to consider the very real pros and cons.

Pro: You have total control over your space.

No more fighting about whether or not that lamp looks good on the side table or should be moved to the windowsill. The extra bedroom can be your office/yoga room/art studio/random storage space instead of your college roommate's roach infested bedroom.

Now, you have total control over the space you inhabit and can do with it what you like.

Con: You're responsible for your own move.

There's no roommates taking up space you could use for an extra bookshelf, sure, but that means there are less people to manage the work involved in the move itself.

It's up to y0u to figure out how to get everything up to your new place and unpacked. Thankfully, the best movers  New York has to offer are just a phone call away -- if you're willing to shell out some cash.

Plus, you're still on your own when it comes to figuring out the lease, putting down the deposit and putting together the Ikea side table.

Pro: You can do anything you like in your home.

Whether you're dancing around naked to the Hairspray soundtrack, having ice cream and whiskey for breakfast or going to bed at 8:30 PM on a Saturday, there's no one around to judge you.

Your home is your castle and in it you can do anything you like without the fear of your roommate walking in when she comes back from class early.

Con: You're totally alone on scary nights.

It doesn't matter how old you are or how used to being alone you are. You're just one "What's Your Creepiest Story?" Reddit thread away from spending the entire night  paranoid under your blanket, jumping at every single creak and sound.

When you live alone, there's no one to reassure you that a hatchet-wielding murderer isn't outside the bedroom door waiting for you to fall asleep.

Pro: You can store anything, anywhere.

Your addiction to secondhand shops and swap meets can now properly  flourish. You have all the space in the world to store your finds.

Junk drawer? Try a whole junk room! There's no one to tell you no.

Con: You're 100 percent on the hook for costs.

Let's be honest, living in the city is crazy expensive. Unless you're secretly Beyonce, you probably don't have unlimited stacks of green waiting around for you to spend.

When you live alone, you pay bills alone. Suddenly, cable or air conditioning seem like way more of a luxury.

Pro: You don't have to deal with roommate drama.

Did Tiffany hit on Ray during the Christmas In July BBQ you guys held in the backyard last year? Who cares! No longer will you have to suffer through long rants about Mike and how he keeps drinking milk from the carton or Jessica's refusal to clean her hair from the drain.

No need to figure out what tone to use when dealing with roommate disputes -- those are a thing of the past.

Con: You can't enjoy roommate hangouts.

Unfortunately, your roommates aren't there for fun drama, either. Living with other people means there's always an opportunity for socialization.

Bad breakup? They'll be there with beer, pizza and Super Smash Bros. Hard week at work? You have built-in friends to pregame with. Now, though, you'll have to venture outside the walls of your home to get some human interaction.

Pro: You can enjoy the silence and solitude after a long day.

It's been a long, stressful day. Now it's finally time to go home, run a bath, pour some wine and enjoy your favorite Spotify playlist for unwinding.

No interruptions, just you and your home. It doesn't get much better than that.

Living alone is a big leap from a roommate situation or a family home. So many things about your home life will be different. It's up to you to decide if the pros outweigh the cons, but personally, I haven't regretted a thing.

Try the bath, wine and Spotify routine. I swear it outweighs the fear of a murderer at night every time.