How to Move Out Without Anyone Knowing

Who hasn’t dreamt of just walking away from their life and starting afresh in a new place? Laying on an exotic beach without a care in the world, all your stresses where the daily grind are left way behind.

For many it is just a fantasy to fill a few idle moments, dreaming of how their life would be if they ran away to some exotic location or deep into the countryside to live off grid.

But for some their home life can be so intolerable or dangerous, that moving away is the only realistic option, and knowing how to secretly move out becomes a necessity not a fantasy.

Important:

If you really want to know how to move home secretly, then do this before you do anything else: Do it now:

• Close this page.
• Go to browser history and delete this page entry
• Then open an incognito window and come back to this page

Using the incognito window does not leave a record of any pages you have looked at in your browser history. However, it does not erase the history from the server which will actually be of benefit as we find out later in this guide.

That is lesson 1. Cover your tracks. Everything you do, especially online, is traceable, so if you are serious about wanting to know how to move away without anyone knowing, then you have to consider everything you do very carefully.

In this week’s home moving blog, we look at how to move away without telling anyone, discreetly, quickly, and safely.

How to Secretly Move Out – The Basics

You may have stifling parents or just need space to find yourself, or you need to escape from your partner.

Why you need or want to get away without anyone knowing will determine to what lengths you need to go to to keep your plans secret.

Walking out of a home is the easy part, the hard part is having a safe place to go to and hitting the ground running with your new life.

If you just need to relocate discreetly then it is a far simpler thing to do.

You may also like to read How to Move Quickly – These tips on how to pack and move out of a home in just a few days will be invaluable if you need to get out quickly and easily.

How to Move Out Discreetly

If you just want to move home without the neighbours, your friends, or family knowing, and there is no danger that anyone will put any effort into finding you then a simple plan is required:

• Tell no one if you want to keep moving out a secret
• Hire professional packers as they will pack your things extremely quickly, meaning that you won’t have packing supplies or packed boxes lying around the home for weeks on end.
• If you are only taking clothes with you then strong bin liners are ideal. They are quick and easy to pack and can easily left lying around the home until you pack without raising any suspicions.
• When a speedy home move is needed, call a removal company. This is not the first home move that they have had to do discreetly, or quickly. Some will arrive in plain vans with an ununiformed removal team, and often they can schedule a move late at night or early morning. Talk to them about your requirements and some will be able to accommodate your needs.
• When decluttering your home ready for moving day, you should consider selling or donating odd pieces of furniture over time, or taking a box or two a week to the local second-hand store. People will be unlikely to notice you moving small amounts over a long time.
• If you are currently renting, make sure there is enough money to pay until the end of your lease. You may not want to tell your landlord you are leaving but you may also want to make sure you get your deposit back or you may need a reference from them in the future. Leaving on good terms makes sense.
• The same goes for your employer. You could ask to go onto a zero-hours contract well in advance of your planned moving date so that it is easier to leave at short notice. Or if working from home, working your notice should be easier without anyone having to know. You may well need a reference in the future so don’t burn any bridges that you don’t need to.
• If you have a home to sell some estate agents offer a discreet sales service. This means that your property details will not be published online or in an estate agent’s windows. Instead, the particulars are only shared with carefully selected clients. It is worth speaking to your local agent to see if they offer such a service.
• Ensure that you sign up for the Royal Mail redirect service so that your mail is sent directly to your new home, this stops the need for anyone else needing to know where to send your mail to.

Must do: Find a removal company to help you move discreetly – Save yourself time and money by using the quote form to get up to 4 quotes for moving your things discreetly from pre-vetted removal companies. Remember to use your burner phone telephone number and new email address when requesting quotes.

How to Move Out of Home Secretly and Disappear

 To successfully move out without anyone knowing and then to disappear, never to be found, takes a lot of time to meticulously plan.

You need to be 100% committed to making this work, one simple mistake could unravel months, if not years, of planning.

Every aspect of our life is tracked in one way or another, store loyalty cards, Facebook, GPS on your phone, CCTV, credit card use, browser history, the list is endless.

The trick now is to start disconnecting from your old life and setting up a new life whilst making it appear that everything is normal.

To enable you to secretly plan to move away you will need:

• A firm date when you intend to get out. Without this, you will just drift endlessly. You need a set goal to aim for.
• Somewhere safe to keep the things that will help you leave secretly. These must not be kept in your home. If you have a locker or secure desk drawer at work then that would be ideal.
• Access to internet devices or a phone that nobody else knows about. A secondhand phone with a pay-as-you-go sim card is ideal. This will allow you to plan your move and then dispose of the device without anyone knowing you even had it. Keep your old device, you will need that to create a diversion when you do leave.

You may also like to read: How to Cope With Emotional Overload When Moving Home. One thing that you must do during this escape is look after your mental well-being. Moving home in itself is stressful but with the added complication of doing it secretly, you will be prone to even more emotions. In this guide, we look at how to manage your emotions during this transition to your new life.

How To Disappear and Not Be Found

Disappearing is not the hard part, staying hidden and undiscovered is the difficult part.

Most people who disappear are eventually caught when they try to reconnect with their old life in even a small way.

So you need to be 100% committed to disappearing and not being found. You must sever every tie with your old life and forget any part of it ever existed.

At a minimum this is what you need to do:

• Plan on having all your money in cash. If you use an ATM or a debit card in a store, then the time and location will be recorded. Cash is untraceable. Once your accounts are clear and direct debits stopped you can close the accounts, but only after you have moved so that you do not raise suspicions. If your partner has no access to your accounts then this can be done before you leave.
• Clear all your debts, end contracts, and have all your affairs in order so that there is no reason for people to come looking for you. If you owe a credit card company, for example, they will employ a debt collection agency to recover the money, and they will find you. You can do this after the actual day you leave, but it needs to be in your plans so that you leave with a clean slate.
• Assume that someone is tracking you, no matter where you are. So if you go to view a property ensure that you leave your ‘known’ phone at work. Only carry the burner phone that you are using to make your escape plans. A smartphone can be used to track your location so never take it anywhere that will lead others to places that you don’t want them to know you went to.
• If you are going to visit anywhere out of the ordinary then never take a bus or taxi from your usual stops. Never use a taxi firm that you have used before. Get dropped off by the taxi, or leave the bus, a few streets before your actual destination. Complete the journey on foot or switch from bus to taxi or taxi to bus.
• Never take the direct route to your destination. Make it as hard as possible for anyone to even guess where you are heading.
• When going somewhere connected with your escape, for example, to view a new home, wear non-descript clothes, or tone down the make-up, you do not want to stand out in any way, you need to blend in so that nobody remembers you.
• You will probably need a job in your new location but seek work that is totally unrelated to your old work. You may otherwise make it easier for someone to find you or you may even bump into old acquaintances or have mutual contacts from your old firm.
• Create a new email account so that all correspondence regarding your new life goes to that account.
• Always change your VPN when on any computer, and change it to a different country every time.
• Seek new hobbies and totally change your routine for your new life. If you normally go to the gym 7 days a week, someone trying to find you will certainly check out all the gyms.
• Change your appearance, from the style of clothing to hairstyle and colour. However, do not do this in the place you are leaving or the place you are moving to. Do this somewhere random and not connected with either place. So leave your old home, change your appearance, and arrive in your new location.
• If you are using public transport to escape remember that you will be recorded on CCTV. You may want to change your appearance a couple of times. For example, you go into the train station toilet wearing blue jeans and a short jacket, with sunglasses. Come out wearing black jeans, a long coat (or have a reversible jacket), and a hat. Don’t forget the rookie mistake of not changing your footwear.
• If you normally wear glasses, get contact lenses. Or wear clear lens glasses if you don’t normally wear glasses.
• If you are carrying your change of clothes in a carrier bag, have another empty bag inside it. So you walk in carrying a Tesco carrier bag and come out with a black holdall or Sainsbury bag.

When you leave your old home and do not want to be found, you will need to leave a trail that shows the authorities that you planned to leave.

If the Police have no reason to believe you left of your own free will they will suspect foul play and go looking for you.

But you also do not want anyone to know where you have gone, so you need to let people know it was planned whilst keeping it a secret where you have gone.

Leaving a false trail is essential if you believe those that you are leaving behind will come looking for you.

Be careful that whoever you are running away from does not discover your browsing history before your plan is put into action.

Always use an incognito window, experts will be able to recover history from that at a later date, so never leave anything in your history that could cause you problems.

Equally never delete your entire browsing history which could also be regarded as highly suspicious.

• From your known internet device leave some false trails on your incognito browser. For example, if you are running away to London, log in to several sites for homes to rent in Newcastle, look at train timetables to Newcastle, and research neighbourhoods of Newcastle, especially the student areas where there are thousands of shared houses which will take someone years to scour to try and find you. The idea is to lay a trail that shows that Newcastle is your destination. Choose a large city, not a small town as it will take someone looking for you far longer in a big city. If you want you could even leave a trail that confuses even further by including a second large city, preferably at the other end of the country.
• If you have the money rent a very cheap room in a shared house in a city that you have no intention of ever going to. Rent it on a very short lease. This is just another false trail you are creating.
• Delete only the history on your device that relates to your escape plan. Deleting the entire browsing history will create suspicion.
• Buy a train or bus ticket to your fake destination on the date you are secretly moving. Use your known device to do this at the last possible moment so that it can be discovered at a later date.
• If money is no problem then keep an old bank account open with a small sum of money in it. Then call, do not use an online service, and order a takeaway from a place in the fake city you have chosen as your decoy. Pay using the debit card. Choose an address in your new fake home city for it to be delivered to. Order using your burner phone with the PAYGO sim so that you can throw it away later. Anyone keeping tabs on your bank account will assume that they have found you.
• Over a period of time, before you leave, start detaching yourself from social media, the temptation to log on to see what is happening in your old life, or post about your new life, will be too great. Delete your accounts over a few months before you leave saying that you are bored or tired of them so that nobody becomes suspicious. The other advantage to this is that there will be no recent photos of you that can be used to try and find you.
• For the same reason avoid socialising or attending family gatherings. Gradually reduce your contact with others rather than just stop abruptly. The fewer recent photos of you the better as those looking for you will likely post them on social media and you never know who may recognise you.

You may also like to read: How to Move Into a Rented Property. If your escape plans include moving into a rented property, and you have never done so before, then you will find this guide invaluable. From budgeting to understanding the different leases to questions to ask your landlord.

Where Do I Move to Disappear?

What you are really asking is how to leave the country without anyone knowing.

Unless you know someone who can get you out of the country illegally, which is a really bad idea, the answer is that you cannot leave the country without anyone knowing.

Your passport will track exactly where you go and there are dozens of CCTV cameras in every airport and ferry terminal.

You could however leave the country without your family or partner knowing. It will take just a little more money and planning.

However, if they hire a private investigator to find you, it would be easy for them to discover at the very least which country you escaped to. And remember that you will stand out even in a very cosmopolitan city where you are a foreigner, and standing out is what you must always avoid.

Let’s say that you speak fluent French and those chasing you know you left the country, the obvious destination for you will be a French-speaking place. So that narrows down their search straight away.

But always do the unexpected.

Buy a plane ticket for say Belgium, French-speaking and easy to get to, exactly what they would expect you to do.

But then travel to Holland by train, then cycle to Germany. The CCTV and ticket trail will eventually end in Holland.

Your pursuers are going to assume you are in Holland and will concentrate their search for you there before realising it is a false lead and then they may head back to Belgium again.

Travelling by cycle is one of the least traceable methods of transport, just stay away from main roads and populated places where there will be CCTV.

Setting up a new life in a foreign country without paperwork leading back to your old life will be extremely difficult. Even attempting to do so will lead those trying to find you right to you.

The easiest way to disappear will be to stay in the UK.

You will be able to get to your chosen destination quite quickly, can set up your new life relatively easily before you get there, and can blend into the background quickly and more easily once you arrive.

You may think that escaping to a small village will enable you to set up a new life undiscovered by those trying to find you.

Fewer people and fewer CCTV cameras would have you think so.

However, the trouble with a small community is that people will want to get to know you, want to know where you come from, and why you left. And people will be watching your every move.

It will be extremely hard to create the lies and then keep the pretense up for the cover story you would need to create to cover your tracks. It is far easier to be anonymous in a big city.

Choose a city that you have never been to or have no connection with whatsoever.

The destination must have nothing to do with your old life and you must know no one there.

The further away the better, and preferably a large university or college city where there is a large rental or shared housing community. This will give your pursuers a harder time.

Creating a new life for yourself will be so much easier in a large town or city.

It is a fairly easy process to change your name by deed poll if that is what you want to do. Remember though that things like your passport number, driving license, or national insurance number will not change.

Discover how to change your name by deed poll at www.gov.uk 

Most people looking to secretly move out and disappear will predominantly be people looking to escape from an abusive partner, for example, the tips above will certainly help those in that situation.

But please visit the last section of this guide where you will find the contact details for organisations that may also be able to help you.

You may also like to read: How to Move Somewhere You Have Never Been. In this guide, we offer some suggestions as to how to get to know a place you have never visited, and how to make the transition to this new part of the country easier.

How to Move Away From Your Parents

Running away from home can be a thought that stays with you through most of your life, from thinking about how to run away from your parents because they want you to live by their rules, to fantasising about running away from the responsibilities of adulthood.

And then there are those who find themselves thinking about running away to escape from abuse or neglect.

If that is the situation that as a young person you find yourself in, then there are plenty of places that you can turn to for help.

There is no need to take unnecessary risks or cause yourself even more trouble by running away. Running away may seem like the only answer but there are always alternatives.

There are plenty of organisations that will help you find a safe place to live and will help you out of the situation you are currently in.

Please, if you are in danger, feel unsafe, thinking of running away, or just want to have someone to talk to, call one of the numbers in the section below, it is anonymous, and they will not judge you or tell your parents. They are there only to help you and keep you safe.

You may also like to read: How to Move Out of Your Parents Home. An in-depth look at the why, how, and when of moving out of your parent’s home for the first time.

Can My Parents Stop Me From Moving Out?

Can your parents legally stop you from moving out at 16 or 17?

If you are 16 or older then your parents or carer cannot stop you from leaving home, but your parents or carer are legally responsible for you until you are 18.

As long as you are safe and cared for, the authorities will unlikely make you go back home, but if you are under 18 then they will notify your parents or carer as to where you are.

If you are over 18 then the Police will not tell anyone where you are if you don’t want them to.

But leaving home at 16 or 17 is not a decision you should take without thinking it through very very carefully.

• If where you choose to move out to is considered to put you in a harmful situation you could be made to move back home.
• At 16 you will not get a mortgage or credit, and you cannot get a tenancy agreement on a place to rent until you are 18.
• You may be able to rent somewhere if you can get someone to be a guarantor, someone who is over 18 years old and will be able to pay the rent if you cannot.
• Even going to live at a friend’s place you will need money, so having a job is essential.
• Nothing in life is free. Move out of your parents’ home and you have to pay rent, food, for gas, water, and electricity, then there is your phone and internet to be paid for. You cannot move out and then get a job, you need money for a deposit before you even move into a rented place.
• For various reasons, you may think that moving out at 16 will solve your problems, and it may, but speak to one of the organisations above first. They may be able to help you either resolve the problem at home or find you a safe place to go. Some can even provide accommodation and financial support. But you won’t know until you speak to them, so seek advice first.

You may also like to read: Where to Get Help With Moving Costs – Learn how to move home with no money, how to set a home moving budget, where to turn to for financial help with your moving costs, and then how to set up a home with no money. Simple and easy advice for moving home with no money.

Living With Parents But Moving Out at 19

Overprotective parents can drive you nuts when you are a young adult, not wanting you to grow up, always wanting things done their way, by their rules, and even stopping you from leaving home when you think the time is right.

The line between leaving school and becoming a young adult is a blurred one and is a difficult time for both you and your parents.

No matter how desperate to move out of your parent’s home you are, as with most things in life, there is a right and wrong way to go about it.

Moving out without telling your parents will almost certainly make your life harder.

Moving out with your parents’ approval may seem highly unlikely, but if planned properly then it is the best way of moving out of the family home.

At 19 years old your parents cannot stop you from leaving home, you are an adult, and if you can make a reasoned decision about your ability to be able to afford to move home, then you are responsible enough to do so.

It may be that you get on better with one parent than another and often they will help you sway the other parent’s mind.

If both parents are against you moving out then you need a rock-solid plan to convince them that you will make this work.

• Create a budget. Include things like rental deposit, the first month’s rent, utilities, mobile phone, internet, food, cleaning products, travel, council tax, TV licence, clothing, going out, and a contingency fund. Show what your monthly income and outgoings are, and ensure that you have a sum left over in case of unseen expenses.
• Think about sharing a flat or house with friends to help spread the cost.
• Consider how secure your job is and what would happen if you lost your job.
• Have a plan B for everything so that you demonstrate that you have thought this through.
• You need to demonstrate that you have thoroughly researched the place you want to live. List all the positives about the place so that your parents can see that it is a safe place that will suit your lifestyle and will improve your quality of life.
• Before you tell your parents you are moving out, make sure you have learned some life skills that will help you live away from your parents. Learn to cook, do basic DIY, and learn how to shop within a budget.
• If you are moving out of your parents to live with a partner or friends have them with you when you present your moving-out plan.
• It may also help to have a supportive uncle or aunty there.
• Choose a time to tell them when you are all calm and relaxed. Never break the news in the middle of an argument.
• Listen to your parents’ concerns and be sure you have rock-solid answers that you can back up with facts or figures.
• Ensure that they know how to use Skype and email so that you can keep in regular contact, and show that you want to move away from the home and not out of their lives.

You may also like to read: The Ultimate Guide to Moving into a Shared House. You may be considering moving into a shared home and this guide will tell you all you need to know. What to expect, how much does a room in a shared house cost? tips for making living in a shared house easier, and lots more useful tips and tricks.

Can I Legally Run Away?

It is not illegal to run away from home and you cannot be arrested for it.

The Police will however try to locate you and you may be returned home or into the hands of an organisation that will find you a place that is safer than going back home.

It all depends on what your home situation is and why you ran away.

You may well not want to be found after running away, but everybody’s primary concern will be your safety and well-being.

If you have run away from home or are thinking of doing so then contact the runaway helpline at www.runawayhelpline.org.uk or call or text for free on 11600.

They will not ask your name or where you are, they will just want to help you. It is free and totally confidential.

You may also like to read: Moving in With a Best Friend. One of the options you may be considering is moving in with a friend. In this guide, we share some tips, highlight the pros and cons, and help you decide if moving in with friends is such a good idea.

Support and Help for Those Thinking of Running Away

This section is a list of some people who are out there to help you when you have problems and are thinking of running away from home or have already run away and need some help and support.

• Runaway Helpline: Tel 116 000 or text 116 000 if you are thinking of running away or have done so already
• Supportline: Tel 01708 765200
• Childline: 0800 111 – A free 24-hour helpline for young people
• NSPCC: 0800 800 5000 – A free 24-hour helpline for children at risk of violence or neglect
• Centrepoint: 0808 800 0661 – For 16 to 25-year-olds who are homeless or at risk of being homeless
• Refuge: 0808 200 0247 – For those affected by domestic violence
• Safeline: 0808 800 5007 – For those affected by sexual abuse
• Samaritans: 116 123 – Can help with a wide range of problems
• The Mix: Tel 0808 808 4994 or text THEMIX to 85258 – A confidential helpline for under 25’s
• Women’s Aid: 0808 2000 247 – For those who suffer domestic abuse
• Shelter: 0808 800 4444 – For any help and advice about homes

How to Move Out Without Parents Knowing

If you have exhausted all the avenues of trying to reason with your parents, have shown them that you have meticulously thought through moving out of the family home, and they are still adamant that you cannot leave, even though you are legally old enough to do so, then leaving without their consent may be your only option.

But without their consent and blessing does not mean that you have to leave and burn all your bridges forever.

Yes, they are going to be angry and upset, even scared for you, but if you plan your move out properly it will be a success, and eventually, they will see that it was all for the best.

Once you have made your plan, saved enough money, and have your place ready to move into all you have to do is plan how to leave.

• Over time get rid of the junk, old clothes, and things you don’t need or want that you have accumulated so that you move as few things as possible. Do this gradually so that nobody notices, or just declare that you are fed up with your room looking a mess and are having a clear-out.
• Organise where you are going to live, pay the deposit, and complete the tenancy agreement.
• Decide how you are going to move. By bus, train, taxi, car, or in a friend’s car. Even hiring a removal firm can be surprisingly cheap for only a few things.
• Use heavy-duty plastic sacks to move your clothes and wrap fragile electronics and valuables in bubble wrap or clothes to protect them before putting them in small boxes or a holdall.
• When packing, make sure that nothing is left in the laundry basket, washing machine, or on the washing line. You don’t want to be leaving behind your best jeans.
• If you have bought your own furniture over time and want to take it with you, then hire a removal firm. It may only be a few things you need to move but they will have them out and loaded onto the removal van in no time at all.
• Choose a time to leave when your parents will be out of the house. When they are at work or out shopping for example. Just make sure they are away long enough that they will not return mid-move and cause a scene.

You may choose to leave a letter to your parents telling them why you have left home. Explain clearly why you have made this adult decision and why you have chosen to leave secretly.

Word the letter in such a way that you explain that you want to prove to them that you are mature enough to make good decisions, but hope that they would welcome you back with open arms if things go wrong.

Ensure you leave lines of communication open, leave an email address or telephone number. No matter how angry or upset they are they will want to at least know that you are safe.

You may choose to call them instead. Stay calm, and don’t get into an argument, or start throwing accusations about. If the call goes badly just say that you wanted them to know that you are safe and will call again.

If you are moving out secretly because you are scared of what your parents might do, you should contact your local Police on 101 and explain the situation, or ring one of the helplines we have listed.

Moving out of your parents’ home without telling them is not the best way to go, but eventually, they will calm down and accept that you have grown up and have to live your own life, make your own decisions, and make mistakes. That is how we mature and become adults.

If they do not forgive you for moving out without telling them, then still remember to message or send a card on special anniversaries, birthdays, or Christmas.

You do not have to cut them totally out of your life unless you absolutely want to.

As a young adult, you have to make decisions, some are difficult decisions where we may unavoidably hurt people’s feelings. We all make mistakes, but we also have the ability to change things for the better, it is how we learn and develop as humans.

Moving out on your own for the first time is a big decision, plan it well, and just do it. We all had to leave home at some time, you will know when the time is right for you.

Embrace the decision you have made, and be confident in the choices you make. And make your decisions work. Prove that you have the maturity to do what you say you are going to do.

You may also like to read: How to Move Home By Car – If you are leaving your home and only have a few things then moving by car is an easy option. Learn how to pack your things and pack a car quickly and safely.

I Want to Move Out But Have No Money

Moving out with no money, unless you are in danger, or some other special circumstances, and one of the support services can help you, is going to be almost impossible, but not totally impossible.

Sure you can sofa surf for a while, but you still need to eat at a minimum, and your friends will only be able to support you for so long.

So if you want to move out of your home but cannot afford it right now, you need a plan.

• Going to college in another part of the country is one option for you. You will get to move away from your parents, the college will provide you with accommodation for the first year, and you will qualify for a student loan. Being in a college city you are also likely to find part-time work too.
• You could get work now and save every penny you can so that you have a wad of cash to move out with. This may take a year or so but at least there will be an end goal in sight.
• Work out how much money you need to escape. Factor in the deposit for a place, the first month’s rent, food, utility bills, and phone, internet, and travel expenses. Then add an emergency fund, stuff that you haven’t planned for, but it should be around a month’s pay.
• If you can find a friend or two to share a place with that will cut down on the money you need to save for a deposit and will reduce your monthly bills. Just be sure that you can trust your friends not to up and go, leaving you with rent and bills you cannot afford.
• This brings us to this very important point. Always, always, live below your means. By that, I mean living in a slightly smaller place than you can afford, living in a cheaper area, never buying branded food or products, and forget designer labels, learn how to live frugally even when you don’t need to. You never know when you may need money urgently so always have some savings.
• There are plenty of places to get free furniture and things that you will need when you first set up a place to live, so don’t worry about those things, they won’t be the newest or the latest, but they will do for now. Check out the guide below for a list of places to get free stuff when moving home.
• You could consider fruit picking or volunteering in places that offer food and accommodation in return for a day’s work. Check out the list below for websites that can help you find volunteering opportunities.

You may also like to read: Where to Get Free Stuff When Moving Home – From discounts on food to where to get free household items, this guide shows you where you can get free things to help you set up your new home.

Volunteering Opportunities with Food and Accommodation in the UK

Here is a selection of websites where you can find free accommodation and food in exchange for working.

This could be an ideal solution if you want to leave home but have no money, you may learn new skills, meet lots of interesting people, and it will help you develop as a person too.

Always thoroughly check out anywhere you intend to volunteer, there is always the danger that you will be exploited in some way, so only use reputable websites and do lots of research.

• www.worldpackers.com 
• www.voluntouring.org    
• www.workaway.info     
• www.brokeinlondon.com   
• www.hopperjobs.com  

You may also like to read: Intentional Community Living. Intentional living communities are groups of like-minded people living together. This could be a good option for you if you have little money but also want to live an interesting and fulfilling lifestyle.

How to Elope

Planning a big wedding can be super stressful, throw in some family politics, and the huge amount of money a wedding costs, and it is no wonder that so many people are choosing to elope to have a simple, quiet wedding.

What is eloping?

Eloping means to run away to get married, usually without your parents, friends, and family knowing about it. Elopers tend to have a wedding ceremony but not a reception.

Eloping allows you to have a wedding that is as simple as you want, without all the big ceremony and fuss.

You can choose to elope to get married in the UK or abroad, you can have friends or random strangers as witnesses, or you can have a celebration when you return home, or not. The choice is yours.

However, you should be prepared for a certain amount of planning, you cannot just elope and get married without some forethought.

Is it Legal to Runaway and Get Married in the UK?

As long as you comply with the law of the country you choose to get married in and are issued with a valid marriage licence then your elopement marriage is perfectly legal.

• In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland you can get married if you are over 16 but will require your parents’ consent if you are under 18.
• In Scotland, you can marry if you are over 16 and you do not need your parents’ consent.
• Same-sex marriages are legal throughout the UK

How to Plan an Elopement

The whole point about eloping is that it gives you the freedom of choice.

You can choose if it will just be the two of you at the ceremony, you can choose whether to get engaged publicly, in secret, or not at all before the wedding.

When it comes to running away to get married, there are no rules as to why or how you should do it.

There are however a few laws and some details that you need to know about.

• You must register your intent to get married at your local registry office at least 29 days before the date of your marriage.
• To legally marry you will need two witnesses who must be over 16 years of age. Your witnesses can be friends, strangers, or more usually, staff at the registry office.

You can read more in-depth information about what you need to do to legally get married from the government websites below:

• England and Wales
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland

Once the legalities are sorted out, all that remains is to decide what will happen on your wedding day. There are a couple of things to consider:

• Will you exchange rings?
• Will friends or strangers be your witnesses?
• Do you want a professional photographer or a friend to take some pictures of your wedding?
• What will you both wear?
• Do you want a celebration afterward?
• How will you break the news to family and friends that you have gotten married?
• Will you have a honeymoon?

How Much Does it Cost to Elope?

Compared with a traditional UK wedding, eloping will save you a huge amount of money.

The average UK wedding costs around £32,000 according to www.statista.com

Whilst a wedding ceremony in Gretna Green is around £200.

Of course, you can tailor your day to exactly how you want it, and that will add costs.

You may choose to elope abroad to get married, or at a 5-star spa resort in the UK. The choice is yours and the wedding costs will reflect the choices you make.

But the whole point of eloping is the romanticism of it, that the focus of the day is on you two, not the guests, not the food, not the million and one things that can and do go wrong with big weddings.

If you are planning on eloping in the UK then you might like to visit www.petiteweddings.co.uk who specialise in helping couples plan their elopement.

You may also like to read: Tips for Moving in Together after Marriage – Plenty of useful tips and things to consider before you move in together.

Whatever your reason for choosing to read this article today, we hope that we have helped in even a small way to keep you safe, and even to help you on the road to a happier life in a new place.

If you have any tips or experiences that you would like to share with others who are also thinking of running away secretly please share them in the comments below. Thank you.