It’s never easy to just uproot your existing life and move to another place. However, you’ll be happy to hear the majority of people who move never regret their decision, and we’re sure you won’t either. Just follow our six tips on how to move to a new city, and it’ll go even better than you plan it.
Figuring out how to pick a city to live in can be a piece of cake, but it requires a bit of thinking and planning. If you’re relocating for a relationship, then you can move to your significant other’s place, or both of you can choose a different town altogether. While the first option comes up cheaper, the second gives you a chance to pick someplace that reflects your values and lifestyles while enabling you to nurture the relationship along the way. If you’re relocating alone, you can still follow this advice, since settling into a town that reflects you the best is a choice worth considering.
When you plan on long-distance moving, the first few things that need to be considered are your reasons for moving to another town and the budget for the entire endeavor. If these two things match well, you won’t have a problem finding any relocation essentials or going through the most difficult parts of the move. You’ll know exactly what you’re doing and why.
Why is the reason for relocation so important? If you’re wondering this, you may not have a firm decision in your mind just yet, and it may not be the best time to look for the best-sized boxes for relocating just yet. Sit down, take a pen and paper (or open notes on your laptop or phone if that’s more convenient) and write down every reason you can think of about why relocating to another town is for you. Don’t worry; even the most minor arguments count.
Here are some common reasons for relocating people tend to list:
There can be hundreds of other reasons why you might choose to relocate. Trying to escape difficult circumstances is one of the most valid arguments. Seeking independence is why so many young adults tend to relocate, too. The point is that your reason isn’t invalid; it just has to be strong enough, so you don’t regret it later on.
Before you start packing for a move, check how much money you have for this adventure. Will you be able to afford a long-distance moving company or even relocating by yourself? These expenses can end up being the same if you don’t organize or plan well. How much you have to save mainly depends on the destination. If it’s more expensive than your current place, you’ll have to work on saving up. You can even have a garage sale before leaving to increase your budget on time.
It’s a wonder how often people tend to misunderstand the concept of getting to know themselves. This doesn’t mean you should go on a self-seeking adventure across the world in the style of “Eat, Pray, Love,” but it rather means you should know what sort of home and environment suit you.
If you’re a homebody who has problems falling asleep, you’ll skip on relocating to a place with bright lights and noise all night long. If you’re a night owl, you’ll enjoy having opportunities to do as many night-time activities as during the day. Additionally, do you want to live alone or with someone? Would you be happier in a house or an apartment? Do you want to commute by car or bike, or would you like well-developed public transport to do everything for you? This is what we mean by getting to know yourself.
Whether you currently reside in a house or apartment, replacing one for the other can be challenging. You might be used to living in a large house. In that case, relocating to a smaller home can feel too difficult, even with having cross-country movers to help you out. The downsizing part could be a concept you’ll have to get used to, but it’s worth considering.
However, if you’re going from a big house to a small apartment or intend on living in a high-rise, you have to learn about the differences in lifestyles and habits that these residences present. If you’re ready to make a big change and downsize, upsize or switch up your house for an apartment (or vice versa,) that’s great, but it will require patience. Don’t expect to feel entirely comfortable immediately.
One house-hunting tip that comes up very often is to be realistic about the costs of living in a different area, especially if you want to do it on your own. Going out and searching for a new place alone can be expensive or inconvenient. That’s why you might have to put on your brave face and share a space with someone, like a roommate or a friend, who could come with you. While there are numerous advantages to living alone, rent isn’t one of them. Having someone by your side may give you a higher chance of finding a space that suits you.
In case you’re relocating to a different town because your boss offered you a job there, ask your employer some relocation questions that could help ease your transition, and you could use it to your advantage when trying to meet locals. This situation could be ideal for a relocation because you’d likely have support from your employers on financial matters.
If you’d rather go out on a limb and quit to work elsewhere, you’re probably thinking, “how do I get a job in a new city before I move?”. For a start, try relocating to a place where the market is friendly towards your skillset. Even if you don’t get employed before taking the leap and relocating, at least make sure your next destination can provide you with opportunities you’ll use. Who knows, you may find even better opportunities than before.
If you’re relocating at the last minute and don’t have a chance to gather lots of money for the move, the cheapest way to move out of state is to look for freelance or part-time work to help you cover some expenses. You can also use free packing supplies and ask people to help you, but you’ll never get trapped wondering, “how do I move to a new city” if you have those who love you by your side. Whatever the reason for relocating without any money may be, it’s not impossible to do it if it’s necessary. The video below is advice and experience from a young adult who decided to move out with no job or money, and we think it might help you decide.
When cross-country moving, there could be so many requests you may have, from relocating with pets and kids to being vegan, outdoorsy, working in the IT industry, and alike. These are widespread reasons that people list while making their checklist for relocating across the country. In addition, you can settle in a small town or one of the bigger cities out there. Put these items on your list of priorities, and then search for places with at least 80% of those points.
You may have a specific destination in mind. For example, you wish to become an actor and decide to move to Hollywood, which has been and still is one of the main reasons young adults relocate there. Being in the heart of the industry could do you a lot of professional good, but the environment could turn out to be nothing like you expected it to be. If your values align with the values of the location, that would be the perfect outcome, so pay attention to this potentially small but critical detail.
Having connections is a great way to start your relocation process since it begins when you decide to move out. Relocating to a place where you’ll likely have someone to turn to, such as cousins, old friends, or a business partner, is a fantastic way to beat relocation depression. The hardest part of it all is that you’re relocating far away from your family, and having someone you’re familiar with can ease the blues.
In addition to having friends helping you adjust to a new town, their assistance and knowledge could make it easier in the long run, too. That way, you’ll understand where to go and where to avoid, how to fit in within certain parts of town, and how to start making friends besides your valued helpers. More importantly, if you contact them, they’ll tell you all about the costs of living and whether it’s worth hiring long-distance moving services to relocate there.
Each year, the UN conducts research on the happiest countries in the world, and recently Finland scored on top. However, the personal accounts of many, especially young adults, seem to be different than that. While this Nordic country offers the perfect living conditions, their climate is cold almost throughout the year, and many Finns feel depressed due to a lack of sunshine. In opposition, a different study from a few years ago claimed that residents of hot, desert countries tend to be angrier than usual, and heat exhaustion has a lot to do with that. See how climate can affect your mood and life?
An area with the perfect climate may not exist. While it would be wonderful to have warm and sunny days all year round, it may be hard to afford a place with that sort of weather since it mostly happens in tropical areas (or Los Angeles.) Do your best to make it work somewhere where at least most of the year is the way you’d like it to be.
If you contact long-distance movers to help you move as soon as you decide where you want to settle, we guarantee your relocation stress will lower by a lot. Use the opportunity to get packing services, when movers can pack anything you want, and you don’t have to do a lot. You can get busy if the nerves get to you. In that case, you can help them by packing some stuff by yourself, too.
If the stress becomes too much and you pack more than you need, movers can store those items in a storage unit or two. Most of them offer free storage for a month, which you can use as a period of adaptation. If you decide to move to a town where you’ll be in charge of the commute, you can request movers to ship your vehicle. That way, you’ll save money by not having to purchase a different car at the destination, and you’ll be free to roam and get acquainted with the place you’ll be calling home for the next period.
We hope that the research we mentioned is enough to fulfill your every need. It’s up to you to choose where you want to go and how you want to be. If you’ve chosen a place that’ll help you cultivate your artistic side, pack a guitar and head out to where you’ll be happiest. And if by any chance you want to live the easygoing lifestyle, pack those golf clubs and that swimsuit and get the most out of it. The more you consider the initial stakes and prepare well, the better the experience will be.
