Moving from apartment to house seems like a difficult transition, but there are numerous benefits of moving to a house and leaving the whole apartment life behind. People make this transition for many reasons, from expanding their family to simply wanting more space, and so could you. Read about the things to know before making this residential change.
The big question “Should I move from an apartment to a house” can be answered only by you. While there are logistical pros and cons for that, it comes down to whether or not you’re willing to trade the building life for suburban life. Maybe you’re relocating for a relationship and looking to make space for you and your partner. Perhaps you’ve decided to relocate at the last minute somewhere with more peace and quiet.
Whatever your reason to move is, switching it up from a building to a standalone home can seem scary before noticing the benefits. You can practice music and sing aloud without anyone knocking on walls and doors to keep it down. You can even create a whole gym for your exercise equipment right there in the garage.
We know buildings can have spacious apartments where you have enough room, but how often can you afford such a place? Most buildings offer shared amenities to make up for the lack of square footage. Suppose you’re living in a high rise, and you and your neighbors all share the building’s gym or another service. You have to schedule it around everybody else’s time, and that’s such a hassle.
While a suburban residence doesn’t provide a stellar view of the city as a high rise does, it gives you enough space and square footage to create your own at-home amenities that only you can use. Another reason why moving to a new house is better is having children. There’s always the fear of them wandering off and maybe falling; there’s not much room for their toys and playthings, and alike. Once you start packing toys for relocation, you’ll see you made the right choice.
We’ve already mentioned packing toys if you’re relocating with children, but there are more perks for them. They can have their own space to play and grow in without worrying that they’ll outgrow your two-bedroom apartment. A lovely property with a decent-sized yard can be a replacement for the local park where everyone hangs out, too.
In addition to kids, you might be relocating with pets. Let’s face it, a pet requires maybe just a little less attention than a child, but they still need their room to grow, wander and be free. This is especially true for dogs who simply love to chase a ball, although let’s not forget the 3 AM energy spikes cats seem to love so much. If you have kids and pets, well – a place with ample space to rest and play sounds like an amazing trade.
The parent who’s relocating a business to another state can add a quiet office in a different part of the residence, for all the times when the kids get too playful, and mom or dad really need to reply to some important emails. The choices are infinite.
In addition to having space for everyone, you can choose the perfect city to move to and buy a residence in one of its suburban neighborhoods, probably much easier than getting a place in some heavily urban area. A survey done by Bloomberg showed that 52% of Americans consider their neighborhood to be suburban, and most of them are closely connected to urban and central areas.
People are relocating to suburban areas where they feel similar or equal to their neighbors. However, the biggest divide for many residents is different political views, so make sure to do your research before relocating; arguing about politics while trying to settle is a waste of energy in many ways. Another factor to consider is how safe is the neighborhood you want to live in. Suburban parts of town aren’t exempt from crime, so count this in when you search for a residence.
What do you do when moving from an apartment to a house? Choose the best time of the year to move based on the geographical location of your destination; if you’re relocating to the West Coast, you could do well by relocating during winter since the season tends to be mild in western states. It only makes sense then that relocating during the summer seems better if you’re going to the East Coast because of the harsh winters that eastern states get caught in.
Choosing a place that fits your political views and isn’t inherently criminal isn’t adapting the area to your lifestyle – those are, more or less, the minimum requirements for a better place to live. What we mean by choosing is house hunting somewhere where you can be yourself. If you’re outgoing, find an area that has many chances to make new friends; if you enjoy outdoor activities, find someplace that has parks and recreational centers, and so on.
The process of what to do before moving into a new house can go something like this: you search and pick an area to your liking, research it, read reviews and impressions from its residents, then go residence hunting and do a visit. If every part ticks your boxes, then you can move out and start learning how to adjust to a new town. If not, keep looking. The US is pretty big – there’s a place for everyone in it.
One of the main causes of relocation depression is becoming separated from everything you know. Starting over somewhere else seems to be the worst thing ever, but there’s a bigger picture. Suppose you rented your old flat from a landlord who was or wasn’t very communicative.
Maybe the landlord had strict rules like you couldn’t have a pet you always wanted, or you didn’t have a chance to hang up a picture you really liked. When you move out from that into a residence you own, the opportunities to personalize it are endless. That’s excellent news. The somewhat bad news is that you’ll now have to pay for utilities in your name rather than letting the landlord take care of that.
Moving from a small apartment to a large house can seem terrifying because you got used to living small and coming up with creative storage ideas. You don’t have to give up those innovative strategies. They’ll come in handy when you start unpacking after the move. However, there’s also no need to store everything in one place and on top of each other. You can create storage space for all your items, hang up any picture you prefer, and have as many dogs as you wish.
Utilities are the answer to the question, “In what ways is living in a flat or apartment better than living in a house.” They’re lower in flats, and typically the landlord takes care of them if you’re renting. When you move out to a home that’s your own, you have to apply at the new address and have utilities in your name. These are just some of the stuff to take care of when you become a homeowner.
Consider what is the first thing to do when moving into a new house, even before unpacking and assembling all the furniture. If you don’t know, cleaning and maintenance is something you’ll have to get used to doing a lot more than before. Houses are typically bigger spaces than apartments, so it’s only natural that there’s more room to clean and chores to do. Initially, that could count as a downside, but you can get used to it.
There’s also lawn and yard maintenance and cleaning the pool and the patio if you plan on having those. Maintaining a home of your own is no small feat, but with some planning and organization, it will be a small price to pay for having such freedom over time. You can watch the video below to see some home maintenance hacks to make cleaning easier.
When you start creating your relocation inventory list, think hard about what furniture you want to keep. It’s okay to have a piece you’re highly attached to, but for every one of those, find one other item that doesn’t serve its purpose anymore. When you only bring the stuff you’re attached to and enjoy, the home you move to later will be more personalized and filled with things that are sure to bring joy.
The cheapest way to move out of state is to get rid of everything you don’t need anymore. Cross-country moving is complicated, and the more stuff you have, it gets worse. When you start packing for a move, be sure that the things you throw away are disposed of properly and consciously. This means you can donate unwanted furniture items, recycle them at a center, or give them to a friend or family member.
Another recommended relocation essential is calling a long-distance moving company and paying for their packing services. They can tell you all about the items movers won’t move and how to throw out items you don’t need anymore. If you find relocation too stressful, help from movers can benefit your mental health since they’re trained to pack and secure every kind of household item.
We know everyone’s worried about potential relocation scams, but they don’t happen that often. Making sure your long-distance movers are legit isn’t a long process, and you can find information on them quickly. And if there isn’t much or any info, they’re scammers.
Legit movers won’t only help you move into a residence much easier, but they have other amenities, like car shipping and the option of storage services included in their pricing. If you have a driveway at the destination, you’ll get your vehicle placed in front of your residence in no time. And if you change your mind about some stuff you packed, keep it in storage until you figure out what to do with it.
A big part of long-distance moving services that makes relocation easier is that movers bring all the necessary packing materials and pack stuff with high-quality paper and boxes. This way, when you pick out the good furniture to bring along, you can feel safe about it getting packed and shipped. Cross-country movers also offer mandatory insurance so that every precious piece you pack and bring has another type of cushioning during the move.
If you’re scared of dealing with relocation stress, that’s perfectly understandable. Long-distance moving rarely leaves people jolly right after it’s done, but the long-term result is more than beneficial. If you’ve been considering becoming a homeowner and upgrading to a residence you can call only your own, trust that the relocation process will be difficult but not long-lasting; you’ll be seeing the advantages of a nice backyard in no time.
