Making the decision to relocate can be one of the biggest life changing moments a person or family can make. It takes a LOT of work, time and energy to move somewhere new (in general); however, when you throw a brand-new state or country into the mix it can bring on many additional challenges. Are you looking to relocate? Then you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading for some tips to make your relocation a success! It will at times be trying, but can also be one of the most rewarding decisions of your life!
Plan a Visit to Your New City
While online research is definitely the place to begin, one tip tip to make your relocation a success is to take a trip to the city that you plan to relocate too. There would be truly nothing worse than getting there…never have visiting the location…and absolutely (and instantly) regretting the move. Make sure to be resourceful with your time, as most trips to prepare for a move involve so many moving parts! Perhaps you need to find a temporary place to live if you aren’t prepared to purchase a home in such a short amount of time. Be sure to scope out the area i.e. visit the schools (if you have kids), dine in some of the LOCAL restaurants, go to the area parks and take time to seek out potential neighborhoods you may want to call home!
Get to Know the Area You’re Relocating To
Finding a specific area that you want to live in can be difficult and frustrating all rolled into one. After all, you may have never visited the city let alone the state before. This is why it’s super important to do some research on the areas you are looking at. You want to ensure that you can get a sense of the people, neighborhoods, and find an area that has the right amenities you are searching for. Perhaps visiting the city’s local website would be of help OR checking out community groups on Facebook. Checking out a specific neighborhood on Niche is another great source!
Build a Relocation Budget
Before deciding if you’re ready to lock in a decision on relocating, it’s important to determine if you have the budget to do so. Moving can be a costly expense, and if you aren’t prepared financially…it can come as a quick surprise! The easiest way to start your budget is by listing out some of the potential expenses that would apply to your move. Some important ones to include are:
- Moving Expenses
- Car Transport
- Security Deposits/Down payment on a new home
- New furniture
- Upgrades/potential items to be fixed
It’s important to remember that even if you don’t have specific numbers, rough estimates will do! This will give you a good idea on a number that you should be prepared to cover upfront costs.
Keep Moving Costs Low
Exploring the different ways to move can come with some serious sticker shock. Luckily now a days there are many options out there to choose from! It’s important to refer back to your budget when deciding which move is best for you.
The biggest question to ask yourself is: How much do you I want to be involved?
If moving is a stressful situation for you; then you’ll probably want to choose a traditional mover that drives the truck, takes care of the packing/heavy lifting, and then returns the items to the proper room in the new home!
Perhaps, splitting the work between yourself and the professionals is what works! Allow yourself to take care of the packing and rent a POD for the transport of your items.
If you are OK with the manual labor and prefer to be the only person touching your items OR you’re on a tight budget a DIY move is probably the choice for you! Rent a UHUAL, ask a couple friends to help you out and treat them to pizza for lunch or dinner!
Find a Home
Our final tip to make your relocation a success is to find a home, whether its your temporary one or your permanent one!
While it may sound like a good idea to rush the process of buying a home (to avoid paying a month to month rental fee or a move from one place to another) it’s important to remember that you ultimately want to make the right decision for yourself AND your family…no matter how long it might take. Moving to a new area is already one big change. You want to ensure that you are absolutely set on the location of the neighborhood, the size of the home you are choosing and much more. As mentioned before, doing your research on things is important; however, being there and experiencing something is completely different. It may take more than a 3-day trip you took to see/scope out the area to decide one neighborhood is better than the one you had your heart set on…and that’s OK!
If you’re having trouble with finding somewhere to rent before pulling the trigger on buying a home, ask your realtor! They have access to rental listings just like they do for home buying listings. The last thing they want is an un-happy client who has made a poor financial decision because they felt they HAD to buy a home before moving to a new area.
Are you ready to start your relocation process? If the answer is YES! Then please do not hesitate to reach out to us and let us know how we can be of assistance!