Introduction
Moving to a new place can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, there are some things you should know about your new community before you move.
Knowing which places fit your needs will help save time and money later on down the road.
Here are some tips to find the right place for you:
Make a list of what you want in a place.
A good way to start your search is by listing what you want in a place.
Think about personal factors like the weather and cost of living, as well as lifestyle and career goals. These are things that are most important to your mental health and quality of life. Your needs will differ depending on where you are now and where you’re headed.
If this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry! There are many other aspects of finding a place to move to besides where has the best weather or cheapest rent—so relax!
Consider your budget.
The next step is determining how much you can afford to spend on your rent or mortgage. You’ll need to factor in utilities, property taxes, emergency savings, and more. You’ll also need to consider paying for food, entertainment, and hobbies. If you’re unsure where to start, use a personal finance calculator to help create a budget that works for you.
Consider the cost of living
The cost of living measures how much it costs to buy the same goods and services in two different places. It can be beneficial when considering where to move because it allows you to compare prices on everything from cars to rent and see which areas are more expensive than others.
The higher the cost of living, the less money you will have left over after paying for housing and other necessities. Housing costs will, of course, factor into the cost of living and is usually more expensive in big city life.
The most common way to measure cost-of-living differences between two places is through data collected by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).
This organization collects data on hundreds of cities across North America, including major metropolitan areas like New York City or San Francisco, and smaller cities such as Pittsburgh or Hartford, CT.
C2ER’s primary source of information comes from surveys sent out each year asking people about their income levels and spending habits in a particular area; these surveys provide information about basic necessities like transportation costs but also less apparent items like clothing budgets for families with young children.
Do you have a favorite climate?
The climate of a place can be vital for your health, so it is worth taking the time to find out how hot or cold it gets in a place, how humid it is, and how much rainfall there is.
- What kind of climate do you want?
- Do you need sunshine every day?
- Does it matter if there are four seasons?
- Do you like snow?
- What’s your favorite season?
- Is there one type of climate that would suit you better than another (humid vs. dry)?
Kurby makes this easy for you with our weather tables that give you all the weather information you need.
Decide if you want to live in the city, suburbs, or a smaller town.
York-city-Manhattan-midtown-dusk-with-Brooklyn-bridge-1.jpg" alt="manhattan city" class="wp-image-1212"/>One major step to planning your move is deciding if you want to live in the country, in a city, or somewhere in between. Each option has its pros and cons.
Living in a big city can be fun, but home prices are typically more expensive, and there are more rules. You’ll have more restaurants and probably a better selection of stores than if you lived in the suburbs or smaller towns. But you’ll also have more responsibilities—like paying for parking fees when going out at night—and most places that rent out homes do not allow pets (except fish). Cities also tend to have world-class museums and extracurricular activities for the whole family.
Suburbs tend to be less expensive than cities because there aren’t as many stores or restaurants nearby, so people don’t need as many services like babysitters or cleaners.
Check for natural disasters
Check for natural disasters. You want to ensure that your location is safe and won’t experience any natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, or hurricanes.
If there are a lot of earthquakes in an area, then there is likely to be a big earthquake sometime soon. If there are many active volcanoes in an area, there is expected to be a volcanic eruption sometime soon. And if there are many floods and hurricanes, you could face these types of weather conditions at any time.
Check your commute
Regarding commuting, the two most important factors are how far you’re willing to commute and how much time you want to spend commuting. If your commute is too long or takes up too much of your day, you may want to consider moving somewhere closer (or changing jobs).
If this is the case, ask yourself: where could I live for a shorter commute? Could I live with a longer commute? Can I afford some extra gas if I move further away from work? Are there ways for me to make my current commute more bearable?
For example, could someone else drive me during rush hour so we can Split the cost of gas? Is there an alternative route that would shave 10 minutes or so off my morning drive? Or am I willing to leave early enough so there’s no traffic?
Once you’ve figured out what distance works best for your lifestyle and financial situation, it’s time to find places within reasonable driving range.
Will you have to drive a lot, or will everything be within walking distance?
This is a big one. In some cities, you’ll need a car to get pretty much anywhere you want to go. In others, you can get by without owning a vehicle at all.
As well as considering cost and location, it’s essential to consider how far away different amenities are from your new home. Will you have to drive a lot, or will everything be within walking distance? Do you live close enough to walk/bike/take public transportation somewhere? How far away is the nearest grocery store? The closest park?
If it turns out that everything is too far for your liking and owning a car seems like an essential part of life in this New City—well, there’s nothing wrong with that! But it’s good information for future reference when deciding if this particular place might be right for you (and vice versa).
Are there many parks?
Parks are public spaces designed and built to provide people with a place to relax and enjoy nature. Parks can be found in cities, towns, suburbs, and rural areas.
There are tons of different types of parks that can increase your home value and would be great to live nearby.
Parks may include playgrounds for children; sports fields for playing games like soccer, basketball, or tennis. It’s a plus if you’re near walking trails through woody areas; ponds or lakes where you can go fishing.
If a park has any of these things, then it’s probably worth checking out when looking at possible places to move!
Research public transportation options.
- Consider how often you will use public transportation and your option
- Determine whether the city or area has a taxi service, Uber, or both.
- Find out if a bus system services your neighborhood and where the closest stops are located.
- Research websites like Google Maps to determine how long it takes to get from one place to another using public transportation.
If you have children, are you near good school districts?
If you have kids, this is an important question to consider. How far away are the schools from your new home? What is the school quality in your area? How much would it cost to send your children to a private school if you wanted to?
Remember if you’re moving out of state, tuition and other fees may be much higher than what you’re currently paying.
If your children are starting kindergarten or first grade next year, ask around about local elementary schools before deciding where to live.
Read reviews online or ask people who have kids at those schools what they think about them. You can also go on open house nights at different districts with your child and tour all the campuses together before deciding which one feels right for you both—this way, everyone’s on board with whatever decision is made!
Is the neighborhood safe?
It’s essential to find out about the crime rate and other safety concerns in any area you’re considering moving to, especially if you have children.
- Does your new city have a high murder rate?
- Are there gangs that might make it unsafe for your family?
- If so, is there anything being done by local law enforcement to combat these issues?
- How do residents feel about the Police department and its officers—are they trusted and respected or feared and loathed?
- What kind of relationship does the community have with its fire department (and vice versa)?
Answers to these questions will help inform whether or not a neighborhood is safe for you and how much access local resources give you when an emergency arises.
Find out about crime rates
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, it’s time to look into the area’s crime rates. The best way to do this is by talking with people who live in or have lived in the area. Ask friends, family members, and coworkers if they know anyone who lives there that could tell you about it. You can also ask them questions like:
- What is the neighborhood like?
- Do you feel comfortable walking the streets at night?
- Has anything happened recently (like break-ins or robberies)?
If possible, visit the place during daylight hours—that way, you can get a good feel for how busy and vibrant it is without being assaulted by darkness!
If nothing is going on at night (or no one around), chances are it’s not very populated and may not be worth moving into just yet.
Think about noise and pollution levels.
Noise and pollution levels are essential to consider when moving.
You don’t want it too loud or quiet—you’ll probably miss the sounds of life around you too much if there isn’t any traffic or neighborhood activity.
Keep this in mind when looking for a new home; if there’s too much or not enough noise, then maybe that neighborhood isn’t for you!
Clean air is another factor you should consider when choosing where to live—especially considering how important clean air is for our health!
Where can you live if you have pets?
One factor to consider is whether or not your new home allows pets. If it does, then the next thing to consider is how much space your pet will need in that home.
For example, if you have a small dog and a large dog and you’re looking for a two-bedroom apartment, that’s probably not going to work out well for either of them. The smaller one will feel crowded, and the larger one won’t be able to run around as much as he wants.
If you have a cat and a dog who get along well with each other—and you’re looking for a two-bedroom apartment—you’ll probably be fine as long as there aren’t any stairs involved (because cats don’t like stairs).
If you’re going to be moving with your pets in tow, here are some tips to help make the process easier:
- If you’re renting, make sure the landlord allows animals on the property.
- Check first if there are any breed or weight restrictions for dogs, as well as any breed bans or requirements for vaccinations.
- Be aware that some states require pets to be kept on leashes at all times while outside, so check ahead about what kind of leash laws are in place where you’re going to be living next!
Find out about local customs
One of the best ways to prepare for a new country is to learn about its customs, laws, and culture. This is especially important if you plan on living in another country for an extended period of time.
You can find out about local laws by researching them online or asking someone who lives in your destination country.
For example, if you’re moving from America to Canada and plan on importing your car into the country with you (which can be expensive), then it’s essential that you know what type of cars are allowed in Canada.
In addition to knowing which types of vehicles are prohibited, check out whether there are any other restrictions regarding how long they must stay within the country before being exported back outside its borders again (for example).
Most popular US cities people move to
So, which cities do people want to move to? Where are the most popular places for people to move to?
The answer: it depends on what you’re looking for. The best cities for one person isn’t necessarily an accurate list of the best cities for someone else.
Also, the most popular places are usually the most expensive places. The best city for you might be a place that is quiet but has excellent winter sports.
If you need a job and a place with low crime rates, then it’s likely that you’ll be interested in living in larger cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Salt Lake City, Denver, and others.
However, if you’re looking for affordable rent and an easy commute from your home to work without having to spend much money on gas or parking fees, then it might make sense for you to move somewhere like Austin, South Carolina, San Diego, Colorado Springs, or Portland (Portland is really cool!).
Consider the local culture and people’s attitudes towards strangers or immigrants.
If you’re not from the United States, this is probably a big question for you: are Americans going to be welcoming and friendly? Will they make me feel at home? Or will I have to fight for my rights every inch of the way?
As an American who has lived abroad for some time, I can say that, there are places where locals will welcome you with open arms. But it depends on where in America those locals live!
Some areas have more diverse populations than others (and some regions are more conservative). You don’t want to move somewhere where there isn’t anyone else like yourself—the whole point is to find somewhere that fits your needs!
Go and visit the neighborhood.
The next step is to visit the neighborhood. You can’t do this until you’ve narrowed down your choices for where to live, and that’s why it’s so crucial that you take the time to research as many places as possible before settling on one or two specific locations.
Once you’ve done this, take a long weekend off and use it to explore the area further! Try visiting during different times of day (morning and evening), on different days (weekday vs. weekend), and in different seasons if possible.
Conclusion
If you follow these steps and do some research, you’ll be on your way to finding the perfect place to move. Your mental health is most important when deciding on the best place to move so take it seriously.
Leave a Reply