The action of “moving” all of your belongings simultaneously to a new location can elicit different responses. Some like to move so much, they do it every year. Others roll their eyes at the mere mention of having to move. I’ve seen more reactions that resemble the latter, but I didn’t understand why moving was such an intimidating task until I found myself moving to a new city.
I recently had to step away from Style Exploration for a new project. This new project was moving from my hometown of Las Vegas to a city with four actual seasons. My move was thought out but it was also a play-it-by-ear kind of thing considering the state that the world is in. I’ve been wanting to move from Vegas for a while, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to for multiple reasons. Now that I have moved, I wanted to share some of my adventures in moving and give some tips especially if it’s your first time moving away from home. Hopefully, I can help make it a little less intimidating and tedious.
Where To Move To?
A great first step in the adventures of moving is to figure out exactly where you want to move to. What kind of city do you want to be in? Is a large city or a rural town more appealing? Lists are a great device to utilize when moving. You can write down everything you want and need. My list of wants in the city I was looking to move to include:
- good public transportation
- a sense of culture
- farmers markets or a variety of grocery options
- walkable
- diverse job market
- diverse population
I had my dream city in mind, but I also had a few other options that fit my criteria. It’s important to do your research on the cities you’re considering and everything that comes with moving to that particular location. How do you become a resident? When do you need to get a new state-issued ID? If you are taking a car with you, when would you need to get your car registered? How much will that cost?
This leads me to one of the most important things, your budget. Some cities like LA and NYC have a higher cost of living while many cities down south allow you to get a lot more for your money. Putting together a budget in regard to rent/mortgage, groceries, transportation, utilities, and other necessities is incredibly important when it comes to deciding on a city because expenses can vary.
Once you narrow down a city, you also have to think of the different neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods are more residential whereas others are closer to nightlife and restaurants. Do you want newer construction or something that has kept the charm of the city? Do you need something that’s kid-friendly? Think about what you are looking for
How Do I Find My New Home?
Moving to a different city can be drastically different than moving within the city you are already in. Social distancing during a pandemic adds something new into the mix too. So what do you do when you want to find a place that’s a great fit for you but you can’t necessarily see the place in person just yet? Virtual tours. Woah, wait, what. Do you want me to look at where I’m going to be staying through a computer monitor? Yes. Having virtual tours can provide a great substitution for touring different apartments, or houses. If you can get to your new city before officially moving there, then that’s great too because it gives you the most accurate description of the space since you’ll be standing in it.
Now, let’s back up for a sec, and get some different search options together. Websites such as Zillow, Apartments.com, Trulia, Rentcafe, and even Craigslist can all be used to start your housing search. This is where the list comes into play again. What type of space do you want to see yourself in? List out all of your wants and needs to help make your search easier. I had a few items on my list for the apartment I wanted to rent like:
- a certain amount of square footage that is the right price
- a balcony
- a great location that has easy access to grocery stores and transportation
- safe
- a walk-in closet
- in-unit washer and dryer
Those were my wants and needs when it came to my apartment search. What are yours? Write them down, it’s going to help a lot.
Having an idea of what you want will help out a lot in eliminating the options that don’t fit the bill which will make the search less overwhelming, hopefully. Through utilizing multiple resources, you can come up with a top-five or even a top ten of places you would like to see virtually or in person. I did my apartment search online and used virtual tours to see the space, and it worked out pretty well.
Another useful list to have when apartment/house searching is a list of questions to ask about the property. Considering I did an apartment search, here are a few questions to keep in mind when looking at different places to rent:
- Is there maintenance on-site 24/7?
- Is there security on-site 24/7?
- How are utilities priced?
- How does the building handle pest control?
- If there are amenities, are there additional fees?
- How does parking work? and is there parking for guests?
- What are the leasing options?
- What’s the pet policy?
These are just a few questions to get you started, but it’s a good idea to base your questions around what is important to you.
I Guess My Stuff Has To Get There Some How
So you know where you are moving to and you have a new place to call home, but what about all that stuff you have? How are you going to get it there? Questions to think about, am I right?
This was my first time moving out of my childhood home and my hometown. Technically, I didn’t have much to take with me considering all of the useful house stuff had to stay since it was my mom’s. I had to pack up one room, which isn’t a lot compared to a whole house, but it was a lot for me. I’ll be the first the admit I love fashion, so a majority of my belongings were clothes, shoes and bags. I pretty much had to start from scratch with the actual house stuff. What I did already have, I packed up in boxes and containers. It did require a few trips to the store cause I completely underestimated how much stuff I did have. My dad thankfully has a trailer so we were able to fit everything on the back of his trailer and in two vehicles.
The way in which you get your stuff to your new location can largely depend on where you are moving to. Maybe you aren’t moving that far and you can drive it yourself. Maybe you might have to hire movers to do the heavy lifting for you. I think the best course of action is to figure out all of your options and decide which one makes the most sense and fits into your moving budget. Your moving style is completely unique to you and your situation.
I Get It Now
I cannot tell a lie, moving is annoying. The excitement of being in a new city especially when you get your first place to yourself is cool and all, but the process of getting everything together is a lot of work. You have to put a lot of consideration into each decision you make. You choose a city, you find a home and you gather all of your stuff, but now you have to unpack it and find somewhere to put it. We’ll talk about that later.
My adventures in moving to a new city were great overall and it taught me a lot. Some parts were annoying while others were extremely exciting. It’s a balancing act. Is anyone out there considering moving to a new city? Is it your first time? Any tips? Share in the comments!
Header Image Credit: Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash
