Whether you’re about to move out from your parent’s home, transferring jobs, desire a change of scenery, or anywhere in between — there are many things to consider before moving houses. But for most cases: the idea of moving can be both exciting and overwhelming. If it’s your first time or you’ve been around the block a few times, picking a new home can be a stressful endeavour.
Here are six factors to consider before moving homes.
1) Job Prospects and City Size
Are you moving to a new city with no job secured yet? Are you moving to a bustling metropolis? Or moving to a rural idyllic town for a change of pace?
It’s important to know how the economy at the local level performs in your desired location. Even if you’ve already secured your job, it would be discerning to learn more about other players in the local industry as well.
Also, you should consider the possibility of a career shift in the next five to ten years. Would you have ample opportunities in your new city? Is your city bustling with continuous development and growth or is it stagnant? It’s imperative to do your research on this for the sake of your financial security in the next couple of years.
2) Cost of Living
Housing, food, taxes, healthcare, and schools — all these factors amalgamate to form one of the most important factors to consider before moving homes: cost of living.
Let’s face it: living like a king in the heart of Sydney’s CBD will burn a hole in your pockets faster than residing in a lower-cost city like Hobart or Adelaide. So it’s important to consider not just the apartment cost, but other daily, peripheral costs as well. This includes groceries, entertainment, utilities, and other things where money flows out from you.
3) Housing and Location
Whether you lease or buy a house upfront, it’s vital to determine whether your new housing would fit your present and future needs. After all, you’ll be spending the bulk of your capital on the new house.
If you can, try visiting the area and getting a feel of the general neighborhood as well. Is the house homey? Does this look like the nice part of town? Are there worrying cracks in the wall or potential deal breakers you uncovered during your prospecting visit? Is the house near any transportation hubs, groceries, and schools? It’s good to plan and visualise a route of key landmarks that you’ll frequent if you do decide to move there.
4) Safety
Get an idea of the crime rate around the area that you’re moving in. If you’re meeting with a broker during your prospecting visit, try to get out of them any clues about whether the area is safe or not. Figure out not just your safety threshold, but that of your dependents as well. Saving a few bucks a month may not be worth risking your child’s safety as he or she walks to and fro the bus stop.
5) Moving your Belongings
While it’s a good idea to leave a couple of non-essentials behind, you probably wouldn’t want to make your new house feel entirely barren of furniture. Bring along with you a couple of memories from your past home such as treasured gifts and memorabilia that’s sentimental to you. Don’t go overboard and horde everything as you do, though. Gauge what best suits you.
And for heavier items like furniture and equipment, consider hiring local removalists with Muval to do the back-breaking work for you. Handling all the administrative duties in moving is stressful enough as is.
6) Entertainment Scene
After a stressful day at work, wouldn’t hitting the bar district for some cold beers cap it off nicely? Some smaller cities, however, may not be blessed with such a bustling entertainment scene. Or at least not one that matches what you’re used to back home.
Although not as pressing as the others on the list, access to entertainment is great for your mental health. Working tirelessly for days may lead to burnout. Having no avenues to release pent-up stress can and will make you feel miserable too.
If you like hiking and running, research nearby trails that you could explore. Try to find a local hiking club online too. If you enjoy fishing, same boat.
You will feel closer to home when living in a charming city with new friends to keep you company. Definitely don’t skimp on the entertainment scene for your well-being.