Moving to a new city is an exciting time. However, it’s a lot of work and stress, too, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. Not only will moving be more difficult, you might end up living in a bad neighborhood or missing the area best for you.
Fortunately, if you do the right research, you can ensure that moving to a new city that you end up where you want with little difficulty. And you can do it all from where you’re sitting!
Here are our five steps for how to move to a new city:
- Understand the city – First things first, read about your new city. Learn what it’s famous for, and what it’s infamous for. Know how it’s laid out, where the critically-acclaimed restaurants are, and where the city centers and other attractions are. We break down the pros and cons for the many cities listed below our moving map. Additionally, Wikipedia and City-Data are good websites to start at.
- Research neighborhoods – Once you understand the city, start learning about the different neighborhoods. Print out a map of the city, then start searching for “city neighborhoods”. Mark down the areas on your map. Once you learn of a neighborhood, run a search on the neighborhood to get more information.
- Think about the commute – Does your city have public transportation options? If so, where? Also, how do you plan on getting to work? If you work on one end of the city, living on the other end is probably a time-wasting plan.
- Research pricing – When you settle on a neighborhood or three, start researching pricing. Craigslist is a great place to start. Also, renter’s associations, realtors and rental agencies are worth contacting. Remember: every neighborhood will have good and bad deals, but you’ll only know what they are once you know the (rough) average prices in the area.
- Check with locals – When you think you have a neighborhood you’ll like and a place you can afford, double check by calling some nearby businesses and associations. Simply ask them what they think of the area and take it from there.
Check out a list of all of our articles about how to find a new place to live.