The First Step : Why Do You Want To Move
People have been moving for thousands of years. If they hadn’t, we would still all live in Africa, and it would be pretty crowded there. There are many reasons to relocate such as employment, retirement, education or just because you want a change. The latter was probably the most common for our ancestors, just wanting to see what was over the next hill and be the first to occupy a new land.
If you are thinking of making a change, hopefully this lens will give you some help and ideas!
Choosing Where To Go
If you are moving due to your employment or to be close to family or those type of reasons, you probably already know the location of where you are moving to. If you are moving because you want new surroundings or just need a change, there are several factors you should consider when deciding where you want to move to. Or if you want to be very adventurous, you can get a map, shut your eyes, throw a dart and let fate make the decision for you.
If fate isn’t the way you want to go, you should make a list of what you want in your new location. Do you want to live in the city or country? What type of weather do you like the best? Do you need to be near a major medical facility, due to health problems? If you have children, are the educational and recreational facilities available? If you will be looking for employment, will you be able to find a job in your experience area? These and many more questions are ones you will need to make decisions about. Once you have decided what you want, you can then narrow down the locations that offer those items.
Where Do You Want To Go?
Here are some resources that can help you narrow down your search
Doing Your Homework
Some Ways to Check Out The Places On Your List
Once you have narrowed down where you might want to move, the next step is to do a little research. If possible, one of the best ways to do this is to take a short vacation and see if the place feels like somewhere you could call home. If this is not possible, due to time or travel, the Internet is your friend. Here are some websites that can give you background information about most locations around the US. Most localities also have their own website, and usually the local Chamber of Commerce does as well. Checking the website of the local newspaper can give you some feel of the community as well.
If you are considering a Removalists Sydney to Brisbane, checking with that good place in Brisbane to start and some of the ideas above could work in that situation also.
Check back because I will update with new sites as I find them.
More Help to Decide Where to Relocate
If you just want fate to pick for you or are feeling adventurous, you can try the dart method: Place a map of the general area you have chosen (local, state, country or even a world map) to a wall or dartboard, shut your eyes and throw a dart. Where it lands is where you move to. I have actually known people who have used this method.
Here are some dartboards to choose from if you don’t have one.
You’ve Found the Perfect Location….
now what????
Now you have decided where you are moving, it’s time to make another list. If you have done your homework, you have some idea of the neighborhood you will want to live in and some idea of where you want to work (assuming you are not relocating because of your employment etc.). So now you should begin house and job hunting. The best places to start with both of those is the local newspaper. Most can be found online these days. If you will be selling your house, you should contact a real estate agent. They can also put you in touch with another real estate agent in your new location. Most states also have job listings you can check out. If possible, try to have at least a few possibilities lined up before your arrival. You might also try to have enough savings to last a month or two while you get settled.
Then comes the fun part of deciding what to take with you. If you truly want a fresh start, you might want to consider only packing the necessities and your most valued possessions and selling or donating the rest. Otherwise, you should still sort out what you want to take with you, and consider having a yard sale to dispose of the things you no longer want to keep. That reduces the stuff you have to move and gives your moving fund a boost! Remember to give your current landlord (if you rent) adequate notice so you can get your deposits refunded, as well as notify your utilities, bank, etc. of your move so that things can transfer to your new location. You might also want to let your friends know of your plans so they have a chance to say good bye. (Unless of course they are part of the reason you want to move….)