by Rose Morrison
Rose is the managing editor of Renovated, a home living site where she strives to help people live their best DIY lives.
Moving is a big step for anyone, especially when heading to a new city or state. The prospect of starting over somewhere new is exciting, but it’s important to take your time. Consider many things before packing your boxes and starting a new chapter. Here are seven things to consider to help you start planning your move.
1. Decide to Rent or Own
When you want to move, you must first decide whether to rent or own your new home. There are different things to consider for each option.
In a rental, you don’t have to worry about maintenance or making a long-term commitment to a location. However, you also don’t build equity and have limits on what you can do with it.
Owning a home allows you to build equity by living in and maintaining your property. Depending on the area, you could also end up with a smaller monthly payment than renting would require.
2. Evaluate the Housing Market
The housing market is a roller coaster that changes with the country’s economy.
It’s important to know whether it is a buyer’s or seller’s market. This can give you an idea of when you should move.
The state of a market can vary by state and quickly change, so you should speak with a real estate agent about market projections and research home prices in your current and future home.
3. Know Your Home’s Value
Your current home’s value will significantly impact what you can afford to buy in a new location. Values vary with supply and demand, and the house may no longer be worth the same amount as when you purchased it.
Getting as much money as possible in your sale is advantageous, especially if you are moving to a city or expensive suburb. Most homeowners use the funds they get from their home sale to handle a downpayment and contingency and closing costs on their new residence. You can also use the money to buy new items for your new place.
It’s still vital to know the value of the home you want to buy if you’re moving from a rental property. An appraisal can give you the most negotiating power when going under contract.
4. Figure Out Your Income
You must also consider what you’ll do for work.
More people than ever work remotely, making it easy to choose where you live. If you can transfer to another company office, consider asking for the transfer early and checking into reimbursement for relocation fees to remove any concern about your ability to move.
Want to change jobs? Now is the time to put in your applications. It can take several months to land a new job.
5. Look at the Neighborhoods
Learn about the different neighborhoods available to you when you decide which new location you want to live in. The more metropolitan an area is, the more communities you can choose from.
Research the crime rates in each neighborhood and look at the sex offender registry to determine which areas are safest. You’ll also want to consider how far your commute to work, medical centers and shopping centers will be.
Social media can be an excellent tool for determining the status of different neighborhoods. Many communities have pages dedicated to the latest happenings. You can also find out more by scrolling through local news sources online.
6. Research the Schools
This isn’t just a suggestion for parents and caretakers. Knowing a thing or two about an area’s schools can help you decide whether or not you want to live around them.
Are there a lot of events that could impact traffic or parking? Are there busy practices and games? Would dropoff and pickup times impact your commute? If you work from home, can you hear buses, bells and announcements from your workplace? These are things for anyone to consider.
If you have children, evaluating local schools is likely high on the list of moving priorities. It’s ideal to move to a district with high ratings and schools that fit your child’s needs, and knowing their locations can narrow your home search.
7. Learn About Cultural Differences
When moving to a new city, you might experience different cultures and languages. Knowing more about the customs, traditions and common words from your new home can help you better assimilate into the area and respect the diversity that makes it unique.
For example, Chicago has large Indian, Chinese, Grecian and Italian populations who contribute to the city’s food, art, style and language.
It’s important to understand the beauty each culture brings to an area, so you can fully enjoy all your new home has to offer.
Planning Your Next Move
Knowing where you want to be and what it will take to get there can help you plan accordingly. Moving can be exciting and stressful, and planning sooner than later is necessary to have a smooth transition to your new space.
Move-tastic is dedicated to helping you plan the smoothest move possible. Reach out today and let us take the burden of planning your move and safely moving your belongings to your new home.