7 Must-Know Tips if You Are Moving to Another City

So, you’re moving to a new city. Maybe you got a new job, or perhaps going somewhere to study.

Perhaps you’re starting a new life with a special someone in a new town. Or, maybe, you just want a new beginning, a fresh start, a way to recapitulate and start anew.

Whatever the case may be, you have exciting, difficult times ahead of you. Indeed, a new, unfamiliar place is not really something anybody can handle all the time.

In order to get things to go smoothly, and minimize stress, here are some tips and tricks you should keep in mind when you’re moving to another city:

1 – Plan properly

You want to start this entire endeavour on the right foot, starting properly, working hard to get things running smoothly.

So, first of all, you need to research the cost of living. The last thing you need is to find yourself in a new city with a new job and a paycheck 30% higher than your previous one, in a place that has expenses being double what you had before.

What’s the point of a larger salary if you actually get less money at the end of the week?

In that same vein, get your money plans and issues under control. Don’t think of a budget when you get there, but, instead, make at least an outline of a good financial plan in advance, before you move.

Moving and travelling can cost you a pretty penny, and planning everything correctly can save you a lot of stress and headaches.

Perhaps you should download a couple of maps of this area on your phone, just in case.

2 – Pack properly

What do you think is the earliest normal date to start packing?

Awesome, keep that day in mind and then start 5 days earlier.

You will think that you have as much time as you want, but trust us, you don’t.

No, really, trust us!

There will be a moment where you will face a very clear deadline, a ton of things will just spring up and make you lose time and procrastinate on packing.

In the end, you will just haphazardly pack everything, and its gonna be your fault if you lose some stuff, or if it gets broken. Stay on schedule, make a plan, and be clear on what you need to pack.

Furthermore, think about when and how will you need your friends. It’s best if you have a lot of belongings to pack up, to better call them up for things that you really can’t handle alone.

Otherwise, they will kind of resent you. Don’t be selfish, ask them for favours when you really need them.

A good piece of advice is to make a very clear and categorized list of all the things you need. Things like making categories based on location: stuff in your bedroom, kitchen, living room… Or you can go with object function, like clothing, eating utensils…

When the time comes where you have to hire professional nationwide removalists, you will be much more organized, and you won’t have to lose sleep on packing everything at the last moment.

3 – Packing priorities

Sometimes you can’t transfer everything at once: either because of money, time, or logistics, sometimes you just need to leave some stuff with your parents, friends, or in a storage locker.

In other words, this means you need to prioritize what you want to transfer immediately. Sometimes, this just means you need to leave some stuff behind.

For example, moving from a rural area to a city means you will live in a smaller home, in an apartment instead of a big house. That means you will have much less room when compared to what you had before. So, adapt.

As far as how you should prioritize, well, that one is up to you. Don’t be too hard on yourself, there’s nothing bad about bringing over some things that have sentimental value.

Just be realistic. See what you need for work, and what you can pick up later. Try to not obsess too much – it’s only material stuff.

4 – Culture shock is normal

Once you arrive there, you should understand that some sort of culture shock is quite normal.

Unless you move to a town with the same setup, size, and culture as your own, culture shock is going to happen. People may live slower or faster lives, they may be more polite, more reserved, or perhaps more open and direct.

And just because you haven’t moved to another continent doesn’t mean you can’t feel culture shock, and so you shouldn’t really feel guilty or ashamed that you are confused.

Furthermore, you will probably feel a lot of nostalgia for your old city, even for things that you didn’t like. That too is completely normal and will pass in time.

In order to get past this, we suggest you focus on the positive in the new city. See this change as a way to evolve. You may also find out some new things about yourself.

5 – Inspect your area

Check out the area where you’re going to live. And not just the typical, cliché things, like nightclubs, cultural institutions, attractions…

What you really want is to check out the supermarkets, grocery stores, gyms, or schools in the neighborhood if you have kids. You know, the practical day-to-day type of stuff!

In order words, the boring, mundane things are what you need to focus on now, and to keep these things close. These are the things that you will check out first – indeed, whats the more important, getting something to eat and taking your kids to school, or a party and a museum?

This also provides you with a very important aspect – it normalizes things. As much as these are mundane boring things, like going to the grocery store on a regular basis, that’s what makes up our lives; these are stability, and order, and “home”.

The quicker you familiarize yourself with your neighbourhood, the faster you will feel comfortable in the city.

6 – Say yes to everything

Now, we’re not saying you should be a yes-man.

What we are, however, saying is that you should nurture this kind of (hopefully) real optimism and curiosity: say yes to city outings, checking out the new neighborhood, or being invited over for drinks by your new coworkers. Any picnic, visit a museum, a party, just a walk around town – these are all things that will help you feel more at home in this place after a time.

You want to relax as soon as possible, you want to familiarize yourself with the town quickly if you want the move to be a successful one. Besides, having new friends can come useful (and one can never have too many friends).

7 – Do your homework

You need to do your homework when it comes to the city: visit forums, talk to people, and see which areas are safe to visit at night, and which you need to avoid.

Are there perhaps certain neighbourhoods that should be avoided at all costs, no matter the time of day?

Then, you also want to check out the roads: Can you drive regularly there, or are you supposed to rely on public transportation? How expensive are taxi cabs and buses? Is cycling to and from the office an option? Are there any good biking paths? And if there are, can you ride all year long, or are the summers too hot and the winters too cold?

Conclusion

So there you have it folks, a nice little guide on how to make your move to a new city as painless as possible.

There are things you are supposed to do before the move, and directly after it.

The point here, however, is to accept this change, and understand that anxiety and shock are completely normal.

Just try to let it all go, and to focus on the positive as much as you can.