The Alumni ROW - How to Relocate and Survive Series?
Article 1
Mid August is here and for most this is known as THE HOTTEST MONTH of the year. For others, August is the transition month for NEW beginnings. Well I recently relocated from the DMV (DC, MD, VA) area to Sacramento California (The Golden State) and after a month of being a California Girl I must say this transition has not been the smoothest. Since others are thinking about moving far far away or may be getting ready to transition I wanted to share some lessons learned.
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| Courtesy of Google Maps |
Research the Area
This is something that you can never do to much of and it comes in two folds:
This is something that you can never do to much of and it comes in two folds:
- Other's Experiences: Majority of my knowledge of Cali came from other's experiences, wikipedia.org, and areavibes.com. Prior to taking my first step on Cali soil, I knew general information about Sac (Sacramento), the nearest towns, the average household size, salaries, etc. This information gave me a general feel of the area I was considering for relocation and allowed me to narrow down possible locations. And just to note, it was an added bonus to know different locations and to actually see them before my eyes in person. I couldn't have pictured them better myself.
- Personal Experiences: You can participate in all the online research and listening to other's personal experiences you want, but it is nothing like your own personal experiences. So if you can TAKE A TRIP TO YOUR POTENTIAL LOCATION FIRST do so!!! Yes I knew that Sacramento was a diverse town but I didn't know how to relate to the people. We may be apart of the same country but West Coast living is NOTHING like East Coast living (and I'm not just talking about Cali's chill atmosphere and timezone difference). Actually seeing the landscape will help with choosing your housing, figuring out transportation needs, and work.
The best way to relocate is with a company. Relocation is a very costly, especially if you are making a drastic move like mine. Since my relocation was drastic, I had to fly to the location, rent a hotel, rent a car, and have my car, clothes, and furniture moved by a moving company. This was well over $5000.00 and I didn't take into account until I got there all of the additional expenses to start a household (housing expenses, utilities, grooming & cleaning supplies, etc.). Without a doubt if you are doing this on your own without proper planning this could cost well over $10,000.
Handle Housing + Car Business before moving
My biggest mishap was not so much housing but addressing my car debacle. Prior to moving do ample research regarding housing and your mode of transportation. You might decide that you do not want to sign your lease until you get there, but at least start the search process before you step foot on your new location. During your initial search set a realistic budget for housing and determine what matters (commute, security, location, etc). For example, one could set a budget of no more than $800.00 without utilities a month in a secure location. Setting the bar at a specific rate narrows your search down and allows you to eye ball ahead of time your possible expenses. In addition if you perform and exhaustive search, you can definitely find quality places within your price range and a little more could go into your utilities(Gas, Electric) and amenities (i.e. Cable, Internet, etc). Housing for me was a win, however I met my match on transportation.
Nothing is more important than having shelter but if you are guaranteed to have the funds to have a roof over your head, you definitely want to nail down transportation. Coming from the DMV where most do not need a car to get around, traveling the country and living in Sactown has opened my eyes to other cities transportation systems. If you are living in a city like NYC or San Francisco where driving is not encouraged then take the time to save your money on investing from not investing on anew car, paying car insurance and car notes, and maybe look into selling your vehicle. Trust me you are going to need those extra funds a month (if you live in some cities) to pay rent. Now if you live somewhere where everything is spaced out, then figure out your car issue. Are you going to drive your car to your location (if the distance is far is that even feasible)? are you going to get rid of your old car and buy a new car when you get there? or are you going to get your car transported? these are logical questions that you need to have in your head before moving. So definitely know the landscape and culture of the city before getting there and having to panic.
Have you recently relocated? Do you have any tips to share? Please comment.
Note: This marks the first article or blog post in a series of posts about relocating! Please enjoy!!!
Handle Housing + Car Business before moving
My biggest mishap was not so much housing but addressing my car debacle. Prior to moving do ample research regarding housing and your mode of transportation. You might decide that you do not want to sign your lease until you get there, but at least start the search process before you step foot on your new location. During your initial search set a realistic budget for housing and determine what matters (commute, security, location, etc). For example, one could set a budget of no more than $800.00 without utilities a month in a secure location. Setting the bar at a specific rate narrows your search down and allows you to eye ball ahead of time your possible expenses. In addition if you perform and exhaustive search, you can definitely find quality places within your price range and a little more could go into your utilities(Gas, Electric) and amenities (i.e. Cable, Internet, etc). Housing for me was a win, however I met my match on transportation.
Nothing is more important than having shelter but if you are guaranteed to have the funds to have a roof over your head, you definitely want to nail down transportation. Coming from the DMV where most do not need a car to get around, traveling the country and living in Sactown has opened my eyes to other cities transportation systems. If you are living in a city like NYC or San Francisco where driving is not encouraged then take the time to save your money on investing from not investing on anew car, paying car insurance and car notes, and maybe look into selling your vehicle. Trust me you are going to need those extra funds a month (if you live in some cities) to pay rent. Now if you live somewhere where everything is spaced out, then figure out your car issue. Are you going to drive your car to your location (if the distance is far is that even feasible)? are you going to get rid of your old car and buy a new car when you get there? or are you going to get your car transported? these are logical questions that you need to have in your head before moving. So definitely know the landscape and culture of the city before getting there and having to panic.
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| I received sunflowers after renting out my first apartment! |
Have you recently relocated? Do you have any tips to share? Please comment.
Note: This marks the first article or blog post in a series of posts about relocating! Please enjoy!!!
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