Moving to a new city is a big event that requires careful planning and research to pull off. Aside from taking care of the basics — hiring movers, finding packing supplies, looking up driving directions — you’ll also need to plan to acclimate to a different environment. Here, Rightsize Moving Solutions offers tips on how to settle into your new city.
Explore Your Surroundings
Whether you’re moving to Wichita or another city, we recommend you get online and research the local area. Pay special attention to the neighborhoods where you might live, as well as nearby attractions.
Neighborhood Research
No matter if you’ve found a neighborhood to live in or are still searching for one, keep your eyes open for key attributes that suggest the area is worth calling home. One aspect to look up is the distance and commute time from the neighborhood to your workplace or school. Additional metrics that tell you about the culture of the neighborhood include crime statistics (safety) and amenities (comfort and convenience). One place to look for this information is Trulia map overlays, which break down areas by all sorts of traits.
Find Local Attractions
It’s amazing what a difference recreation, shopping, and entertainment attractions can make for your quality of life. Knowing where to bring your family for weekend fun, or which restaurants offer casual dining when you don’t feel like cooking can make your daily life run much smoother. Residential movers are knowledgeable sources of such information — their jobs take them all around the city, where they get to explore all it has to offer. You also can find most retailers and venues in your area on Google Maps.
Cost-Of-Living Adjustments
Cost of living is based on the combined prices of everyday goods and services, like utilities, groceries, and housing. Since these costs can vary from location to another, your new city may be less or more expensive than where you currently live. One way to assess the cost-of-living difference is by comparing prices for the same service in both locations. For example, the price of hiring a moving company in Wichita, KS, is often lower than in most large cities. That price difference thus reflects Wichita’s moderate cost of living. But just in case economic research is too daunting, try out the cost-of-living calculator on NerdWallet.
Buying Vs. Renting
Before you move to a new city, you have to decide on a type of housing to live in. The city’s average cost of living along with your income can determine your budget for housing costs. Based on that figure, you can decide whether buying or renting housing makes sense for you. A home purchase is a big investment that takes time to build up equity and is thus best reserved for a long-term resident. An apartment doesn’t build equity but offers more flexible terms suitable for short-term residents or those who like to move to new homes frequently. Once you’ve made a choice to buy or rent housing, your next call should be to schedule moving services so you can get moved in when you need to.
Rightsizing Moving Solutions does both long-distance and local moves within Wichita, KS. We also rightsize senior apartments, family homes, and everything in between. Count on us to get you moved in on time and on budget, so you can start enjoying your new city.