How to Make Sure You’re Ready to Relocate

Landing the job of your dreams should be a moment celebrated with good champagne and a lot of excitement, but what if there’s a catch — one that involves moving across the country to a new city? Even if you are eager for a change, and adventure is your happy place, relocating is a major decision and might come with serious anxiety. So how do you know if you’re ready to go for it? Experts have a lot to say on the matter, and most of it depends on whether or not you have a partner and children because while this may be the most exciting moment of your life, you’ll want to consider how the move affects the entire family before accepting the new opportunity. For more guidance, check out this list of top factors to consider before packing up the boxes and moving to a new town.

Get out a notebook and pen or an iPad, and get ready to play devil’s advocate. Consider the pros and cons and go ahead and write them down so you can get a visual of which category outweighs the other. Do you know anyone in this new city? How does the cost of living compare? Do you love your current town, or are you ready for a change? Do you have kids, and, if so, how old are they? If you have a partner, how do they feel about heading out on this new journey? Make your list as exhaustive as possible and talk it through with someone you trust.

Have you ever been to this new city? Do you know anyone who lives there? If you have no frame of reference for the new area, make a list of the hobbies, shops, and activities you enjoy in your current home. Do you have a favorite yoga studio or gym? A go-to hike or running trail you love to hit up for morning walks? Think about how you spend your free time now, and begin researching studios, restaurants, and boutiques in the new city to see if this potential new home offers places to continue your favorite workouts and interests. Finding these kinds of places will help to anchor your new lifestyle and may introduce you to people with whom you have common interests. Whether you are looking for the best family-friendly activities in town or just want a local coffee shop where the barista always remembers your order, getting to know your new city before making the move can be immensely helpful in decision-making.

If your company is relocating you to a new area to do the same job, you can breathe a sigh of relief because a lot of your research is done — you already know the work and the job expectations, and you’ll have the confidence of experience to back you up. But if you are moving for a new job at a company full of brand new people… well, you’ll want to do some serious due diligence to make sure this career move is worth the real estate move. Job satisfaction is a big deal, especially when it is the sole reason for moving, so investigate as much as you can about the company’s practices and the corporate culture, and see if you can talk to some of your potential new colleagues.

If you’re moving from a San Diego beach house to a Pacific Palisades townhome, you may not have too much adjusting to do, but if you arrive in Los Angeles from a small farming town in the midwest, there may be some cost of living questions to answer. How do daily living expenses differ from your current town? Are you moving from a tiny hamlet to a sprawling metropolis? How much is real estate compared to what you can bring in from the sale of your current home? Whether you plan to move to Beverly Hills, want to check out the going rate for lunch in a chic restaurant, or are concerned with private school tuition, the cost of living can be a significant factor in deciding to relocate.

If you have a family and they are on board with the move, the next step is to actually visit the new place. Even if you have been to the new city before on vacation or have extensive experience there, you’ll want to experience it again with fresh eyes. On vacation, you can find the charm in just about any place, but when you view it through the lens of a potential relocation, suddenly, those quaint or quirky elements take on a new flavor — you want to be sure it’s a flavor you love, rather than an acquired taste.

Is this relocation a permanent move or a temporary, project-based position with a clear end date? Do you have a contract with the company, or are you open-ended in your career? And, perhaps most importantly, do you see yourself coming home to the place you’re now leaving? Or can you see yourself setting down roots and embracing the new destination? If you feel nostalgic for your hometown before you’ve even started packing, that may give you valuable insight into how you really feel — and it may be a good reason to revisit the pros and cons list from earlier.

You’ve made your lists. You’ve researched the new town, the local farmers’ markets and yoga studios, the properties for sale, and the area’s best schools. You’ve talked to everyone you can find about life in the new town and what you can expect. Now it is time to let go of all the homework and sit quietly with your own feelings. Studies show that trusting your gut can give you more confidence in your decision-making, especially when you pair it with analytical thinking. See what comes up when you consider relocation — do you feel excited and fluttery? Or nervous and fearful? If your intuition is on the fearful side, can you analyze the fear and pull it apart, or is it strongly dissuading you from saying yes? Trusting your gut is an important, if hard-to-pin-down, part of the process that can help you avoid regret down the road.

Once you have embraced the idea of relocating, you’ll want to work with an agent to help find the dream house to go along with your new dream job — and Colin Wellman and Todd Stein are happy to help. Whether you find yourself eyeing homes for sale in Pacific Palisades, Mar Vista real estate, or Venice Beach property for sale, Campbell Wellman Properties can help you settle into your new neighborhood.