Moving is a big decision and a major life event that should not be taken lightly. You might not know what location will be the best fit for your needs and wants until you actually start looking at homes and cities. Before packing up and leaving, it's important to answer certain questions about yourself and your future plans so that you can find a place that matches what you're looking for.
Here are 5 questions to ask yourself before moving:
1) What are my short-term and long-term goals?
Moving is a big step in your life. Where you choose to move will have a lot of influence on what kind of fulfillment in life that you experience. Is there a particular lifestyle that you're looking for in a home, or maybe a job opportunity nearby? What things do you want to accomplish in the next five years, or even fifty? Ask yourself this, and your decision to move will be much more focused.
Answering these questions will really help you to narrow down where you'll want to move. If you're moving to achieve your dream job, you'll want to be nice and close to your place of work. If you're looking for your forever home, the perfect place to raise a family, you'll want to be within commuting distance of your children's schools and child care. Whatever it is that you're trying to accomplish, making sure that this location will support those plans is one way of ensuring the success of your move.
Knowing your long-term and short-term goals will also help you decide what type of home you're looking for. If you're planning on starting a family in the next several years, an apartment with few bedrooms or even no bedrooms definitely will not be right for you. On the other hand, if your plans are to travel the world, multi-story spaces with separate bedroom areas will allow you to live all over the world without having to pack up many times.
2) Is the location still affordable for me?
It's important to understand that when you initially choose a city to visit or live in, there is no guarantee that it will be able to match your budget. Like any other purchase, you'll need to work out if that location is still financially feasible for you.
Does this mean that you should give up on your plan to move? Absolutely not! However, it does mean that before you start looking for homes and visiting places with rental companies, make sure to look into the average price of living there.
The internet is an amazing resource for information like this, so seeing which properties are available in each location should be quick and easy. You can also ask your realtor to show you homes and neighborhoods that specifically match your budget.
3) What sort of jobs can I find in this area?
This isn't the easiest part of moving. If you have a job that requires you to commute, look into how long it takes to get from your home in your current city to the location that you're looking at. You also want to understand what types of industries are within commuting distance so that you know what jobs are available to you.
Don't be afraid to ask real estate agents for this kind of information. They're professionals who spend their days connecting people with the homes that they'll love, so it should be easy for them to answer your questions about what types of opportunities are available in each area.
Once you do have an idea about what types of jobs are available, you'll be able to make a more informed decision about where your home should be located. This can make a big difference in how fulfilled you feel with the work that you're doing.
4) How are the nearby schools?
Education is incredibly important, especially as children grow up and become adults themselves. Find out if there are preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools that your children will be able to attend.
If you're moving so that you can attend post-secondary schooling, make sure to look into the types of schools that are available in your desired area. Oftentimes, people in this situation choose where to move after having chosen which school they want to attend. You also want to make sure that you can afford to live there while you attend these institutions because the price of rent could increase once you've started your course work.
5) What about my friends and family?
You'll want to factor your friends and family into your moving decision. If you're moving for a career opportunity, it's important to understand that there are no guarantees that your friends and family will be able to move with you.
Even if they can't make the journey with you, don't let this push you towards renting or buying property in an area where they aren't located. Living far apart from them could make you and them very lonely, and it also means that it will cost more to visit each other.
If your family is nearby but your friends aren't, chances are that when you move there will be a time when you'll need to make new friends! Having a good support system when you make this move could mean the difference between success and failure for you.
So before you make the decision to move, consider these five questions carefully! This will help you better understand the pros and cons of moving to a new location. Having a good understanding of what you want out of your move will ensure that you have the smoothest transition, the easiest time adjusting, and you'll get the most of the experience that you possibly can. Try looking into homes in your potential new location or finding real estate companies that can show you the types of homes that are available in your desired area!
Oahu Military Real Estate have streamlined the process of buying or selling a home to make it easier for you! Our team is made up of caring, knowledgeable professionals who are dedicated to providing the most up-to-date market data in the area. Contact us today to find out how can be of assistance to you!