31 Oct 4 Things to Consider When Choosing a New Place to Live

There might come a time when you will have to move from your current home to a new one. The reason might be due to work or a desire to seek greener pastures. It might also be because you want a fresh start or a chance to maybe live in a better neighborhood. Whatever the case, keep this in mind: Moving in to a new home is a substantial life investment, and it will directly impact your quality of life. Hence, you need to be deliberate and take into account a few things when choosing your new place of residence. Four of them are as follows:

1. Can I afford this home?

The biggest thing to consider is affordability. However, the price of the actual home is not the only consideration. Aside from that, you must factor in the accompanying costs, like packing, paying lawyers and realtors, redirecting mail, and hiring an interstate moving service if you are moving to a different state. Getting movers, in particular, is an often overlooked aspect of moving out as others try to do it themselves. But if you can, do enlist a moving service because doing so can eliminate the stress of moving all your things.

By taking all these factors into account, you will be able to zone in only on properties you can truly afford. This makes your home search easier and more realistic, and it will save you valuable time. More importantly, it will help ensure that you will not be overburdened when paying for a house you cannot afford.

2. Is it located strategically?

A strategically located residence is one that is in close proximity to most of life’s basic necessities. These necessities include education, employment opportunities, food establishments, hospitals or clinics, and places for relaxation and recreation. Ideally, it would be best to move to a residence that gives you easy access to said establishments. In addition, your new home should be somewhere that suits the kind of lifestyle you prefer.

Some, for instance, like to live in a vibrant, fast-paced community, while others prefer a quieter, more laid-back environment. Factoring location in your home search will increase the likelihood that you will be moving in to a home that will cater to most, if not all, of your needs.

3. Is it safe here?

While there is no such thing as a utopian community, you can definitely relocate to a neighborhood or city with a low crime rate. To do that, take time researching the crime statistics of the city or community you are eyeing. The state of Florida, for instance, has a Crime Information Center you can access online, while the New York City Police Department keeps an expansive database of crime reports. You can also visit online resources such as City-Data and Safewise, which keep detailed profiles of every U.S. city.

Safewise, for instance, ranks Hopkinton and Franklin in Massachusetts as the two “safest” cities in the U.S. for 2021. They are followed by Buckingham Township in Pennsylvania, Oakland Township in Michigan, and Bernard Township in New Jersey. This process is time- and effort-extensive, but it will help ensure that you are moving into a safe place of residence.

4. Is the climate just right?

Finally, climate is also crucial to ensuring a high quality of life. Reason being, it will dictate whether or not you get to enjoy the things you love doing. If, for instance, you love winter sports, then moving to colder-weather states like Colorado would make more sense than, say, hot-weather states such as Texas. Conversely, you would be better off relocating to Florida if you enjoy going to the beach.

Equally important, a state’s climate directly influences its economy, along with the employment opportunities there. Cities near the Gulf Coast, for example, are heavily reliant on fishing and agriculture due to their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and humid, subtropical climate. So, make sure you take climate into account, too, as it will impact important aspects of your life: your physical comfort, the things you can do, and even the jobs you can get.

Relocating is a seminal moment in one’s life. It is something that will affect the relationships you will form, the jobs you will get, and the things you will do. And if done right, you might even move in to a place you can call home for the rest of your life. This is why you must take your time and consider the above things when choosing a new place to live. In this way, you increase significantly the likelihood of picking your ideal home.