11 tips to thrive when moving to a new city

Moving to a new city is exciting! New places to explore, new people to meet, new experiences to soak up, so much newness! Before you get swept up in all the fun and excitement of it all, step back and examine the reason(s) for why you’re wanting to move. Are you just bored with work? Is your social life in a rut? Do you think you’ll be resilient enough being away from your support network of friends, family and work friends? Have you given your existing city a big enough chance? Are you running away from your problems? Does the mere idea just give you massive anxiety, so you’ve never seriously considered it?

Whether you’re moving for family, with a partner, for a job or even just because you want to – pushing yourself out of your comfort zone promotes growth, develops resilience and exposes you to new experiences. I moved from Sydney, my home of 20+ years to Melbourne in late 2018. Come along while I share some of the tidbits I’ve learned along the way. But most of all, congratulations on deciding to make your move. Committing to the decision is half the work so here we go!

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BEFORE THE MOVE

1. Consider your finances

There would be nothing worse, than if you moved to the new city, then found yourself broke after 2 months, because you couldn’t find a job in the time frame you expected and spent all your savings.

Before you even consider moving, have at least 3-6 months of living costs saved up as a buffer (the closer to 6 months+ the better), in the case it takes you longer than expected to find a new job, unexpected costs pop up, you’re staying in an Airbnb longer than you had planned because finding a rental is so tough etc.

I like tracking my income and expenses daily in an excel sheet, so I know exactly how much money is coming in and coming out. What gets measured, gets improved! Using this existing financial information will be a good baseline to help you figure out what you may expect to earn and spend in your new city – especially if it’s a more expensive city than the one you’re currently living in.

Do you have enough in savings to pay for:

• Removalists
• Initial Airbnb/hotel stay up until you find a more permanent home
• Petrol (if you’re driving to the new city)
• Mechanics fee if your car breaks down/needs fixing
• Furniture/home essentials once you’ve found a home to live in
• First month’s rent + bond (typically 1 month’s rent)
• Other financial commitments – student/car loans, credit card etc

2. Find a job

With the rise of remote jobs and even the ability to easily do video interviews, depending on what industry you work in, it may be helpful to try and secure a new job before the actual move. Get in touch with recruiters who can assist.

With the rental market being extremely competitive, you may find it difficult to find a new rental, if you don’t have current employment. Also, if you’ve already secured a job, that’s one less stressful thing to think about once you’ve arrived in your new city.

Once you’ve secured a new job, don’t forget to negotiate a start date that includes a buffer that gives you some actual time to settle into your home and familiarise yourself with and explore your new surroundings.

3. Declutter and pack

If you have not yet heard of Marie Kondo, her way of decluttering and organising is life changing! If you’re moving, it’s a great opportunity to cull things you already own but don’t use. With Marie’s method, you basically hold each item in your hands and ask yourself if it brings you joy. If it does, keep it. If it no longer does, thank it for the purpose it served and either sell, donate or recycle. Her system guides you through specific categories of items in a specific order. Leave sentimental items last. Once you’ve built up your decluttering muscles, you’ll find it easier to sort through that category.

Another way is, if you haven’t used it in the last 12 months, chances are, it is not serving you and you probably won’t use it in the next 12 months, so why not either sell it, donate it, give it away to friends/family or recycle it?

• As for fragile/bulky items (dinnerware, fragile décor, desks, mattress, bed frame, TV, cabinets, dining table, chairs etc) – is it worth the monetary cost, effort and space it’ll take up in the removal truck?
• Can you sell the items and buy it second hand or new when you arrive in your new city?
• Can friends and family hold onto some particular bulky or sentimental items for you if you’re not sure?

Some packing tips:

• Office works, Kennards, etc sell new cardboard moving boxes, otherwise, most retail shops are happy for people to take away their used cardboard boxes – just pop in and ask any of the team members if they’ve got old boxes. I’ve found that Manchester shops like House, Adairs etc are a good go-to for boxes.
• If you are moving books – help your removalists and pack these in multiple, smaller boxes, you’d be surprised even at just a few books – how the weight adds up quickly!
• As for dishware, consider wrapping them up in your clothes or bed linen to protect them. If you have old newspapers or magazines, scrunch them up into paper balls and have that paper layer on the bottom and squeezing additional paper balls into spaces in between dishes, to protect them from impact during the move.

4. Find removalists

Depending on how many boxes/furniture you need to move, you’ll need to find a removalist. If you don’t have that much, some removalists offer a service called “backloading” where they add your items onto the back of someone else’s load on the truck – so you’re essentially sharing the trip on the truck. Depending on the removalists schedule, typically, your items will get delivered in between 1-2 weeks’ time. This option is much cheaper than if you were to hire the entire truck, just for your items. When I moved to Melbourne, I found CK Interstate to be professional and reliable.

Findamover.com lets you submit your moving request (proposed moving date, inventory list of items to be moved) and removalists respond with quotes. If you’re flexible with dates, that may help you secure a removalist quicker.

Keep in mind, depending on the time of year, you may find it harder to secure the removalist of your choice. Typically, it’s quieter during the winter months and removalists get very busy leading up to Christmas. I had plans to vacate my last rental by mid-November. I was calling around in late September/early October and some removalists, were already fully booked up for the next 2 months. Finding a reliable and careful removalist can be stressful, but if friends can make recommendations that may help or else Google reviews may be helpful for you to choose one. I recently used JD movers – they were insanely efficient and professional – highly recommend!

5. Find a place to live

When I still lived in Sydney, it was possible for me to fly down to Melbourne just for the day on 2 to 3 occasions to do some apartment inspections before I officially moved. (This was pre-covid, when flights were still cheap.) I had contacted some agents to do private inspections and lined up a couple all on the same day. Even though some agents are now able to do video walkthroughs, I think it’s still important to do an in person walk through, as there are finer details you just can’t capture/see properly through video. For example, if there’s a funky smell, floor skirting or walls are puffy from water damage, hidden evidence of mould (landlords trying to paint on top of it, rather than actually address the issue), insect infestations, sussing out the common areas and surrounding areas of any signs of problematic neighbours etc – these details you just can’t see if you just do a video walkthrough.

In having said this, one time while I was down in Melbourne for inspections for the day, one of the real estate agents, forgot to bring the swipe fob for the front door of the building. The tenant was not at home and no other resident was leaving the building, so I had no choice but to not view the apartment. Incredibly frustrating, but not much you can do, when the real estate agent (REA) is disorganised. So just be mentally prepared for these random situations too.

When I had officially moved to Melbourne, I rented a room to stay in through airbnb. I had 2 weeks before officially starting work to find an apartment to live in. I inspected a handful – but eventually ended up renting that same apartment from the REA who forgot the swipe fob.

Once you land in your new city, you’ll probably hire an Airbnb, stay with a friend/family or hotel then spend the next few weeks looking for a more permanent home. At the time of writing, the rental market is incredibly tight, with many prospective renters vying for the same properties. I have a friend who is a doctor who was recently looking for a house to rent with his wife. Both he and his wife are doctors who work full time. They had applied for 5-7 homes and heard that some landlords were requesting crazy minimum requirements for prospective tenants, for example: if a couple was applying, both must be employed full time, no kids, no pets and non-smokers. So if even, 2 full time employed doctors, with no kids, no pets and non-smokers were finding it tough to find a rental, you can imagine just how competitive the market currently is right? (My friends luckily soon after found a rental home.)

When you’re looking for a place to rent, consider:

• Proximity to important amenities such as public transport, cafes/restaurants, supermarkets, parks/playgrounds, work etc
• Safety of the suburb
• If an apartment – amenities such as number of lifts, gym, pool, actual multi storey carpark or lift stacker etc
• Schools/universities nearby
• Is there flammable cladding? Typically newer buildings have this on their facade. It looks like metal panels that are clipped onto the outside of the building. With lax building standards in recent years, this material has been used extensively because it is is incredibly cheap, looks OK, but can be a huge fire risk.
  • Melbourne apartment tower fire fuelled by combustible cladding on Spencer St high-rise
  • Flammable cladding on apartment complexes leaves painful legacy in Victoria months after ban
  • Flammable cladding apartment building risk list grows in Melbourne
  • ‘It’s cruel, it’s intolerable’: Residents hit with huge bills for extra safety works
• Childcare
• Orientation of the home, layout of home, no. of car spaces, rental averages for area

6. Say farewell to family and friends

Spend time with your family and friends before leaving. Whether it be at your favourite restaurant, having a bbq at your local park etc, soak up your remaining time creating new memories.

Although some friends, may say they’ll visit and never will, real friends don’t fade with distance. With technology being so convenient, they’re only ever 1 facetime call away or a flight away!

7. Create an explore list

It is totally normal to feel a bit of anxiety, as you prepare to leave your support network and what you’re familiar with, for a new city. To psych yourself up for the imminent move, create an explore list including a list of cafes/restaurants, museums, landmarks and other attractions you want to visit. Having this list can be an easy conversation ice breaker, as locals generally love to share their favourite hidden gems and favourite things to do.

If you know of any friends, family or acquaintances in the new city – make note of their contact details for when you want to connect when you’re settled.

To reduce your stress, you may also want to make a list of emergency numbers/essential places like the nearest supermarket, shopping centre, doctor, post office, chemist etc nearest to your initial accommodation.

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AFTER THE MOVE

8. Update your records

You’re excited about having just moved into your new home and can’t wait to explore your new city! The last thing on your mind is probably administration. With the move, be sure to update your contact details for:

• Health insurance
• Bank
• Credit card company
• Tax office
• Electoral role
• Medical providers (Doctor/dentist etc)
• Loyalty programs
• University alumni
• Driver’s license
• Superannuation fund
• Mobile phone provider

9. Furnish your new sweet digs

If you’re on a budget, consider getting items from Facebook marketplace, gumtree.com.au or similar. Not only is it better for the environment to buy second hand and keep something out of landfill, but your bank account will also thank you. Furthermore, people are constantly moving and sometimes you can score great bargains. With Facebook marketplace, good things will sell quickly, so if you like something, move quick!

In the case you don’t own a car or don’t know anyone who can assist you with picking up the item, there’s airtasker. Airtasker is a platform where you can hire people to help you with lots of tasks, whether you need help picking up, delivering and moving a piece of furniture to your new home, a carpenter, a plumber etc – you can submit your requested task and watch the quotes roll in to do your task.

10. Find friends

If you’re brand new to a city and don’t know anyone, it’s time to get out and make new friends! Here’s a link to my 9 tips on how to find friends as an adult.

11. Be kind to yourself

Settling in, establishing new friendships, finding the rhythm of work and getting a sense of your new city will take time. Moving is hard work and it can be exhausting when you feel like you constantly have to “put yourself out there.” Take the time to wind down and don’t feel guilty for wanting a night in. Stay connected to friends and family from your previous city. You’ll probably both miss each other, so lean on them for a bit of support if you’re feeling overwhelmed. In time, you’ll feel you’ve settled into your new home, with a new rhythm of life and new friends, so enjoy the journey, because your life is lived out everyday!

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