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Questions To Ask Your Movers

Moving is so not fun. Well, it’s exciting because you get a fresh start in a new house, sometimes in a new city or state. But the actual process of moving is tedious, and at times overwhelming. You have to set up new utilities, change you information on your driver’s license and with businesses that take your money (rude). You may need to find a new doctor or pediatrician, which means getting copies of all your medical records and transferring them over. Then there’s the actual moving. This involves packing, getting rid of stuff, and transporting it from the old house to the new. It’s completely understandable why you would want to hire movers. They take care of the boring stuff for you. The back-breaking labor of getting that giant sectional out of your tiny front door, into the new tiny front door and in its new home. 

But, just like with any service, you want to know that you’re getting the best possible team of professional movers to help you in this stressful time. The last thing you want on moving day is to have to deal with a set of movers that aren’t what you thought they would be. Well, consider yourself saved. We’re here with a set of questions to pose to potential moving companies that will ensure you hire the right people for the job.

Rates

Obviously, you want to be crystal clear on the rate, as well as what it includes. How many movers will be helping that day? Does the rate include packing as well as moving, or is the packing responsibility left up to you? Can you reduce the rate by packing yourself? Are you paying mileage for gas in the rates quoted? Does the rate include tip? How many hours will you have your movers, if it’s just across town? For cross-country moving, does the rate include hotel expenses for your movers? Get as detailed an account as you can of what exactly you’re paying for.

Insurance

What is it? Moving companies are not allowed to sell you any insurance, but they are obligated to provide some type of insurance along with their service. Released value protection is the bare minimum. It won’t cover the full cost of any lost or damaged item, but they typically cover between $0.30 and $0.60 per pound of an item. If your company provides Full Value Protection, they maintain liability for your belongings including repairs, replacement, or reimbursement for the current market value of the broken piece. Even with full value protection some items still won’t be covered; items that qualify as being of extraordinary value. 

As there is no federal regulation for what movers must include in their insurance beyond released value, the terms and conditions are specific to each company. Ask your moving company what is included in their insurance, the cost for extra insurance, as well as any loopholes included in their contract. Sometimes, when you pack your own belongings it releases the moving company of liability for broken items. If this is the case and you’re thinking of saving a few bucks by packing yourself, you might want to reconsider this option for better protection during the move. Oftentimes, no one intends to break your personal treasures, but accidents happen and that’s the point of insurance.

If you’re still not satisfied with the insurance offered by your moving company, you can opt to buy extra insurance from a third party. These third party companies actually work with moving companies, but because movers aren’t allowed to sell you insurance, these guys step in to cover the rest of your needs. But before you jump the gun on this option, check with your renters or homeowners insurance. Your policy and plan may already cover moving insurance. Without federal regulations, these details definitely change from state to state, so do your research and come to the conclusion that’s right for you.

Details

Once you’ve chosen and hired your movers it’s time to discuss the gritty little details. When can you expect their arrival? When can you expect to shove off to the new house? You’ll also want to have the proper contact information for your movers and a plan of action should you get separated. For in-state or city moves, this most likely won’t happen. Larger cross-country moves, though, it’s vital to both your security and sanity that you have a designated meeting point and chain of communication should you be separated along the way. With cell phones, it shouldn’t be too hard to coordinate these details, but you never know when someone’s going to forget their car charger and run out of battery. Better safe than sorry.

Hiring movers is a huge bonus if you can swing it. They take the brunt of the work and stress off your hands. As with any business, though, you want to know you’re giving yours to the right people. With these inquiries you can be sure that you’re set up for success and stress-free on your big day.

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Helpful Tips For Your Cross Country Move

Moving is an exhausting, albeit exciting, process. Even more so when it’s compacted by the distance. It’s one thing to move across town. All you really need is a big enough truck and an entire day of back breaking manual labor and the bulk of the work is done. You can either go big to go home with a massive truck, fitting all your worldly possessions in a single trip transport, or save some cash in rental fees and make several trips throughout the day. Even if you’re only moving one town away, the stress isn’t that much worse. But going out of state, possibly crossing multiple state lines in the process is daunting to say the least. To keep you from being completely overwhelmed in this process, follow these tips and tricks to make your cross country move as painless as possible.

Pre-planning

If at all possible, take a trip to your new destination and spend a weekend getting to know the city. Before your trip, try and schedule a few appointments with realtors to view potential new homes. Buying a new home – or even renting a new apartment – sight unseen is risky. You could be stuck there for a year – minimum, more if you’ve signed a mortgage. It isn’t just the condition of the house, but its relation to everything else in the area, including your work commute. This is an added cost, but worth it to help ease your mind and create a smooth transition.

Packing

Yes, you can hire movers that will also pack for you. But honestly, they’ll be responsible for fitting an entire house into one truck and getting on the road at a decent time. There are two things to bear in mind throughout this process: stuff and time. The amount of stuff you take with you can make a huge difference. If the movers have to pack fewer boxes and pieces of furniture in the truck the whole process goes much faster. Everything from mattresses and furniture to knick-knacks and clothing should be subject to dismissal. Donate your items to a shelter or Habitat for Humanity to make an impact on someone else’s life and yours at the same time. Secondly, don’t wait until the last minute. Begin this preparation as soon as you close on your new house or sign the lease. 

Insurance

When shopping for movers, check their insurance policy. The drivers should be insured and there should be a quality guarantee with your contract. Additional insurance you purchase yourself never hurts either. There’s a lot that can happen on the road. Protect your valuables and yourself.

Contact/Communication

Set up proper lines of communication and contact for your movers. Car chargers for your phones – maybe even provide one for your drivers – will save you. Appoint designated meet-up spots for meals, overnight stays, and rest stops. It’s okay if you lose each other on the road throughout the day. But always be able to reconnect and stay in touch.

Paperwork, Essentials, And Tip

Be sure to keep your precious valuables and important paperwork with you. Birth certificates, marriage license, and family heirloom china or jewelry items are better left where you can keep an eye on them. Have a bag packed with a change of clothes, hygiene products, and any other snacks or reading materials you might need for the trip. And, as always, don’t forget to tip your movers for their work. Withdraw cash from the bank the day before you set off so that it’s with you and ready to disperse when they do. 

It’s a huge transition and one that offers a lot of promise and possibility. Don’t let yourself get bogged down in all there is to do. Get a firm handle on these essential points and it’ll be smooth sailing from start to finish. 

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Benefits of Hiring The Pros

Moving is a massive drain. There’s absolutely nothing fun about it. Unless you happen to be the spawn of Marie Kondo and really get your kicks organizing and decluttering. But it’s long, tedious work, especially if you’ve lived in your current home long enough to have junk drawers and closets. (Isn’t it crazy how much stuff we tend to accumulate over time and never think about throwing away a shirt that’s been in the bottom of the drawer so long it looks stale?)

So for the average person who doesn’t just relish the opportunity to pack all their belongings in boxes and haul it across town – or country – there’s a light at the end of the tunnel: professional movers. Yes, you can hire people to do all that awful, back-breaking work for you. It’s an added expense, but let’s take a look at the reasons why you should hire movers (in case your arm hasn’t already been twisted).

Stress-Free

Is there any better reason? Hiring movers means you completely eliminate the stress of having to physically pack everything into boxes and taken to its new home yourself. Cramming all your worldly possessions into a bunch of boxes can be a truly daunting task. Just cut it out of your life entirely and leave it to the professionals so you can breathe easy and focus on the other hundred thousand tasks you have before your big move.

Frees Up Time

Not only is the thought of packing your entire house enough to send one into a spiral of stress, but there’s also the amount of time it actually takes to accomplish this marathon of a task. Most people barely have time to eat three square meals a day let alone think about when they’re going to fit packing into their schedule. With movers, you don’t have to worry about this. If anything, your only responsibility is going through the stuff you don’t use or need much anymore. There’s no sense in packing and moving items that aren’t going to be used. 

Safety Guarantee

Wanna know something else that’s panic inducing about moving? The thought of your fragile, sentimental, passed down from generations valuables being smashed and utterly ruined during your move. With professional movers, everything is packed in such a way that your delicate valuables will be protected no matter the distance of your more.

Less Physically Exhausting

If you’ve ever moved anywhere – by yourself – you know the physical demands moving places on your body. If you’re a gym rat, it might not be any more difficult than your regular workout routine. If you don’t even think about going to the gym, you’re in for a sore several days following your move. Even if you are a physically fit person, the act of moving is a marathon. It’s an all day event of heavy lifting and walking (sometimes backwards) with large cumbersome objects. You’re already going to have to unpack everything in the new home. Save yourself a lot of fatigue and leave it to the professionals.    

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Time Management For Big Moves

A lot goes into moving, especially the longer you’ve been in your home. Even more so when your move is cross-country, or anywhere outside of your general area. But, often times there’s no other option. Careers being what they are and start-ups popping up all over the nation (tech being one of the main culprits) can lead to a complete uprooting of your life. Like that isn’t stressful enough; new job, new town, new everything. Then there’s the task of actually moving.

Like we mentioned, the longer you’ve been in your home, the more stuff you’ve accumulated over the years. So the simple task of packing up your house can take weeks all by itself. But it isn’t just packing that you need to think about, there’s much, much more. For such stressful endeavors, having a timeline for your move (with a list of things to cross off at specific times) is the secret weapon to mastering a big move. Create your own timeline by following these guidelines.

8 Weeks Away

If you’re given this luxury, two months away from your move is the time to get balls rolling. First and foremost, you need to take care of the place you’re leaving. If it’s a rental, contact your landlord. If you own your home, on the market it goes. As with any commercial business, consult your friends and local review sites to help you find the best realtor for you. Grab a binder and some dividers to keep all this paperwork organized and easy to find.

Next, you’ll want to take stock of what’s in your home and consider whether to hire movers (very helpful the farter away your move it, honestly) or go it alone. Do you research and find the right company for you (and always get a written contract).

Once you’ve come to your decision, drawing up an inventory list of all the items in your home (categorized, if you’re so Type A) and decide here and now what you want to take and what you want to leave. The less stuff you have to move, the more money you save. When it comes to furniture condition, sentimental value, and cost to move versus buying new will help you decide what stays and what goes. Lastly, start saving newspaper and coupon flyers for packing. These are great, and free, for wrapping glass.

6 Weeks Away

Start packing! Yes. That sounds crazy. But you’ll be surprised by how long it takes to pack one room, let alone a whole house. Start with storage; seasonal things that you plan to keep, but don’t use as often and things you don’t need right now.

As you pack and sort, put all the leave behind items in bags and boxes and take them to the proper donation sites. If you’re getting rid of clothing, consider a shelter instead of a thrift store. Job Appropriate clothing in particular can give someone in need that extra boost to turn their life around.

If you’re moving out of town or farther, you’ll need to start gathering all your medical records (pets, too) and looking for new physicians. Keep these in an accordion folder and easily accessible should an emergency arise. Scheduling a check-up for pets and family during these next two weeks is also advisable to ensure everyone is at peak health. Lastly, begin the change of address process.

4 Weeks Away

Lock down your moving arrangements. Whether it’s a helping hand from friends or the movers you’ve hired, touch base and make sure everything is on schedule.

Travel arrangements. If you’re driving, get your car(s) fully inspected now so you have the time and funds to make any repairs that are needed. The last thing you want is to break down en route in the middle of nowhere. If you’re flying, book your flights and secure trustworthy freight for your vehicles.

The packing continues. If your movers are also packing, it’s still a good idea (considering how much stuff you’re bringing) to pack some of your possessions. Movers will usually provide packing materials, but grab some bubble wrap in case there’s something extra valuable you want to handle.

2 Weeks Away

Check with your utilities companies about turning off or transferring services. Contact the companies in your new city and set up services for when you arrive.  

Check your pantry! It’s a waste of money to throw away food. Get creative and start cooking everything you’ve got. You can always stick your non-perishables in a grocery bag and take them with you (PB&J sandwiches for the road trip are gold), but don’t waste any boxes on food.

Set aside boxes for the things you’ll be packin the days before you move. If you need more boxes, grab them now. Not having to run to the store for more boxes at zero hour will save you time and stress.

Organize your going away party! Whether it’s in your home, at a restaurant or bar, or at a friends house, you will want one night where there’s no packing, no moving, just a long moment to enjoy time with all the people who love and will miss you. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to be a good time.

The Week Of

Revisit your list. Where are you? Are all contracts signed, sealed, and delivered? Is there anything you’re behind on? Don’t fret. More important than anything is that you’re rested and feeling good about where you are in the process.

Leave out a good knife, cutting board, skillet, pot, baking sheet, baking dish, spatula, and plates, cups, and silverware. You can make a variety of food with these items, and they’ll all fit in one large box. Plan your meals for this week to save some money and grab those groceries. Pack the final dishes away 2 days before moving and treat yourself to one last meal at your favorite restaurant the night before moving day. No one wants to do dishes the day before they move.

All In All

Your schedule might vary depending on the amount of time you actually have before your planned move. Adjust these finer points to fit your needs and you’ll be organized and less stressed.

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Summer Sun, Roadtripping Fun: Pacific Coast Highway Stops

California native or out-of-town visitor, the drive up the Pacific Coast Highway is bucket-list worthy. Miles and miles of winding roads, cliffs and beaches, and sunshine with the ocean breeze blowing through your hair (you’re nuts if you don’t find a convertible for this trip). With summer officially here there’s no better time to plan a trip along the coast. Starting in Orange County and stretching all the way up to San Francisco, without any stops or traffic the drive tallies up to ten hours. But with so many stops between points A and B, you can easily take your time and stretch it out over 5 or even 10 days. To help you decide just how to chart your trip, here are 5 stops we recommend…

Malibu, CA

Dana Point, near San Clemente, where PCH begins (in our case) to Malibu is roughly 85 miles. Depending on the time of day and traffic, that drive comes out to 2.5 – 4 hours in traffic. Perfect for a morning drive to lunch on the beaches, dine on the Pier at a less touristy area than Santa Monica. Plus, there are hikes like Solstice Canyon featuring waterfalls and a little castle.

Ventura, CA

A mere hour without traffic from the Malibu Pier, this beautiful ocean-side city is the perfect place to park it for the night. You can take advantage of any number of ocean-side hotels and fine dining, or rough it out on the Channel Islands National Park.Time your trip right and you can make a pitstop in Oxnard for the Strawberry Festival. Or just stop and grab some fresh berries to snack on during your last leg of the drive.

Santa Barbara, CA

While you shouldn’t pass up the chance to go to Napa, stopping in Santa Barbara is a must along the way. This little slice of wine paradise is home to many a vineyard, as well as the quaint little Dutch town of Solvang. Worthy of being a full-day experience, this is the best first full stop to break up the driving, especially if you don’t have a whole lot of time. Only an hour and a quarter from Ventura, you can arrive early, check into your hotel and roam the vineyards.

San Luis Obispo, CA

Also near vast vineyards, this city is home to the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, the state’s fifth-oldest mission. After a trip to the Mission, stop by the Museum of Art, shop the downtown Farmer’s Market, or enjoy the scenery with Pismo Beach, Bishop Peak, or Lopez Lake. Enjoy nightlife with the Fremont Theatre or the Madonna Inn.      

Dealers Choice: San Simeon, Big Sur, Monterey

For the final big stop, if your time is limited, before hitting the final San Francisco destination, choose any of these three locales. If you can stop at all three, go for it. For more surf and beach, Big Sur is calling your name. Explore a Hearst Castle developed by William Randolph Hearst in the city of San Simeon. Monterey offers up an array of attractions like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Old Fisherman’s Wharf, and missions, parks, and a jazz festival in September, there’s plenty to do to keep you occupied for at least a day before crossing the finish line in San Fran.

There are more stops than this along the way, no doubt. Find a bar and hit up the locals for their favorite eats around town. Take as much time as you can or want and enjoy the ride.

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Work And Live In The City?

Large cities draw people to them with their abundance of work and entertainment. Anyone will make a trek to the city for the right type of entertainment. Performing arts centers cozy up to a slew of fine dining restaurants that combine for a magical evening. But it takes a special fortitude to work in the city, especially if that work involves a commute of 45 minutes or more. Driving an hour or more for a delectable dinner and spectacular show every month or so is nothing. Driving an hour or more one-way to put your nose to the grindstone and work 8 hours then spend another hour driving back home every day of the week requires a strong mental state and one hell of a podcast to not go crazy in the process. So why do people even bother with commutes?

Cost Of Living

The biggest denominator when it comes to choosing suburban or city living when your work is in a large city can come down to finances. Hopefully, you have a job that can afford you the luxury of living in an apartment near enough to work that you can either walk or get there within 20 minutes or less driving or taking public transportation. Unfortunately, the reality of today is not every job does afford for one to live near their work, cover the rest of their overhead, and support a social life. In 2017 it was estimated that a person living in the City put 65% of their income towards rent alone. To live in a one-bedroom apartment in Downtown Los Angeles you’re looking at prices starting around $2,100. For a one-bedroom. If you have a family and need at least 3 bedrooms that price jumps up to almost $4,000/month. And this is just apartment living.

Live in a city like Long Beach (which with a commute to Downtown LA running at least an hour in rush-hour traffic, each way) and the difference is staggering. A house in Los Feliz (a much shorter commute for a DTLA worker) runs about $810 per sq. ft. That’s almost double the price per square foot in Long Beach which clocks in around $467 per square foot. While Los Feliz is a wealthier, more affluent neighborhood, the median cost of homes in Los Angeles still sits at $523 per sq. ft. Wherever you live in the country, though, it’s common knowledge that living further away from work in a separate suburb will bring your housing costs down, and you’re likely to get more bang for your buck in terms of space.

Families

Another common factor in deciding whether to live and work in the city can come down to your family situation. If it’s just you and your spouse, combined incomes could afford you a nice condo or luxurious apartment in the city where you can live, work, and play. Add a baby to the mix and you’ve now got a much higher overhead with doctor’s visits and insurance, childcare, and diapers, toys/books, etc. Then there’s the issue of space to consider. Once baby needs their own room for sleeping as well as play time, your once cozy 2 or 3 bedroom apartment or one bedroom home now feels crowded and there’s no room for anyone with toys and walkers taking up every inch of valuable real estate in your home. And they only need more as they get older. Public schools are often a much higher caliber in suburbs than urban cities. You can also afford a house with a yard and separate rooms for playing the further away from a city you get.  

Sanity

If you’ve never had to commute day in and day out for more than 45 minutes each way, you have no idea the toll it takes on your mental health. Divorce lawyers actually attribute long commutes (45 minutes of more, everyday) as a contributing factor to almost half the marriages they absolve. While divorce in and of itself is a gray and sticky situation unique to each individual, having to spend 45 minutes or more of your day just getting to work and then another 45 minutes or so getting home seriously wears on a person’s mood. That mood is transferred to their partner and if they’re not careful it can slowly erode even the best relationships. Unfortunately, the cost of living element often forces many of us into these types of situations. But there are little tricks to try to alleviate some of the stress of driving such as an engaging podcast, carpooling with a fellow co-worker or your spouse, if it’s manageable, and diligently exercising and practicing meditation which are natural mood enhancers.

In the end, the debate between work and life in the city versus suburban living with a crazy commute comes down to the quality of life you’re able to create out of your financial and work situation. Loving your job, an overwhelming sense of satisfaction instead of dread when you go into work is top of the list. You spend most of your time at work. If you aren’t fulfilled in what you do or where you work it’s going to negatively affect the rest of your life. The financial ability of being able to take vacations, go on regular dates with your significant other, and maintain a healthy social life with friends and family can also make the long commute you suffer worth it in the end. Like anything in life, it’s a delicate balance that you have to manage, given your particular set of circumstances. But always remember the immortal and wise words of miss Maya Angelou “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

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Big City Livin’ or Small Town Life

Where you live plays a huge part in who you are as a person in the world. There’s an undeniable difference in the rhythm of a big city versus a small town. That rhythm alone – the pace at which people plug along day after day – affects so much about a person. In movies the Big Shot Big City Lawyer is always in a rush, and the Small Town Simple Farmer can’t be hurried along for anything. And it’s true; people in larger cities move faster. You can always tell a tourist from a dweller on the streets of NYC or Hollywood.

Granted, these assumptions are very general and not everyone fits “the mold” of where they live. These are the people most likely to migrate to a coast or inland, to find a place more suited to them. But why is this the way it is? What creates this rhythm? Let’s ponder…

Distance and Space Between

The most notable difference between big and small cities isn’t their size, necessarily, but how much is crammed into the area. Seriously, just think about the irony that in a large city like Los Angeles where every centimeter of space is being taken up by someone or something, there’s less space to own, let alone exist, than in a small town like Kingfisher, OK where the nearest shopping mall is over an hour away in Oklahoma City. And Los Angeles is in the midst of massive development everywhere; tearing down old, flailing buildings and making way for high-rise, high-occupancy buildings with fine dining and shops on their first floor.

This isn’t to say smaller towns of 50,000 people or so are deprived of all civilization. It’s still the 21st century. They have shopping centers and more densely populated areas. But they also have space between things, yet nothing is more than 10 minutes away. It makes tasks like going to the grocery store less daunting.

Volume of People and Things

Further down this difference line we get the number of people and things sharing these small or large seeming spaces. Add this one factor to the example we just used of grocery shopping and this mundane, necessary task changes instantly. Unless you’re there the moment the doors open to Trader Joe’s on a Tuesday, there will never be a time when it’s “not that busy”. As the day goes on, it only gets worse. And it’s not just the crowds of people you have to muddle through, it’s the cars and traffic. Grocery shopping in a smaller town might take an hour if you’re buying a lot and taking your time browsing the aisles. Step out for a total of 10 things and you’ll spend half an hour sitting in traffic just getting there and back in a larger city.

More people in a smaller amount of space lends itself to an array of habits and feelings like you never have enough time for anything and so your life is a constant grind of go, go, go! There’s a heightened sense of urgency among big city dwellers that doesn’t exist in smaller towns.

As far as things and things to do, it’s not that there “isn’t anything to do” in a small town, there’s just only so much to do. Listening to Cory Booker speak about his time as Mayor of Newark, NJ, he spent a lot of time trying to attract businesses to his smaller town. Newark’s a town of close to 300,000 people and it was a tough sell because the investor’s didn’t believe that the smaller town could sustain a business of their size. Booker was able to get businesses there and the city got a nice little boom, but think of towns that are smaller than that. They aren’t likely to have luxury movie theatres like the Arclight or a Starbucks on every corner. Theatres with spoken word, original plays, or open mic comedy nights don’t exist. There’s one local, community run theatre – if you’re lucky. Orchestras and museums aren’t in every small town. The Arts are the last to flourish in smaller towns.

Again, though, it isn’t that they don’t exist, they just aren’t a huge portion of what there is to do in a small town. It’s encouraging to see more small boutiques and coffee shops pop up that have locally sourced goods and ingredients to sell their customers. Even things like Wine and Paint nights are becoming more trendy in smaller areas. But it’s not like NYC where you could go out every single night forever and still have something new to do.

Proportional and Relative

There are many more differences on a substantially nuanced level between the densely and sparsely populated areas of the country. But these two main points are the biggest factors in what we first noted was the main difference – a city’s rhythm. Less people and more room gives the sense of having more time and less need to rush. Flip the script and it’s no wonder there’s more stress and demand for instant results, and less feeling like you have room to breathe and relax. It affects people differently. Some people were born ready to run, and so they feel at ease in a faster paced environment. Others are content to take their time and enjoy the view, so the slow beat of a small town’s drum appeals to their senses. Whatever type of person you are, if you feel you were born in the wrong environment, you can always change it with a move.

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Cities On The Rise

If you want a change of scenery from small-town life to something more metropolis, more mature, more exciting, you’re likely to dream about a move to The Big Apple, The Windy City, or The City of Angels. Lots of people do it every day. But talk about culture shock. There’s a completely different pace and rhythm to a large city like New York or LA. It’s a rat race unlike any of rural America. Aside from the aesthetic, though, the cost of living is astronomical. So much so, that artists who live in these areas to pursue their creative careers are opting to leave and pursue their passion elsewhere, because while they may not win an Oscar, they can continue doing what they love without being house-poor. But you want a change, a place to grow. Find the in-between. Here are four cities that are on the rise, but not quite the major leagues that just might be right for you.

Omaha, Nebraska

Garnering the nickname “Silicone Prairie” for its low-cost of living attracting more and more startups, Omaha is a great place to hang your hat. With the largest indoor jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and a business Index rating of 7 out of 10, this city boasts low unemployment rate, and an abundance of career opportunities with companies such as Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific Railroad, and TD Ameritrade – to name a few – as well as hospitals, schools, and tech firms. Rich with History, based on the average income and rent, it’s projected you’ll keep around 81% of your income for things other than housing. Not bad for a budding city.

Columbia, South Carolina

The capital of South Carolina, Columbia, is a great place to live with an average 83% of your income left for overhead and spending outside of rent/mortgage. Columbia plays host to 5 National Historic Landmarks, including the Robert Mills House. Their art museum contains multiple galleries with a vast array of collections from paintings to sculptures. The steady growth in the job market earns it a 6.8 out of 10 rating with companies like Westinghouse Electric, and research through the University of SC on the cutting edge of green energy development, Innovista Program.

Memphis, Tennessee

Launch yourself into the legendary city of Memphis where musical greats to the likes of Elvis, B.B. King, and Johnny Cash recorded albums at the famous Sun Studio. The average monthly rent comes in just under $1,000 allowing you to keep up to 83% of your income. FedEx, International Paper, and Auto Zone (all Fortune 500 companies) are part of the business services industry which leads the way in career opportunities. Health and education jobs fair well in Memphis as well as agriculture and research for ag tech and crop development. Sitting right along the Mississippi River, this city plays a major role in distribution as well as music. You won’t lack culture or money to experience it in Memphis.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Home to The Thunder, Oklahoma City is one of the top three most affordable places to live, according to a CNBC assessment. Right at the heart of Oklahoma, this City falls between two major Universities that compete on a national scale both academically and athletically. The art scene isn’t starving either with a boom in film production and their very own festival, the Lyric Theatre hosting a never-ending stream of Broadway National Tours, as well as their own productions for kids and adults, and the thriving Paseo Arts District. Careers in energy, healthcare, aviation, and skilled industrial workers have the stronghold. Companies such as AT&T, Sonic Corporation, Mercy Health Center and the Federal Aviation Administration provide opportunities for thousands. The salary could use a boost to compete better with the national average, but your exceedingly low cost-of-living will grant you the ability to pay your rent and enjoy a game or a show any time you like with an average of 84% of your income kept after paying rent.

You don’t need to pack your whole life into a car and drive til you hit the ocean to find a little more adventure than you’re used to. If you want more than what your small town has to offer, but still enjoy a slightly slower pace than that of a crowded urban city, there is something within reach that will afford you personal growth and a comfortable life.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/11/10-most-affordable-cities-for-business-professionals-in-2019.html
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A Summation of Migration

We’ve come a long way from the thirteen original colonies. For one, our nation now stretches from sea to shining sea. But we’ve also changed patterns and reasons for our migration. The 1800s brought the Louisiana Purchase and many great movements west. At first to resettle the Native American tribes, then as immigrants from Ireland and other parts of Europe poured in from overseas. The industrial revolution and whispers of gold drove the most adventurous or ones with nothing left to lose to strike out in search of fortune and a better life. Shortly after WWI America experienced the Great Migration as many African-Americans left the south in favor of a more tolerable north.

Nowadays, however, over half of people choose to stay close to where they live. Some never even leave their neighborhood. Others will strike off for a while but still find their way back home. But our reasons for relocating remain much the same.

Opportunity

It was seen by puritans and pilgrims. The opportunity to settle in a land far from an overbearing monarch and live life as best befits one’s own conscious. It was seen by the settler tired of living in the squalor of cramped cities. Staking a claim in a piece of land and making it her own. It’s seen by freshly commenced seniors ready to embark on the next chapter of their life with a new school and specialized focus on their future career. It’s seen by the junior executive looking to make moves and her mark on the industry.

The opportunity to do more, see more, be part of more than just what you’ve known is a major driving force for relocation. It’s very common among students both heading off to college or a masters or doctoral program and those leaving school to finally pursue the experience of their career. Moves within that career are also common. The end of your career could even bring about a relocation. Retiring to a community more aligned with how you want to spend your remaining days, the big reward for all your years of work and service. When provided with an opportunity it’s only natural to take it.

A Clean Slate

If there’s one thing that is certain in life it’s that nothing is certain. Sure, you have a measured sense of normal and a plan for the next X amount of years til retirement and eventually the final moment. Unfortunately, things change, those plans change and you may find yourself wanting, craving, needing a change. Financial hardships such as a layoff can spur relocating. Sometimes that relocation takes us back home to find our footing before taking a new path. That’s the premise for a whole category of film and tv. The rug gets pulled out from under the heroine’s feet so she goes back to her roots to get back on her feet. There she falls in love with the handsome, small town boy and there’s drama but they live happily ever after when she realizes it was love she needed all along The End. While movies are an exaggeration of life there’s still some very real shared truth to this situation.

Adventure Awaits

Then there are those of us who merely point to a place on the globe and declare “There! That’s my new home!” And then they go off and learn a completely new language, sell all their things, put their house on the market, pack only what they need and can fit in a backpack and they set off for adventure. Maybe it’s not quite so romantic as that, although it’s not unheard of. There’s certainly something thrilling about picking up and moving to a new city, state, or even country and just letting whatever will happen happen. There’s no nearby base of friends to trust or fall back on in tough times. It’s a test of one’s mettle. It’s also very enlightening; experiencing the differences and noticing the similarities between yourself and someone brought up in a different way than yourself. It’s true what Mark Twain said. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Maybe that’s what adventurers seek; not just the thrill of new sensations, but a yearning to know people, all people, on a deeper level of understanding so we can live in harmony.

Whatever reason you have for a major move, take a deep breath and then the plunge. It’ll be scary and exhilarating all at once. You bought the ticket, so make the most of the ride.  

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Moving To A New City

There’s nothing quite as exciting as packing up and moving cross-country to a different city. There’s also nothing more panic-inducing than packing up and moving cross-country to a different city. The possibilities and challenges combine to make for a very stressful, yet rewarding experience. New opportunities and friends you haven’t met yet await in a land ripe for adventure and discovery. But how do you make it not-so-anxiety-ridden? Well, here’s a place to start…

Social Media

The world is undoubtedly more connected now than ever before. Your friends from high school can be scattered literally anywhere in the world and you would still have a way of reaching them. While you may not be on Best Buds For Life terms with the friendly acquaintances, the option to send a message asking for advice is always available to you. Reach out and ask about the area, commutes, neighborhoods, cost, etc. How did they find their place? What do they love/hate about their current living situation? Tips on what NOT to do, anything they can give insight to is of value. And if you don’t know anyone personally who lives there, you can always throw out a general “Anyone ever visited X for an extended amount of time?” and see what answers you get. It won’t be the same in-depth knowledge as a resident of the city, but it’s more than what you had before.

Property Company/Realtor Sites

If you’re moving into an apartment, you’re in luck. Every management company will have up-to-date information on their available units and the surrounding area. For rental properties not managed by a company, subscription-based sites are everywhere. In LA there’s West Side Rentals. Sites like this will give you basic info for free (neighborhood, price, walkability, a photo or sometimes more), or you can pay the subscription fee and get access to landlord contact info, more specific details, and even set up viewings (really only useful if you’re already in the area). Even if you don’t subscribe, these sites can be helpful in familiarizing yourself with the area and price ranges. If you’re buying a property though, you need a realtor in your corner same as if you were just moving down the street.

Exploratory Trips

Depending on where you’re going and where you’re coming from, this may or may not be an available option. But without a doubt, the absolute best way to be confident in your move and finding your new home is to take a trip and explore the city. You want at least 3 days to run around, a week if you can afford it. You won’t be able to “see the city” like you would try to on a vacation, but there will be plenty of time for that once you’ve moved. If you are able to take a trip to your new destination, however, make sure your focus is on point by having these steps planned out in advance:

  1. A Place To Stay. If you’ve got friends in the area, ask to crash on their couch. If you’ve got family – even better. If you know no one, find a hotel you trust anywhere in the city and book it. If you’re moving for work, you know where you’ll need to be most of the time. Pick a place away from your soon-to-be new work location. (Stay with me, explanation to follow.)
  2. A Place To Visit. Hop online a day or two before the trip and pick 3-4 currently available houses/apartments that you can visit while you’re in town. Choose a variety of places to check out that are both near to work and farther away. If you’re moving somewhere like LA and you work on the West Side pick a place in the Valley. Properties vary drastically in what we’ll call Bang for Your Buck from area to area. The price of rent for a Two Bed, Two Bath in Sherman Oaks would only get you One Bed, One Bath at best in Brentwood, but the commute… Dante’s Seventh Circle of hell ain’t got nothin’ on the 405 North between 4 and 7 pm. (Or any other freeway in that and other insane cities for that matter.) Cheaper rent means more for Savings and Doings, but your sanity should also always be in consideration. Which brings us to…
  3. A Way To Get Around. Anticipating how you’ll get around once you’re there also aids in the decision making. New York City is a walking city. Los Angeles is a driving city. Whatever your main mode of transportation will be, use that as your main mode of travel on your trip. Rent a car so you know what driving will be like as you travel from apartment to work, the other house to work, and the other place to work… Find your subway or bus routes so you know what your daily trot is going to feel like and how much time it will take. This is also why it’s important to look at 3-4 different locations in relation to your office. It’s easy to think, “This is where I’ll be working. This is where I should stay.” And yes, you want to explore that option. But as mentioned earlier, what you get in relation to what you pay for in rent can change where you opt to live. Knowing all the strings that come attached to that choice  – or at least having an idea of it – will affect the choosing. Added bonus, it forces you to see more of the city.

You won’t know exactly what you’re truly in for until you get there and experience it. But follow these three simple tips and choosing a place to call home will be easy as pie. Which is actually quite easy.