Moving to a New City to Gold Coast

Moving to a New City?
Secrets for Before, During,
and After
By Jennifer Ross, 2018

Abstract
We know. There's not much worse than moving. Well, except moving to a new
city—where you'll have to live without your old neighborhood, your old
brunch spots, and your old friends to help you unpack.
Moving to a new city is frightening. Before you totally freak out, realize how
much you can do to prepare yourself before you move to a new city.
Introduction
Maybe you got a new job, your spouse got a promotion or maybe you’ re just
looking for fresh scenery. Regardless, you’ re moving to a new city! This life
change can be exhilarating but overwhelming. You now have endless
possibilities for new opportunities, but you are leaving behind familiarity and
comfort that you are used to. Moving can be made easier if you have a clear
plan when you are making the move to a new city.
If you could use a little help in the relocation department, check out these
great reads from here.
1.0 Before
1.1 What to Do Before Moving To A New City
2.0 During
2.1 Tips for a Painless Move
2.2 Tips for an Organized Move
3.0 After
3.1 How to Make a Bunch of Friends in Any New City

3.2 Moving Checklist—After You Move
3.3 The Stress-Free Guide to Settling Down in a New City
Before
What to Do Before Moving To A New City
You don't want to jump into a pool until you've stuck in your toe to test the
water. A huge decision like moving to a new city means thinking ahead. Let
this checklist help you out!
Maybe you've always dreamed of moving to a new city... OR... Maybe your job
has asked you to relocate... OR... Maybe your hubby has been transferred.
Whatever the reason, the prospect of moving to another city probably has
you in a tizzy. Here's a checklist of things to think about before your make the
big move.

THE NEW CITY/Before making the move:
Check things out first!
If possible, use a few weeks or months of available vacation time to check out
the new city and see if this is truly the place you'd like to live. Use this
temporary time to experience the city as a resident rather than someone
vacationing. Consider these options:
Stay as a guest of a friend or relative who lives in that city.
Find a temporary sublet in the neighborhood you're considering for
your new residence.
Research the cost of living...
It’s important to know how far a dollar stretches in your new city, so
research housing, transportation, healthcare, and food prices in order to
create a realistic budget. For starters, you can use a cost of living calculator
like the Bankrate calculator, which lists the average prices of everything from
housing to recreational activities and household supplies. But it’s also a good
idea to do your own research by looking at online housing listings, gas prices,
and even restaurant menus.
And see how you stack up
If you already have a job lined up, calculate how your new salary will affect
your daily budget and your ability to save money. (If you're moving from
Portland, Oregon, to New York City and your salary isn't increasing, for
instance, you may need to tighten your purse strings.) If you don’t have a job
yet, it’s crucial that you figure out how long your savings will last you and
how long you can go before you find a job (experts recommend having a
minimum of three months savings).
Financial feasibility

In today's economy, you want to make certain you'll be able to make ends
meet once you've moved. You don't want to find yourself penniless only three
months after moving to a new city to Gold Coast.
Make up a spreadsheet of anticipated income and realistic monthly
expenses in your new city, keeping in mind living expenses may be
higher there.
Take into consideration monthly charge card and loan payments that
will come with you.
Have at least 6 months of living expense money saved as a cushion.
Have a back-up plan for part time work to pull in extra money while job
hunting.
A new neighborhood
Your new neighborhood might end up being temporary. It's smart not to
purchase real estate until you're certain where you'll want to set up
permanent roots. When looking for your new neighborhood, you want to
check into the following:
Average price range on apartment rentals
Convenience of location to potential job opportunities and social life
Kid/pet friendly apartments
Safety/Crime rate
Sublet opportunities
Roommate opportunities
Quality of nearby kids' schools
Childcare

Doctors/dentist
Pet sitters
Stores
A job in the new city
Ideally, you'll have a job lined up before the move. If not, it will be important
to do the following:
Solicit the help of one or two reputable job recruiters in that city.
Have a local address of a friend or relative to use on job applications.
Be easily available for phone or in-person job interviews.
Put networking to work in helping with your job search.
Or learn more about your future company
If you’re moving for a new job, do a little research on the company. Do they
offer relocation benefits? Some companies will help with moving expenses or
help you find housing. It’s also a good idea to learn more about corporate
culture, job expectations, and work/life balance.
Make social and professional connections
Take stock of friends, acquaintances, and distant family in your new city. Use
your alumni network and past or present work connections to find social or
professional connections. Reaching out to friends of friends for a coffee or
lunch date is a great way to start—and while it may sound cheesy, a simple
Facebook post asking for introductions often gets the ball rolling.
Learn about transportation options
No matter where you live, getting around town is always an expense to be
factored in.

Decide if it will be more cost effective having a vehicle or using public
transportation in that city.
Look into the monthly cost and convenience of parking a vehicle.
If you’re planning on keeping a car in the city, find out what your parking and
storage options are. If you’ll be relying on public transportation, get a sense
of the neighborhoods that have the best service. If possible, do a little
research on which bus or train lines are considered the most reliable, and
how frequently each one runs, so you don’t get stuck living somewhere with a
single bus that comes once a day.
Get rid of unnecessary possessions
When we think about moving, we tend to focus on the place we’re going to
more than the one we’re leaving. But there’s a ton of work to do before you
leave. One way to make the move a little easier is to get rid of anything you
don’t need. Have a yard sale, donate old clothes to charity, or sell things
online. Symbolically, you’ll be getting rid of the old to make room for the new.
But, more practically, you’ll have less stuff to schlep with you when you
move.
Make a list of goals
Make sure you know exactly why you’re moving and what you’re hoping to
achieve. It’s easy to lose focus in the chaos and excitement of setting up a new
life once you actually move, so it’s a good idea to make a list of your personal
and professional goals before you pack up and leave.
Say goodbye
Throw a goodbye party, have a get-together, or just make sure you say a
proper goodbye to the important people in your life. Not only will it help you
leave your old city on good terms, but it might unexpectedly reveal
connections and opportunities in your new one.

During
Tips For a Painless Move
Decorating and arranging a new space is a pretty exciting prospect for any
home decor enthusiast. But the act of physically moving out of one home and
into another generally doesn't top anyone's list of favorite activities. While
there are no real shortcuts to changing spaces, there are certainly things you
can do to make the process as smooth and painless as possible. Read on for
eight easy tips.
Save your friends for later. Enlisting the help of friends and family
when you move is to be expected. But instead of having your loved
ones do the heavy lifting, consider saving their help for when you'll
really need it. Hire movers to handle the boxes and furniture on moving
day, then open a bottle of wine, turn on some music, and have your
friends and family help with the daunting (but fun) task of unloading
some of those boxes. As long as you're a little flexible with how your

kitchen drawers are organized, you'll save yourself days of tedious
unpacking.
Move your most prized breakables yourself. The biggest drawback
to using movers, aside from the cost, is fear that your possessions will
be damaged in the move. Pack up a box or two with your most
expensive and breakable items (your grandma's china, your Riedel
wine glasses), and move just those boxes yourself.
Label every box with its destination and contents. As you pack and
seal up each box, write its destination room and a fairly detailed list of
its contents on the top and sides. That way, the movers can deposit
your boxes in the right rooms, and you'll know exactly where to find
everything.
Pack for a short trip. As you're packing everything you own into
boxes or bags, set aside a suitcase and toiletry bag, and pack those as if
you were going away for the weekend. Your new home may be a mess
for a while, but at least you'll be able to shower and get dressed each
day without too much hassle.
Keep reading for four more tips to make moving less painful.
Keep necessities handy. Pack a couple separate bags or boxes with
items you'll need immediately and clearly mark them "Unpack first."
Include cleaning supplies, paper towels, disposable plates and utensils,
bottles of water, and anything else you anticipate needing right away as
you settle into your new home.
Plan your furniture layout ahead of time. Even though it may change
later, try to tentatively plan where your furniture will go before moving
day. Then you can direct your movers on where to set larger pieces
down, and save yourself the backache of having to completely
rearrange your home later on.
Make your bed. Before you do anything else, find your sheets, pillows,
and comforter, and make your bed. Even if the entire house is filled
with boxes, at least you know you'll be able to call it a night whenever
you need to.

Unpack one room at a time. Tempting as it may be to jump from room
to room unpacking boxes, try to focus on one room at a time. That way,
whenever you need a break from the chaos, you can retire to your one
or two unpacked rooms for a breather.
Moving On: Tips For An Organized Move
Every year, one in five Aussie families makes a move --- and this year, it'll be
your family on the road.
No doubt about it, moving can present the organizational challenge of a
lifetime.
Every habit, every routine, every tiny piece of the mosaic of your life is tossed
at random into a huge, cluttered van, to be shaken out and reassembled at the
other end.
It's a daunting task--but you can get organized and cut stress when the
moving van arrives.
Moving on? Try these road-tested tips for an organized move.
Establish Move Central, and Make It Portable

Moving has more tentacles than an octopus. Between wooing The Amazing
Disappearing Handyman at the old house and penetrating the layers of voice
mail protecting The High-Tech Realtor at the new, you're making more calls
than an old-time switchboard operator. It's easy to lose your mind along with
your train of thought --- not to mention all those little business cards that will
come your way.
Enter Move Central: a notebook dedicated to the move.
Even if you never use a planner at home or on the job, a business planner or
moving notebook is more important to a move than boxes and tape. Find one
at the local office supply store. Get one with big pages, one for each day, and
throw in some business card holders, zipper pouches and receipt envelopes.
How will you use it? Let me count the ways. During the crazy pre-move
house-hunting days, you'll track phone calls, make notes on houses you've
toured, and gather phone numbers for the gazillion new close friends you'll
make --- all those realtors and rental agents and mortgage people and
moving-van guys and handymen you'll come to know and loathe quite
intimately in the coming weeks. Tuck all business cards into their own little
slots for easy reference. Make notes of the seventeen consecutive days you've
spent trying to track down the Tile Man (after he's gotten your money but
before you've seen Tile One go up on the kitchen wall).
Cram snippets of flooring and wallpaper, paint swatches and drapery goods
into a see-through zipper pouch for at-the-store decorating reference.
Dedicate one receipt envelope for those fix-up-the-old-place receipts.
Another receipt envelope holds receipts generated by house-hunting trips
and travel to your new home. Stuff everything in there, and you'll thank
yourself at tax time!
After the move, you'll use Move Central to schedule appointments to turn on
your lights, water, cable and other essentials of life. If a neighborhood mom
mentions a good pediatrician, note the name and you're ahead of the game!
Tuck a local map into a flap or pocket, and you'll always be able to get
yourself where you're going --- even if you don't always get there very
directly.

Treat Move Central as just another body part --- it should be with you always.
Handles and outside pockets let it replace your purse. Yes, you'll develop a
permanent list to one side from the weight, but like that caused by a hiphugging
toddler, it's temporary. Having all your information in one place
right at hand is key to a smooth and sane move.
Pack the Essentials Last
The concept of the "Survival Box" is one dear to the hearts of all moving
advisers and organizational experts. You know what that is, right? It's a box
containing the essentials of life: coffeemaker and children's nighttime loveys,
bed sheets and blankets and pillows, an alarm clock.
Paint it red, plaster it with Little Mermaid stickers, do something to it so it
stands out like a sore thumb, and put it in the truck last, so it's first out in the
new house.
Your Survival Box should contain all those items you'll need for the first day
and night in your new home.
With small children, think about including dishes, cereal and the
paraphernalia of a family breakfast.
As a mid-lifer, I've honed essentials of life down to a very individual list:
traveling coffeemaker and supplies, portable computer, and Perry, my teddy
bear.
Your Survival Box will reflect your own family's needs.
Don't stop there! Think bigger than a single box. Those same small children
can be entertained quite handily if you pack the boxes containing television,
DVD player and disks at the back end of the truck! Will you need cleaning
tools and a vacuum? A tool box to assemble furniture and hang art? Think
about your immediate needs, and hold those essentials back until the bitter
end.

After
How To Make A Bunch Of New Friends In Any New City
Even if you are naturally shy, these three tricks will help you to quickly build
a new social circle in any new city.
1. Take Pictures
One of the great things about taking pictures at an event or party is that it
gives you an excuse to get in touch with the person later. Everybody loves
seeing pictures of themselves, and it’s very easy after taking a picture to say
Are you on Facebook? or If you’d like I can email it to you.
This can be the seed that leads to new connections. The next time you hear
about a fun event email your new contacts to let them know about it.
2. Eat Alone In Public
If you don’t know anyone in a new city, it can be tempting to order take-out
and retreat back to your lonely apartment or hotel room. Instead, try eating
by yourself in public as often as possible.
You might feel self-conscious eating by yourself but it has an important
benefit: you are much easier to approach when you are alone. People may be
afraid of interrupting you or being rude if you are in a conversation with
someone else.
Bring a book or newspaper to read (this will make you feel less self
conscious). Plus, having an interesting book with you will give others an
excuse to start a conversation if they’ve read it.
3. Join A Class, Sports Team, Or Club

Yoga, salsa dancing, volleyball, jogging, Toastmasters (a public speaking
club), a class for work, martial arts, etc. Take up a new hobby or continue an
old one!
These are all great places to meet new people, primarily because you will be
forced to see the same people over and over again in the class. You will
automatically make friends with them if you have a common interest and are
forced to see each other again.
Bonus Tips:
In the beginning, never turn down an invitation from someone, even if
it’s something you wouldn’t normally do.
Email your new friends with fun things to do instead of always asking
what their plans are. If they have a better plan you can always still
drop yours and join them. This will help establish you as someone who
is contributing value instead of just taking it (people want this in a
friend).
Don’t let little things in life piss you off or be a negative person. Others
won’t want to be around you!
Things You Need to Do When You Move to Get Settled Into a New Home

After the last box is moved into your new home, you might think the hardest
part of the move is over. And you're right. But that doesn't mean there aren't
things you need to do when you move once you're in the new space. In fact,
there's a lot of stuff that needs to get done before you can relax completely.
Check Major Appliances
If you moved major appliances, such as a stove, dishwasher, washer or dryer,
check to make sure all appliances and electronics are working to ensure
nothing was damaged during the move.
This is particularly true if the mover prepared your appliances for the move.
Your insurance policy may have a limited time in which to make a claim.
Since these are big ticket items, you should make sure they're all working.
Check all Boxes and Furniture
Make sure you check all boxes and furniture to make sure nothing was
damaged during the move. You should also make sure everything arrived and
nothing was lost. You can do this by conducting a home inventory. Again, if
you find your stuff was damaged at all, contact the mover and your insurance
company to submit a claim. It's important to do this immediately upon
moving in or the insurance company may not reimburse you.
Get Your Utilities Set Up
Before you can check your electronics, make sure all your services are up and
running. There's nothing worse than arriving at your new place, late at night,
and the lights don't work. Get more information on setting up utilities.
Collect Receipts
Make sure you keep all receipts and documentation related to your move in
one file and keep the file in a safe, secure place. Make sure you have your Bill
of Lading and payment receipt. You may be able to claim your move on your
next tax return and you'll need all the necessary receipts to make your claim.

Find a Good School and Register Your Kids
While finding a good school is something that can be done before you move, if
you didn't have the time or you moved to a new city far from your old home,
you may need to research schools once you arrive in your new home. The
sooner you can register your child, the sooner they can establish a regular
routine making it easier it will be for them to settle in.
Register your Vehicle
If you've moved states, provinces or countries, register your car and get a
new driver's license, tags and/or plates for your vehicles. Check your local
DMV for more information.
Register to Vote
Again, if you've moved cities, it's important to make sure you're on the
voter's registration for your local area. You should also make sure you've
updated all important files and documents with your new address.
Get Connected to Your New Neighborhood
Buy a subscription to the local newspaper or community magazine. This will
quickly get you up to speed on what's happening in your neighborhood.
Make Sure You're Getting Your Mail
Check with the post office or your old residence to make sure your mail is
being forwarded and that you've registered your new address. Also, check to
make sure you've let everyone know who needs to know about your move.
Find New Services and Professionals
If you're moving to a new city or state, you'll need to find new professionals,
like a new doctor, a dentist, and vet. While this task can be put off for a bit,
you'll be glad you know who to call when emergency hits.
Create an Emergency Contact List

Whenever I move to a new city or town, I always take the time to create an
emergency contact list of all the local information I'll need should something
happen.
Contact Insurance Companies
You'll need new insurance, including household, auto, and health. Find out if
you're currently covered or if you need to create new policies with a new
company. This is important to check especially if you're moving to a new
state or province.
Get a Library Card
Get one for each member of the family. Once you have a library card, you can
consider yourself, home!
The Stress-Free Guide to Settling Down in a New City

Whether you’re moving to a new side of town or moving across the country
(or beyond), getting settled in a new city can always be a little nerve-racking.
Here are some of the best ways to get acquainted with your new home and
make new friends.
I recently moved across the country to sunny California, and with little
knowledge of the area and few friends outside of the Lifehacker crew, it was
pretty daunting. Here are some of the things I’ve learned that helped me get
me on my feet quickly.
Getting the Lay of the Land
Once you’ve actually moved in and nailed down the obvious—finding the
closest grocery store, drug store, Apple store, or whatever else you need—
the town can seem pretty overwhelming. If you’re feeling a little lost, here are
a few ways to make sure you get to know your new home quickly.
The Obvious: Use the Internet
The first thing that probably popped into your head is to check out places like
Google Maps, Yelp, or Citysearch to find some of the best places to eat, hang,
see movies, and so on. There’s a reason for that: it works pretty well. If you
want to grab a cup of coffee or some lunch, hit up one of those sites and look
at reviews of nearby spots. Of course, there’s no substitution for trying
something out, so don’t be afraid to hop around, either. If you find a movie
theater that has the highest rating on Google Maps, that doesn’t necessarily
mean it’s the best one or the best one for you—so plan to shop around a bit
before settling into a routine too quickly. That said, the internet should give
you a good start.

An especially neat trick, if you’re looking for stuff that’s near you, is to just
bring up Google Maps, center it on your place, then search for *. The wildcard
search works on Maps and will pretty much show you everything that’s
nearby, which is pretty handy when you’re just trying to get a sense of what’s
close.
Ask Real People
Of course, there’s no substitute to the advice of a real live person that you can
ask questions and interact with. Chances are, you’re bound to have at least
one or two people you know that live or lived in the town to which you’ve
moved. Ask them for advice. Call them, go out to lunch with them, or just
email back and forth and pick their brain. Ask any and all questions you have,
from where are good spots to eat to where are the parts of town you might
want to stay away from, or how bad the traffic is at rush hour .
A really great (and geeky) way to compile this kind of advice is to create a
Google Doc (or Google Map!) and invite the few people you know to

collaborate on it. If you can get one person to get the ball rolling, you can
probably get a lot of people to join in, adding their favorite places to eat and
things to do in town (especially if they disagree with one another—people
have a lot of pride in their favorite local hangouts and will gladly offer up
their own advice). It can become self-sustaining pretty quickly. Everyone,
even the new people I meet each week, are more than willing to contribute to
the doc with their favorite spots/hangouts if I invite them as collaborators.
Getting Out and Making Friends
The other half of the equation is getting out and finding stuff to do with other
people, and forming a group (or groups) of friends. It won’t just happen by
sitting on your couch watching Seinfeld reruns, so here are a few things you
can do to get the ball rolling.
Keep Up Your Hobbies (or Dig Up Old Ones)
A great way to find people with similar interests to you is to get out and get
active with your favorite hobbies, even if they’re ones you haven’t visited in
awhile. If you like electronic music, there’s bound to be a group dedicated to
that culture. If you are or used to be a gamer, find your local gaming shop and
drop in for a Magic: The Gathering Draft. Even if it’s something you haven’t
done for years, it’s a great way to get out and meet like-minded people.
Meetup.com is a great way to find groups based on similar interests in your
area—just type in where you are and what you’re looking for and you’ll
probably find multiple groups getting together during the week. And, if you
don’t find one (or don’t find one that suits you), start your own! Rarely are
you the only one with your interests in a given town, and if you can’t find
anyone, make them come to you.
Apart from your own hobbies, I can’t recommend getting involved with
community service and other local organizations enough. That may make you
roll your eyes, but it’s something you don’t need any former experience to get
involved in, everyone’s always super friendly, and at the very least, you’ll get
some free DIY skills out of it. Anything that gets you out and social is going to
make you feel better than sitting at home doing nothing, so you’ve got
nothing to lose by getting out there.

Meet Friends of Friends
If you already have a friend or two in town, you’re pretty lucky. Take
advantage of it! Even if you aren’t best friends with them, accept any
invitation you get to hang out—you might find a friend of theirs that you have
a remarkable amount in common with. Don’t give up after one meeting,
either. The more time you spend around people, the more likely you are to
become friends with them, even if you didn’t originally think you would. After
all, are we really in a position to be picky?
Don’t be afraid to contribute to the group, either. Don’t let everyone else
always make the plans and invite you, or you’ll seem like you aren’t
interested. if you’ve got a place in that Google Doc you want to go eat for
dinner, go ahead and invite all of them out. That way you seem like an actual
contributor and not just a tagalong, and they’ll be more likely to think of you
when other plans come around.
Take Initiative
You won’t meet anybody just sitting at home alone, so when you have the
opportunity to get out of the house, take it. Instead of getting takeout and
heading home, eat out by yourself. Work in coffee shops. It may feel awkward
at first, but there isn’t anything wrong with grabbing a book (or your favorite
read-it-later service) and enjoying the sunshine a little. You never know
when someone will strike up a conversation about what you’re reading.
Again, don’t turn down any invitations you get. Even if it’s something you
wouldn’t necessarily do, take the opportunity to get out of the house (unless,
you know, it’s an invitation to go rob a bank—it’s probably okay to turn that
down).
Don’t Stress About It
No matter how much you put yourself out there, you’re still likely to have
some time to yourself at home, and that’s okay. Don’t set your expectations
too high, and enjoy the relaxation time while you can (I hear Portal 2 is
great)! It may take some time, but things will unfold naturally. Don’t worry
too much if you don’t slip into a routine too quickly. These tips are meant to

help, but they won’t make a new life magically appear before you. As with
everything, the more positive an attitude you have, the more likely it is that
good things will happen.
Conclusion
Whether you’ve got your heart set on moving to the Gold Coast City, the Big
Apple is calling your name, or you’ve been offered your dream job a thousand
miles from home, there are some pretty important things to think about
before you relocate to a brand new city. Relocating to a new place is stressful
and irksome. It doesn’t include just packing and moving but many other
essential tasks such as getting the proper boxes, decide what to ask and what
to throw, packing the fragile items appropriately, and transporting all the
belongings to a new house. Moreover, you need to be very careful with the
transport as well.
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