According to a survey conducted in 2016 by the US Census Bureau, Americans on average move 11 times in their lifetime, which shows, many of us enjoy a change of scenery at least once a decade, if not more.
While looking for a new place may seem like an exciting adventure, there are many things to keep in mind along the way before you start packing or even looking, and today, we are going to pass on some advice that we’ve found very helpful over the years.
Know your budget
While it may go without saying, we often don’t consider all the costs of taking on a new place and some costs that happened before we even move.
Packing, moving, relocation are all factors that you have to consider. So while you might be moving a short distance and can borrow a truck, that is not the case for some, and they may be required to spend money on movers and related costs, which can be very costly.
Looking for your age and stage
When it comes to looking for a home, you have to consider your age and stage. For example, if you’re single and not looking to grow your family, you might not worry about extra space, but, say you’re a couple planning to start a family, you should most definitely take extra space into account.
The same goes if you’re older, you might want to think of living all on one level instead of a multi-level townhouse.
Be sure of what you’re looking for
I recently moved. Going into it, I wasn’t particular about what area, I wasn’t sure old or new, but I was confident of two things, I wanted a townhouse and an epic rooftop space. Now, that may sound very basic, but you’d be surprised when looking. When narrowing down my search for a townhouse with outdoor rooftop space, my search went from hundreds to about 50. From there, I started an active list of the properties that I might want to see.
Next, I made appointments to see the suitable places offering viewings, and from there, I was able to find four appropriate places. I went back to revisited two, and in the end, decided on a new build townhouse in the west end of Toronto.
So whether it’s Toronto, Vancouver, LA or NYC, making a plan and staying organized is always a must.
Know where to look
Say you might be looking for a place in New York City, knowing where to look for the perfect NYC apartment is vital.
Whether it’s a great listing site like Zumper or finding an agent who can help you with your search, using the best resources will make apartment hunting so much easier and allow you to look at more properties to better help you make a perfect choice.
When it ticks all your boxes, grab it
You have your list, you’ve looked at the places that piqued your interest, and now it’s time to figure out which one is perfect for you. For me, I found it very helpful to make a google doc with the potential places I liked, and I wrote out the pros and cons so I could get an idea of where that all stacked up.
Funny enough, seeing it all in black and white, the answer jumped right out at me, so, that day we called and secured the place that stacked up best.
Did it have everything I ever dreamed of? Well, no, is it the perfect place for where I am now in my life? Yes!
So, when you decide it’s time to look for a new place, make sure you make a plan, take some notes, know what you’re looking for and don’t be afraid to see lots of apartments to find the one that’s just perfect for you, it is after all where you’re going to settle down, at least for a while.
markmunroe
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