Tips for When You’re Moving for a Job and Between Homes

Tips for When You’re Moving for a Job and Between Homes

Starting any new job is an exciting time, but it can also be a stressful one as it involves leaving what you know and having to learn new systems, meet new people and get to grips with a new corporate culture. Whilst most will welcome such challenges with relish, some can find it a little unnerving. This is certainly the case when taking a new job also involves moving home.

Relocating is a project in itself. After boxing your life up ready to move, you then have to sort out a new place to live, make arrangements for things like doctors, dentists and possibly a school for the kids, all before actually moving. In many cases, it will also be necessary to find temporary accommodation in order to start your new job, as finding your ideal home may take far longer than your new employer can accommodate. 

With this in mind, this helpful relocation guide aims to offer a few tips and hacks to mitigate the stress involved in moving both home and jobs, providing background information on how to make important arrangements and which of those should be prioritised. 

Negotiate relocation benefits

The first thing to consider is whether your new employer is offering you a relocation package or benefits to help make the transition easier. You’ll definitely want to ask for clarity on what kind of assistance they provide - perhaps even negotiate a package if nothing is offered. Many large organisations will be more than used to facilitating staff relocations and may well have fostered relationships with relocation companies that offer great financial benefits, such as covering moving expenses and providing transport or removals assistance. If your new employer hasn’t already offered assistance, then a friendly message to the relevant department could yield surprising benefits. After all, there is little point in taking on the stress of organising everything yourself if you don’t need to. 

Research your new home

Once a move has been confirmed, the next task will be to start researching desirable neighbourhoods within commuting distance of your new place of work. Naturally, you’ll want to find somewhere with plenty of amenities, low crime rates and excellent transport links. Once a few places have been shortlisted, you’ll then want to research house prices and the cost of living before making any commitments. Most people switch jobs to improve their lives, so there is little point in taking on a new position if any additional earnings are eaten away by high living costs or transport expenses. It is therefore advisable to make a few reconnaissance trips to assess the local surroundings and make comparisons between suitable neighbourhoods. If you have children, the school systems are always critical to your decision. This process will more than likely require some time but will yield untold benefits in the long run. 

Find comfortable and appropriate temporary accommodation

In an ideal world, you would move into your new home and have a little time to settle in before starting a new role. However, the business world never sleeps and the reality is you are likely to need to start work - at least in some capacity - before finding a permanent home. In this situation, it is crucial that you find appropriate temporary accommodation. As most of your possessions are likely to be packed away for the big move, furnished apartments will be your best bet when it comes to finding a temporary solution. Fortunately, companies like thesqua.re offer a huge selection of serviced apartments in a given area - which not only provide a comfortable place to stay but also remove many of every day stresses associated with residential upkeep - such as room cleaning and laundry services. There’s even the additional benefit of having a professional customer service team on hand, who can provide you with information on the area and help you choose the best serviced accommodation for your needs. 

Find a reputable estate agent

Whether you are in the market to buy a new home or find somewhere to rent in your new location, it is essential that you take out the services of a trusted and effective property agent. An industry professional will allow you to get a price for your current home, as well as identify what will be in your price range in the new location. Alternatively, agents can give you information on what rental prices are in a given neighbourhood and help you choose somewhere within your desired budget. Choose an estate agent with whom you can work well and who is well versed in local real estate values, and is able to provide helpful information on local amenities, such as schools and places of worship. Shop around for the best rates and keep in mind, however, that the cheapest does not always mean the best. 

Hire the right moving service

Once you have chosen a suitable estate agent, there is, of course, another professional service you will require - a reputable and most importantly insured moving company that can transport your belongings either to a new home or into temporary storage. Of course, you may be fortunate to have friends who can help you with this, but it's important to remember that your possessions may not be covered in case of an accident during transit. It is therefore advisable to go with a specialist company. 

Moving firms will offer various packages - some simply provide a vehicle whilst others may offer additional packing and removal services. There may be additional fees, such as packing services, boxes, or large-item fees, as well as storage fees if the truck needs to sit for a day while you wait to close on a property. It’s always advisable to get a selection of quotes before deciding on a company. 

Make your travel arrangements

Of course, having arranged the transportation of your property, you’ll also need to make your own travel arrangements. Once you have the dates for starting your new employment, you’ll need to book any flights or plan your driving route to the new location. Doing this well in advance will save untold amounts of stress on the day. You’ll need to research potential transport delays, traffic and, in the case of longer journeys, whether you plan to make a single trip or stopover somewhere in between. 

Find out if any of your moving expenses are tax-deductible. 

This is an all-too-often overlooked aspect of relocating for work, but given that you may find that some of the expenses incurred during the move are actually tax-deductible, which can ease some of your financial stress. This is particularly relevant to the self-employed, who will be able to write somethings off as business expenses. Take some time checking out the various policies and requirements to see if you are able to claim some expenses back - even if it is only the cost of transport on the day, every little helps. 

Attend to transitional details

One of the more tedious aspects of moving will be to ensure that all of your utilities are in order. Once you've confirmed the details of your move, you’ll need to organise transitional details that can cause stress if not managed in advance. Ensuring gas, electricity, and broadband connections are discontinued at your previous home and connected in your new home on moving day is essential for a smooth transition - not to mention it will save money on unnecessary bills. It's also advisable to ensure you have a stockpile of essentials such as medications, should there be any delays in finding regular supplies in your new location. These things can seem trivial compared to everything mentioned above, but taking care of the finer details will need to be done at some point - so why leave it until the last minute?

Mentioned above are just a few things that will need to be arranged during any location. However, each move is different and will present certain challenges. In order to put yourself in the best position to deal with any surprises, it’s important to remember some basic tips that will put you in good stead for the move in general:

  • Stay organized.

Staying ahead of the curve is one guaranteed way of alleviating much of the stress associated with moving. Staying on top of all of the logistics means not having to rush at the last minute and panic over the potential for forgetting something.

  • Create a positive mindset

However stressful a move becomes, it’s important to remember why you made the decision to move. Having a positive mindset can really help to prevent being overwhelmed by the organisation and arrangements that need to be made in order to relocate. Simply by remembering that each stage of the move is one of opportunity, you can make it a much more enjoyable affair.

  • Take your time.

As can no doubt be inferred from the list above, time is a major factor in relocating for work. Starting to make arrangements as soon as possible will ensure you have longer to shop around for different services and more time to explore potential properties and neighbourhoods that you might wish to move into. 

  • Find time to enjoy yourself

Once again, moving for work should be a positive time in your life. Whilst it’s all too easy to get bogged down with the logistics, it is also important to enjoy yourself. If you abide by the tips given in this article, you should find you still have plenty of time to enjoy the occasional evening out, or just spend some time unwinding and not being completely consumed by the prospect of moving. 

No matter how prepared you are, relocating for work is a huge adjustment. By taking care of as many of the details as possible and taking every opportunity to minimise the financial impact, you can make things a lot easier on yourself and keep stress levels to a minimum, which in turn allows you to hit the ground running when starting your new position.

 

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