Are you planning to move to a new city by yourself? Well if the answer is yes, we would like to tell you that you are not alone. Over 40 million Americans – roughly 14% of the population – move to a new place in the U.S. every year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
If you look at the data on which cities people are moving to and moving away from, you will find that a lot of factors come into play. These factors include cost of living, local real estate market and economy, job opportunities and quality of education.
As per the latest data available from the U.S. Census Bureau, here are the top cities people moved to and moved away from in 2017:
Five top cities people are moving to
· Dallas (59,000 new domestic movers)
· Phoenix (51,000 domestic movers)
· Tampa (41,000 domestic movers)
· Atlanta
· Orlando
Most of the cities popular among domestic movers are in the western and southern regions of the United States.
Cities people are moving away from
As already mentioned, the cost of living is a big factor. Most of the cities people are moving away from are those with an unaffordable cost of living.
· New York City (208,000 residents left in 2017)
· Los Angeles (110,000 residents left in 2017)
· Chicago (85,000 residents left in 2017)
· Honolulu,
· San Jose,
· Bridgeport
If you are one of the 40 million people moving every year, we would like to give you a heads-up: it’s going to be stressful, particularly if you are moving alone. We are not talking about how difficult moving your stuff to a new city is going to be. Here at EasyMove, we believe that hauling stuff is the easier part because all you need to do is tap a few buttons on our EasyMove app. Our ‘Easy Movers’ will help you pack, load, unload and move all your belongings. We will help you inventory your home, keep you organized throughout the moving process, and even let you calculate your moving costs.
In reality, having to deal with the emotional and financial challenges is the most difficult aspect of moving to a new place by yourself.
Moving to a new city alone means that you won’t have your family and friends by your side. You won’t have anybody to rely on when you need help.
However if you can anticipate all the challenges you are going to face in a new city and prepare yourself emotionally and financially to deal with these challenges, moving to a new city doesn’t necessarily have to be stressful. In fact, it can be an excuse to enjoy new experiences and make new friends.
Here are six tips that you can follow to make your move to a new city alone less stressful and, even rewarding in the long run:
Determine if you are doing the right thing by moving to a new city alone
A new city will bring new challenges and opportunities. Whether you should move to a new city or not depends on your individual circumstances. Most people relocate to a new city for two reasons – job and cost of living. If you are a getting a better job in a city where the cost of living is more affordable, you are probably making the right decision.
The next important thing to consider is if you will be able to afford the moving expenses. Moving to a new city can be really expensive, so you need to know how much your move is going to cost you. As already mentioned, EasyMove makes it extremely easy. You can not only hire on-demand moving service, but also estimate the moving cost. You can hire movers for packing, loading, uploading and moving your stuff after negotiating the price and taking a look at the online reviews that previous customers have left for them on our app. We conduct a criminal background check and drug test in order to ensure that you are hiring trustworthy movers.
You can customize your move to reduce cost. For example you can pack on your own instead of paying for a professional packing service. You can also reduce the moving cost by packing only the most essential items you will need in your new city. The transportation cost is calculated based on the shipment weight.
You should also factor in certain costs that come with moving to a new city. For example the cost of utilities in the new city may be either more or less than what you are paying in your current city. Get a quote for these services, so you have a handle on your budget before your move.
Avoid overspending
After moving to a new city alone, people tend to go on a shopping spree. They end up buying things they have no use for. Shopping usually becomes an excuse to distract themselves from loneliness and relocation distress.
If you don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket, you should avoid overspending. This will cause all your savings to disappear. You should have some money put aside for emergency situations. Keep in mind that you don’t have any friends or family in the new city – at least not yet, so you are going to be on your own when some adverse situation rears its ugly head.
Also, if you are buying things from Craigslist to save money, you should be careful. If a deal is too good to be true, it’s better to exercise caution. Check out these safety tips from Craigslist.
Fight loneliness by concentrating on work
During the first few days or weeks after the move, the chances are that you will feel extremely lonely. In such a situation, most people desperately try to make new friends. Experts say that nine times out of ten it’s a wrong approach. Building strong friendships in a new place may take a lot of time. And when you fail to make new friends quickly, you will feel more depressed.
The better idea is to immerse yourself in your work for a few days. It will keep you focused and also give you the opportunity to make acquaintance with your co-workers and clients faster.
Find help and network with like-minded people in online communities
Reddit, Facebook and other social media and online community platforms are a great place to start looking for friendships in your new city.
There are reddit directories for almost every place in the world. Join these directories and post questions about things you want to know about your new city. You will be surprised to find how supportive people can be in these online communities. And the best part is that most of them don’t have any ulterior motives behind helping you. They are just there to network with other people. This exchange in online communities can help you find new friends.
Be more outgoing to make new friends
The best way to make friends in your new city is to make the most of every opportunity.
Your first step should be to throw a housewarming party and invite your neighbors and co-workers.
Do you have any hobbies? It’s a good time to resume them. For example if you like painting, it may be a good idea to join painting classes. You will not only be able to ease the stress by spending time on something you like, but also meet people with similar interests and hobbies.
Joining book clubs, yoga classes or a gym can also provide you great opportunities to network with other people in a new place.
Make the city your friend
It’s hard to love something you don’t know, so start exploring the city as soon as possible and get yourself familiar with it. Visit popular landmarks and tourist places whenever you have time. This will help you overcome that unwelcoming sense of being a stranger.
In conclusion
Relocation distress is something most people have to deal with when moving to a new city alone. However, you can make this experience really exciting if you have a positive mindset and treat moving to a new city by yourself as an opportunity to spread your wings and truly find out who you are.
Follow these tips to make your move to a new city by yourself stress-free. If you need any help with moving, get in touch with us.
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