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If you have ever considered making a change and moving to a new city or state (or perhaps country even), you have probably, at some point, considered a variety of factors to determine where best to move. There are a lot of factors about where you live that can affect your quality of life and your happiness. Thus, moving to a new location is not a decision that should be made lightly.
Below are just some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a place to live, in no particular order, as these factors may have different levels of importance to people.
First and foremost, employment opportunities are a very important factor when choosing a place to live. You have to make a living in order to support yourself and your family; therefore, having the available career and job opportunities that not only meet your financial needs, but that allow you to be fulfilled in the work that you do, is extremely important. Depending on your career, certain cities may make more sense for the available opportunities for employment.
If you are married and your household requires two incomes to support the needs of the home, then it’s important that the employment opportunities are available in the new place you consider moving to. This, of course, leads us to the next factor…
Whether you are looking to rent or buy your home, another important factor to consider when choosing a place to live is the cost of living. The cost of living varies greatly all over the country — from the cost to rent or buy your home, taxes, insurance, transportation, gas, utilities, groceries, etc. All of these expenses need to be factored into the decision you make about whether or not you can afford to live in the new location, particularly in light of any changes in salary and employment you may have to make in your new location.
Transportation in and around your new home is another important factor to consider. This can be from your day-to-day commute around to run errands and get to work to also having visitors and getting away, like having access to an airport. Some cities have very sophisticated and streamlined public transportation that may not require the need for your own vehicle, while other cities may require a personal vehicle to get around with the greatest level of convenience and efficiency. These will certainly need to be factors worth considering when choosing a new place to live.
In particular, your daily commute to work will definitely be something worth considering. According to a recent study, Los Angeles, California is considered to have some of the worst traffic in the world with drivers having spent over 1,000 hours of their time stuck in traffic last year alone. However, it doesn’t mean living in Los Angeles is not ideal. There are many benefits that come with living in Los Angeles, including proximity to some of the best real estate in the country, premium beach access, consistent weather and a music scene to die for. Keep in mind where you choose to live within Los Angeles in comparison to where you work can make all the difference. This is why it’s important to consider traffic and your commute to work when choosing a place to live.
This may seem like an obvious one. Crime rate and crime statistics are also an important factor to consider when choosing a place to live. Obviously nobody can completely avoid the potential risk of falling victim to theft, vandalism or a violent crime. However, in an effort to better protect yourself and your belongings, looking at crime statistics and trying to find a location where crime rate is low (or at least improving) is helpful.
How far (or close) you may be from family and friends is also an important factor to consider when choosing a new home. This will be different for everyone, as our relationships with family and friends are unique. For one person, living within walking distance to a family member or friend is ideal. While for another, it’s better to have some distance but to be within driving distance. And, for some, while family and friends are important, other factors (such as employment) may make the decision to live further away from them acceptable. You have to decide what’s best for you.
The climate has a huge impact on people and is certainly an important factor to consider when deciding on where to live. If you cannot stand the heat, warmer cities like Las Vegas, Palm Springs or Orlando may not be right for you. If you don’t like snow, areas where it snows in the winter may not be up for consideration. If you are thinking of moving somewhere different, make sure to get an idea of the typical weather patterns and make sure that you’re okay with the climate conditions before deciding to move. Many people can overlook this factor, but it’s an important one!
As with anywhere you live, it is important that you fit in and feel welcomed into the community and culture there. If you move to a city that’s extremely small, where everyone knows everyone and you’re more of a private person, that might not be the right place for you. In addition to the size of the community, you may wish to get a gauge about the level of diversity with respect to race, religion, sexuality, and ethnic culture. These are all factors that relate to the community’s culture that will be helpful in deciding whether this new location can become a new home for you.
Depending on whether you have (or are planning to have) children or not, the school and education system where you are located will also be an important factor when choosing a new home. Like evaluating the commute to work, you will also want to make sure that the schools for your children are in close proximity to where you live and work.
If you are located in and around Santa Monica and the surrounding cities of Los Angeles and are looking to relocate and are looking for help to pack and move your belongings into your new home, contact Major Moving Company at (800)737–0337 or get an online estimate today. The professionals at Major Moving Company have over 12 years of experience in the moving world and are happy to help move you and all of your belongings safely into your new home!
