Sometimes the best way to start fresh in life is to relocate to somewhere new. Although this can be hard to do without any support, it makes things a lot easier if your job is willing to relocate you.
Whether your job is sending you across the country or the globe: here’s what to consider before you make this leap.
Will The Employer Help You Relocate?
The best scenario would be one where your employer helps you pay for the relocation. Are they offering to cover the physical move? Are they willing to hire a moving company for you? Although many companies won’t go this far, some will give you an allowance for a move to make it a little easier for you. See if you can discuss this with your company, and make sure they see how valuable your work is to them.
Can You Afford To Live In The New Area?
One of the most important steps to buy a house is to make sure you can afford one. First, look at the area and do some simple math to decide if the home is affordable to you or not. This means figuring out how much you make per month and then ensuring that housing costs less than a third of that and that you can afford things like transit and food.
Do You Have Children and a Spouse?
The more people you move, the more complicated it is. Is your spouse willing to relocate with you? Would your children be alright starting school in a new area? Talk to your family as soon as possible to try and find a solution for this. Unfortunately, sometimes this means that the move isn’t worth it.
In some cases, the person relocating for the job can go ahead and move and buy a home for their family to move out to when the school year ends or when their spouse can leave their job. Discuss the options available and try to find one that works for everyone.
Does The Area Have Things You Want?
Are you an avid sports fan, and you want to move somewhere with a big team? Do you love the beach and enjoy a coastal home? Either way, you must find a place that has everything you need in life. If you think you might move again in a couple of years, you can be more forgiving if the area doesn’t have everything, but don’t settle if it’s an area you don’t like.
Is The Job Worth Uprooting Everything?
An important thing to ask is whether this job is worth uprooting for or not. Consider if you enjoy doing it enough, if the pay is good enough to drag you through this, and if you like the company enough to go through with it. This might seem hard to decide, but it’s important to figure it out before committing to a big move. This move will be life-changing in one way or another, so make sure you’re setting yourself up for success by at least liking your employer.
Rachel Dixon works on travel and features at Daily Mid Time
