Moving or Relocating
The word, Moving, can cause the strongest young man to shudder with dread. Moving or relocating is hard work! There are many things to consider, from your finances to looking for the new home to the actual move.
First, let’s talk about the financial aspect. How much rent (or how high of mortgage payments) can you afford? As a general rule, your total housing expense, including taxes and insurance, should not exceed one-third of your total monthly income.
You might need to think about getting a roommate, if you intend to pay more than that, to help with the expenses.
Do you want to live in a house or an apartment? Apartments are less expensive to rent than a house in most areas of the country. And…you don’t have to mow the lawn. There are several disadvantages to an apartment, however. You may have less than ideal neighbors, there’s usually no yard for entertaining, and you will probably have to go to a Laundromat to do your laundry.
Where do you want to live? Since I hate driving on the freeways, my choice is always to live within ten minutes of work. If you like to drive to unwind after work, then you can live further away.
Look at the neighborhood that you intend to live in. You want to it to be well-maintained. And think about how much traffic (and associated noise) there is, and the crime rate in the potential neighborhood.
You Should Know
 There’s a lot to remember when you’re looking at houses or apartments. Keep a notebook to write down the positives and negatives of each one. I actually take a camera along to snap pictures so I can remember what the places look like!
