Just moved to a new town or looking to make a move in the coming months? Well it’s not as smooth and easy some may think. Starting over and rebuilding a new life in an all new environment in incredibly difficult and if you don’t make active step early to integrate it becomes harder to break in. The last thing any one wants after moving is to find themselves 6-months later regretting your choice. Take it from someone who moved here at the start of 2025 and knows what they could’ve done to make it an easier transition.
Have a Set Plan
The most vital thing you can do to make the move easier is to give yourself a proper plan of action — not just a generic “Brisbane by 2027”. Sit down and work out what you’d take with you, where exactly you want to live, what you want to do for work and what jobs are available, how much money you’ll need, what moving expenses you’ll have to cover, and how much time you’ll need to get ready. Then give yourself two to three extra months and aim to save more money than your original plan stated. Unexpected expenses will absolutely arise. A proper and well-thought-out plan will immediately make this process significantly easier.
Visit Where You Want to Move
If you’ve not actually visited where you want to live, then you absolutely need to before you move. I’d been to Sydney a handful of times, but only really the CBD not the outer regions. Not long after I arrived the first time when I first moved to Sydney, I realised that even though Sydney had what I wanted to further my career, it was, however, absolutely not the place for me. Do not move somewhere if you haven’t actually given yourself the time to put yourself there and vibe with it before hand.
Thoroughly Research Areas Before Accepting a Property
This goes hand in hand with the point above. Don’t just visit the new city or town – visit the suburb you’re thinking of living in too. Don’t settle for the first property you’re approved for just because it came up. Make sure it’s safe, the right environment for you, and research its history and reputation. You don’t want to end up in a suburb that has the highest crime rate if you can avoid it.
Have an Idea of Work Before You Go
It doesn’t hurt at all to look around the area for work months before you go. Keep an eye on websites and pages relevant to your industry well in advance. This may actually influence where you end up looking to live. If living closer to work is important to you, then consider lining up a job before settling on a home. Put some feelers out before the move – you don’t want to be unemployed for too long in a new city (and if you can avoid it entirely, I highly recommend doing so).
Take a Nest Egg
Work out how much the move is going to cost, allow for a period where you may be unemployed if you don’t line up work before you go, and then try to save 33% more than that. You’ve just moved to a new city and want that exciting feeling – nothing will crush that faster than financial pressure. Go prepared for the unexpected and keep yourself safe. Plus you will absolutely spend so much money at the start on trying new restaurants in the area and holy hell it’s so much fun.
Force Yourself to Socialise
Once you arrive, it’s important to push yourself to be social. It’ll be very easy to be a homebody if you don’t know many people in your new city. Ask your new team at work out for drinks, join a social sport, find a running club or even a book club. You’ll often feel the urge to stay home in bed – a new city can be exhausting – but for the first year, you’re going to need to say “yes” to almost everything to build a good social network. Being in a new city can be lonely, and you need to get ahead of that quickly before it wears you down.
Give Yourself Room to be Terrified
It will absolutely be scary. You’ll feel homesick at some stage, and that “holy crap, what am I doing, I live so far away from everything” feeling will undoubtedly hit. Mine hit the first night in bed after the move was done, I laid there staring at the ceiling, counting the kilometres between me and my family, having a full “oh crap” crisis. It’s totally normal. This is a huge life change – I’d be shocked if you weren’t scared.
Get Out and About and Explore Early
When you get there, take the time to get used to the environment. It’s a small tings but get in your car, hop on the public transport or even just walk around the place. It’s important to know the environment and get comfortable with the pace it moves. Busy traffic? The longer you put off getting used to it the more you may restrict yourself from going to things.
This will, at times, be overwhelming. But I am a firm believer that everyone should, at one point or another, live away from where they grew up. It’s monumentally fulfilling to do so, even if only for a time. It’s worth doing and absolutely not a waste of money. You get one life, and it’s worth trying new things, doing something bold, and chasing what brings you satisfaction.
You’ve got this.
