Guide to Relocating for a Job

It’s time for your big career move, which also involves a literal long-distance move. All My Sons Moving & Storage performs cross-country moves all over the nation for businesses, individuals, and families from all walks of life. We know that making the decision to relocate for a job involves things you can’t measure out in a pros and cons spreadsheet. Allow us to be your guide to relocating for a job.

At All My Sons Moving & Storage, we believe that things matter, especially when you’re moving long-distance to chase your dreams. Our teams aim to treat all your treasured belongings with tender care, as if they belonged to a beloved family member, so that you can focus on your next big career step in a new city.

If you can’t find meaningful work where you are, relocating for a job could help your employment prospects increase. Moving to a bustling city or an industry hub brings opportunities that just aren’t available in many small American towns. 

Provided you already have a lucrative, career-advancing job offer in hand, how do you make the right decision for your life? Unfortunately, there is no crystal ball that will tell you exactly how your move for a job will play out. It is up to you to weigh all the variables at play and decide what’s best for you and any family you have. 

Here are some questions to consider as you contemplate taking a job offer in a new area.

• Does this new position offer significant career advancement that you can’t get in your current location and position? Consider what this position offers that advances your career goals, such as the opportunity to enter a management role, get experience with a certain skillset, or just get a much-needed boost in salary. 

• How stable is the new employer you’ll be working for? A longstanding company may offer better job security than a fresh new startup, but not always. Before making a major move for an employer, you should research the company and see how their long-term goals align with your own.

• If you have a family, how do they feel about the move? Moving can feel traumatic to young children. Leaving behind treasured social connections, familiar spaces, and beloved surroundings is emotional even for adults who have done it dozens of times. If you are moving with children, keep their thoughts and feelings involved in the decision-making process. 

• Will the move require your partner or spouse to find a new job? If you have a partner or spouse with their own career path, then moving could force them to take a step back in their career. Naturally your partner’s happiness and career progress is just as important as yours. If the move would require your partner to find a different job, then you should discuss both of your career goals and expectations surrounding the move at length before making a decision together.

• What else about the new area is attractive to you? A move to advance your career is exciting, but there’s more to life than work. Do other things about the area you’ll be moving to attract your interest, or are there downsides to the new area that you can think of? Consider what it will be like to live in the new space from a wholistic perspective and think about your needs beyond money and career progress.

When personal questions are settled, what comes next? Once you’re leaning toward signing your brand-new job offer, there are a few more logistical concerns for you to address before you can start packing your boxes.

Will Your New Employer Offer a Relocation Package?

During the interview process, you should ask about whether or not a relocation package is included with your offer. When you have the offer in hand, you can ask about or negotiate specific details. Typically a relocation package will offer a lump sum to help cover relocation expenses, hands-on help through your prospective employer’s preferred moving vendors, or some combination of the two. A relocation package significantly reduces the burden of moving costs, and can help you start work with a clear head. 

Other items that could be included in your relocation package:

• Cost of temporary housing

• Reimbursement for a lease-break

• Assistance selling a home

• House-hunting trips reimbursed

Please note, moving expenses for a job are not currently tax-deductible unless you are an active military member changing stations and any money paid through a relocation package is considered taxable income. Some companies may even add a stipulation that part or all of the relocation package must be repaid in the event you leave a job before a certain timeframe has passed (usually within 12-24 months). Be sure to ask thorough questions about your relocation package prior to signing on to the role.

All My Sons Moving & Storage performs corporate moving services including employee relocations to help companies get their best talent for the job relocated to their area. 

What is the Cost of Living Like in Your Prospective City?

A big salary increase on a job offer certainly makes a relocation look enticing, but if you’re moving to a state with a higher cost of living such as Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, or California, then you might not come out ahead after taxes and living expenses are paid.

Use MIT’s living wage calculator or Payscale’s cost of living calculator to see what expenses look like in your prospective city. Take a cursory look at apartment rental rates and housing costs to see what you’ll be paying to keep a roof over your head. Research local taxes including income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes. Consider the cost of transportation, including toll roads, gas prices, and public transit fares if applicable.

Do You Have Any Social Connections Waiting for You?

Outside of work connections, are there any people in the area that are already important to you? A strong social support network wards off loneliness and can often provide a safety net when you need any form of help. Do you have family members in your new area? Have any of your friends moved there already? Is there a group that you could potentially join and find support with such as a church, a professional network, or a hobby club? 

If not, getting plugged in to your local community should rank high on your priorities list when you do make the move.

Do You Have an Exit Plan in Case Something Goes Wrong?

Even if you have weighed all the variables and determined a relocation works in your favor, you should still come up with an emergency exit strategy in case something runs amiss. This is real life and unfortunately bad things like a rescinded job offer, an unexpectedly toxic workplace, or a sudden health crisis could have you scrambling to get back to your support network. The best way to mitigate any disaster is to have a disaster preparedness plan, so think of your exit plan as the fire extinguisher you keep in your kitchen just-in-case.

• Keep an Emergency Fund: Conventional financial wisdom suggests you should keep about 3 to 6 months of expenses in reserve. Be careful not to let the relocation deplete all your resources, and try to have a full emergency fund before the move.

• Designate Emergency Housing: If a sudden change in housing or job status forces you to make an emergency move back home, you want to know there’s somewhere safe to stay. Discuss staying with family members, friends, or where to find short-term rentals in the event of a move back home.

• Utilize Social Services: Familiarize yourself with the social and emergency services available in your new city and your old home in case you need to move back. This includes any housing assistance, job search assistance, food banks, and medical services. 

• Find Alternative Income Streams: Odd jobs, side-hustles, gig work, and filing for unemployment all might ease the financial burden in a new city should your new job not work out long-term or if your partner’s job search takes longer than you would like.

An emergency plan is something you hope to never use, but it can significantly ease worries and fears should the worst happen. Discuss your emergency plan with your partner if you have one, and write out the details to keep in your back pocket. 

Congratulations on your new job offer and making the decision to move long-distance for your career. There are six major steps All My Sons recommends to people moving long-distance for a job.

Step 1: Find Temporary Housing

Sometimes a start date comes faster than the housing market moves. In the meantime, you can use a temporary housing option in your new area like a furnished short term rental, extended stay hotel, or staying with friends or family already in the area. 

Step 2: Declutter Your Household Inventory

As you prepare to sell your old home or pack up your previous apartment, think critically about what will fit in your new life. Discard items that are unrepairable or no longer function, sell or donate items that are in good condition but you do not want to move with, and look into using storage to make the transition to your new home easier. 

Step 3: Create a Moving Budget

A relocation package can significantly ease the financial burden of moving, but sometimes it doesn’t cover everything. When you move for a job without a relocation package or with a limited relocation package, these are all the typical moving expenses you will need to cover.

• Moving Supplies: You will need boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, and tape to get all your precious items moved. According to data from All My Sons Moving & Storage, a family on the move spends an average of $145 on packing materials. 

• Truck and Equipment Rental: Trucks, cargo vans, trailers, and small moving equipment pieces like dollies and hand trucks will all cost you. If you are hiring full-service movers, then they will bring their own equipment.

• Movers: For a DIY move, you will need to recruit family and friends for help. Hire professional movers and your family’s home inventory will be handled by experts. You can even opt for professional packing and never have to lift a finger during your move. 

• Storage Unit Rental: There might be a significant transition period where you will need to use storage for your household inventory while you look for a permanent home near your new job.

Watch out for hidden costs of moving like changes in your insurance premium, cleaning fees, and membership startup costs. 

Step 4: Find Permanent Housing

Search for your next house or your new apartment in your brand-new city. Explore neighborhoods in your area with sites like Niche, Neighborhood Scout, or City-Data, which all provide information about schools, demographics, and crime statistics. If you can visit in person or if your relocation package pays for house-hunting trips, take full advantage of the time to look around the neighborhood on foot. 

Once you have selected your permanent home, it’s time for the next phase of your big move.

Step 5: Make an Organized Move

A little extra planning before the big pack-up goes a long way in curbing moving stress and anxiety. Your long-distance move for a job might happen in phases, so be sure to craft your perfect moving checklist with an extensive timeline for your move. 

Don’t forget to practice good moving self-care, and manage your many moving emotions as you embark on this next chapter of your career. 

• Measure the Dimensions of Your New Home: Once you have selected a permanent home, measure all the rooms and doorways. Build a floorplan for your new space with your existing furniture or the furniture you intend to purchase. 

• Utilize Storage for a Complex Move: There may be a transitional period between when you need to be out of your old home but your new home won’t be ready yet. You can put any items that won’t fit in your temporary housing space into storage during this time. You can keep storage on a short-term basis until you’re able to move into your permanent home, or you can rent storage long-term for items you want to keep but that do not fit in your new space.

• Pack Essentials Separately: The items that make daily, functional living possible such as your bedsheets, coffee maker, and kitchen utensils, should be packed LAST and unloaded from your moving truck FIRST. Set these items up in your new home ASAP and the new space will working for you in no time.

• Keep a Bag on Hand: Some items are too important to go into a box for any length of time. Keep them in a bag on your person. This includes items such as important documents, medications, and a boxcutter to open your legion of sealed moving boxes.

Step 6: Settle in and Get to Work

All of your family’s items have made the migration and you sit on the floor of your brand-new home surrounded by dozens upon dozens of moving boxes. Hopefully you put a boxcutter in your bag because now is the time to start breaking into the boxes and setting up your space.

• Unpack and Decorate: Start your unpacking with your essential boxes from the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. Once all the items that make daily, functional living are in place, you can move on to filling the bookshelves with your physical media collections and decorating the walls with your artwork and picture frames. Make your new home truly yours.

• Update Your Address: Update your required government documents like your driver’s license and your vehicle registration within 30-90 days of moving. Then make sure to update your address with all other entities that need your address. Watch out for online shopping sites and delivery apps that have your previous address saved. Check All My Sons’ List of Who to Notify of Your Move to see who you might need to contact with your new address.

• Join Professional Organizations: Look for professional organizations that have a chapter in your new local area. You can find groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, with your old alma mater, or with your new employer. Attend events, mixers, and workshops, and be prepared to shake hands and pass out business cards.

• Explore Your New Neighborhood: Take regular breaks from unpacking to walk around your new neighborhood. Find your new local haunts like coffee shops, bars, bookstores, libraries, gyms, hobby shops, rec centers, and places of worship. Look for parks, restaurants, and shopping spaces both close to home and close to your workplace.

• Start Your New Job: Hit the ground running at your new place of work. Introduce yourself to all your new coworkers, set up your daily routines, and create goals for yourself that align with your job expectations and your personal aspirations. 

Moving for a job soon? Allow All My Sons Moving & Storage to handle all the moving services from packing and loading to the heavy lifting and safe transport. 

We’ve been moving companies, employees, and families for over four generations, and we remain committed to the traditional values of transparency and attentive customer care. On your next long-distance job relocation, get a quote from All My Sons to get personalized care for your next move.