Lurker Needs Some Advice Re: Moving

[geojess17]

Hello All,

I'm glad that I checked in with the WIR boards on msn before the shutdown and found out where you were headed! I used to lurk more frequently, but got out of the habit.

But now I'm in need of some of your always-on-target advice. I am one of the lucky folks and am currently employed. However, I'm not very happy there. I just had a phone interview for another position in another city (which would be great, I'd like to be someplace more urban too). Here comes the question: if you have recently moved and used online cost of living comparison calculator things, how accurate have you found them to be? When I used a few two gave me just about the exact same results - which turned out to be much lower then the potential salary of the job. A third comparison calculator was much lower and more in line with what the salary would likely be.

What's a girl to do? I think that I might enjoy this new position, but I'm barely making it on my current salary. I don't want to get into a position where I'd be making the equivalent of less!

[reeneejune]

I've found that the biggest variable expense is usually rent/mortgage. You might ditch the COL calculators and just poke around for the prices of some of the things that you know you'll need. For example, you can get a good idea of average rent by looking through the for rent ads on craigslist. Think about other things that might change: how will you get to work, will you have to pay for parking, is the climate significantly different, will you have to travel to visit family and friends, etc. I really think it's more important to consider your personal expenses rather than trying to rely on cost of living estimates.

[qofcc]

I second what reneejune said. You need a scenario based on your personal situation and housing is going to be the biggest factor. Most cities have parts that cost more and ones that cost less.

For example, I once took a job that required moving to the Boston metro area. When I looked at housing within a 30 minute commute from the office which was in one of the suburbs, there was a huge range of cost for ownership and rentals. Renting an apartment in the suburb where I worked would have resulted in the equivalent of a reduction in salary. Renting 1/2 of a house 15 miles away resulted in a dramatic increase in salary.

Contact a local real estate agent to get an overview of the options of neighborhoods available within a reasonable commute from the new location, then do your research based on those neighborhoods, not the metro area.

[geojess17]

Thanks to both of you. That's kind of what I'm starting to do: trying to compare the difference in apartment rent, etc. It's kind of weird since my parents own a place in the potential new city, that I would (in theory) be able to rent below market rent. I'm looking at payroll tax rates (they are definitely higher in the potential new city) and trying to figure out other stuff like groceries, looking up cost of monthly rail pass, etc.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Be sure and check insurance rates, too ~ they can vary greatly from area to area. And (depending on weather issues) heating/cooling costs.

[Deleted]

Hi,

I don't usually post here, I'm usually over at YM. But I saw your post and felt compelled to comment given that DH and I have moved around a bit.

While cost of living is important, it's more important to focus on what the move means to your career. We made the decision to relocate from the Washington DC metro area 20+ years ago to be near HQ in the SF Bay Area. So we went from a MCOLA (then) to HCOLA. Our housing costs nearly doubled. At the time we were given the opportunity I wasn't sure about the move because of the costs. It turned out to be a very, very smart move. We have subsequently relocated twice, and turned down one move because of my career. I do believe our willingness to relocate has been an important factor in my DH's successful career.

But we ALWAYS do our homework. We make a least one physical trip to the new location even if it means paying for it from our own pocket (most relo packages will include a house hunting trip-sometimes we've been reimbursed after the fact). It's funny that pre-move trip has changed my mind from what I thought I was going to do twice.

DH is also very, very good about making sure he gets EVERY thing in writing that his boss or HR says we'll get as part of the relo package. It's made a big difference here in Germany as many of the players have changed since we relocated 19 months ago.

Enjoy doing your research!

[Small Biz Owner]

Like the previous poster noted, go live there for at least a week or two if at all possible. Just like renting a car you are thinking about buying first, instead of just a test drive.

[Deleted]

Funny story SRoo4.

We were in the process of making our move to SF when the '89 earthquake hit. DH was able to renegotiate and obtained an extra 2 months of housing costs "due to the difficulty in finding appropriate housing".

It seems rather childish given the situation in Japan but when bad things happen you don't really know what to do.

[mizbear]

sroo4- I love it!

When I moved 2 years ago, I was fortunate in that I have lived in this area my entire life, so I knew what the COL was and knew what I could and couldn't afford to do. That said, I have done the job jumping, town and state-line running thing too.

After you do your research, make a budget- is it a budget you can live with if you change positions? Are there expenses you can afford to or are willing to cut (cable, etc) if it will give you more breathing room during that first 12-24 months. Remember, with everything that has happened we are looking at most likely- big increases in gas and food costs. In an urban area, you may have the option of getting rid of your car and using public transportation for instance.
I think everyone is on target with researching- I also think you should crunch the numbers. And make sure they are paying for you to relocate.