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Many people enjoy going somewhere for their holidays to escape the hustle and bustle of life and recharge. We visit places that give us a break from the routine of our everyday lives. We enjoy taking in beautiful, fresh views and trying out new foods. We also relish the way these places make us feel.

So, what happens when you find that you love and enjoy your favorite travel spot too much and want to make it your new home? If this is the situation you are dealing with right now, there are a couple of things you must do before moving to your next hometown. You are not ready to start packing up or check out car shipping companies before you do these five things.

Travel During the Off-season

Before you move, plan to visit the place several times. These visit periods will give you a picture of what to expect if you decide to live there for many years.

More importantly, ensure to experience the place during the off-season, a period when vacationers are not likely to visit. Some vacation destinations are not for people who can get bored easily when attractions and restaurants are closed during cold winters and the place feels creepily quiet. These low-tourist seasons can reveal unattractive or less sought-after characteristics, such as vacant social spots, closed area attractions, and less favorable weather conditions.

Travel destinations do not have the same residents all year round, unlike more traditional cities and hometowns, and it is important to remember this. It can be quite a terrible experience to learn that you have relocated to a place that has many temporary rentals and snowbirds (part-time residents) when you had a more long-term view of the place.

Do Your Research on Housing and the Cost of Living

Holidays allow you to see and encounter the best parts of the town, only requiring money, accommodations, and transport arrangements for a brief time. As such, it can be difficult to see how you measure up to the price of ordinary life in the new town. Rental and accommodation costs can go quite high in any major city or town during high tourist seasons, leaving the more reasonably priced housings in the suburbs, outside the tourist hotspots.

Therefore, when doing your research on housing, you will find the cost of housing to be lower in parts of the town that are outside the tourist neighborhoods. Finding a local realtor can help you navigate through questions on housing and prices with less stress. Along with that, research healthcare, food, and transportation costs to come up with a more accurate budget.

Ensure You Can Find a Job There

Apart from profit from tourism and hospitality, many holiday destinations have other businesses that keep them stable economically. Check out the popular economic activities within your soon-to-be new city and get an idea of the kinds of employment opportunities available.

With a solid job market, your next hometown could have many opportunities for employment in Fortune 500 businesses and companies. But you may also want to consider the city’s average annual income to ensure that it is high compared to the cost of living. You want to avoid a situation where you are earning good money but spending over 50% of it on living expenses.

Thus, ensure you can find a job there, especially one that aligns with your career goals and pays enough for you to live securely.

Gauge the Quality of Life the Place Offers

You want to look at everything, from the time it will take you to move from place to place in town, to the quality of schools for your children, to the quality and availability of healthcare, to crime rates in the area, and, finally, the general well-being of the town. Also, find out where the parks, music, or nightlife venues are before moving. Assess these aspects of your next hometown during your short visits so you can have a sense of how life will be for you.

As a traveler to New York City, for instance, you may experience the city’s traffic congestion as you ride in a yellow cab or on the subway during your brief stay in the city. But you may find commuting through New York’s traffic every single day a little more strenuous as a full-time inhabitant.

Determine What Moves With You and What Stays Behind

Depending on how expensive or affordable your next home will be, there is a chance you will be expanding or cutting down on your living space.

If you are moving into a bigger space, you may want to buy new furniture or linens and other furnishings to add to your new space. Whether you are ordering these items online, picking them up, or having them delivered, ensure that you make the purchases in good time. Get everything you need ahead of time so that you will have them all with you when you get to the other end.

But if you are cutting back on your living space, determine what will not fit in your new space and leave it behind. Basically, you will be chucking out the old to make room for the new. But practically, you will have fewer things to carry with you when moving.

Plan Everything, Including Your Farewells

Create a checklist of things you need to do before you move. This will help you to organize yourself better and make moving easier. And don’t forget to make time to say proper goodbyes to family, loved ones, and friends.

That way, you will leave your old hometown with a sense of resolution and friendliness, even as you look forward to making new connections and finding new opportunities in your next home.