The best way to make a change is by taking small steps towards that direction.
But what if you don’t know which direction to take? If you’ve watched Alice in Wonderland, then you might be familiar with the exchange between Alice and the Cheshire Cat. In the scene, Alice didn’t care much about where she went, as long as she goes somewhere – to which the Cat retorted that if that’s the case, then it wouldn’t matter which way Alice trekked.
In this context, you must have an end goal, so you’ll know the steps you must take towards that direction. So, what exactly is the “end goal”? It could be your dream city or factors that make up your dream city. In this article, we focus on the latter. 
How to decide where to live
Moving to an entirely new city is undoubtedly, a big deal. Regardless if it’s for a job or if you’re looking for a breath of fresh air, the act of uprooting your life to relocate can be both scary and exhilarating at the same time. While a quick search online can lead you to a host of factors to consider, it can get a bit too overwhelming sometimes.
With the help of a spreadsheet, here are three steps to guide you through the decision-making process.
1. Evaluate your own wants and needs when it comes to your dream town
There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. Since everyone has their unique versions of what the “perfect” place should entail, it’d be great to get your family involved as well – provided you’re moving with them! At the same time, you can also take into consideration the factors you find online. Here are some examples:
- Low-crime rate
- The shopping mall is within walking distance
- Warm weather
- Affordable housing costs
- Good education system
- Healthcare facilities
- Transportation options
- Employment opportunities
2. Create a spreadsheet and assign points according to your criteria.
Once you’re done finalising your needs and listing down your dream cities, it’s time to get down to business with a spreadsheet. To illustrate, here’s an example of one:
| Considerations | Low-crime rates | The shopping mall is within walking distance | Warm weather | Affordable housing costs | Good education system | |
| Point system | Low-crime = 5
Medium-crime = 22 High-crime = 0 | Likely = 5
Unlikely = 2 Very far = 0 | Yes = 5
Not always = 2 No = 0 | < $250k = 10
< $500k = 5 < $750k = 0 | Yes = 5
No = 0 | |
| Max. score of points | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 30 |
| City #1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 22 |
| City #2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 17 |
This list is arbitrary and it is dependent on your own set of criteria and priorities. Before you begin allocating the respective points under each consideration, a significant amount of time should be dedicated to conducting research. Now that most relocation plans are put on hold due to COVID-19, it’s an excellent opportunity to take your time to ascertain your needs while awarding the points accordingly.
3. Visit the town or ask around
Once you’ve totalled up the scores, rank the countries accordingly from first to last. Regardless if you’re moving to Auckland or Singapore, an ideal situation would be to pack up and head down to the city to experience your choice first-hand. Remember, this is still something that you would still be mulling over before making a final decision. But since we’re currently living through a pandemic, perhaps flying over can be put on hold at the moment.
Despite the physical distance between you and the city of your dreams, you can bridge the gap through the Internet! Try to find connections online by joining networking groups and asking around in expat forums for experiences and opinions living in that specific city/country.
Conclusion
This process may take some time, and you must remain vigilant in your search until you have a chosen destination in mind. Relocating is a significant change to make – don’t rush through your decision and do your homework. The effort will be worth it in the end once you are settled in your ideal location.
Amid the hustle and bustle that comes with moving, outsourcing a moving company that offers international relocation services can do wonders in lightening the load.
We understand how daunting moving can be. That’s why our team of removalists at Moovaz are ever-ready to aid in the safety and security of your moving journey. By employing the use of smart technology, you can track any stage of your move at the touch of a button. As you get ready to move into your new home, let us help you pack up and move while you focus on other aspects of moving.
