Moving to New York can be the dream comes true of many; yet what steps must be taken in order to make that dream a reality? As any first-timer knows, settling there requires preparation, commitment and hard work if you want it all to go as smoothly as planned.
Moving Your Items
New York is an expansive metropolis filled with endless entertainment and cultural offerings, but moving there requires careful preparation in order to ensure its smooth navigation. Here are some key things you should keep in mind before embarking on your move to ensure its success!
1. Prepare Your Paperwork
To avoid headaches or delays when searching for an apartment in NYC, start your apartment search early. Leases tend to expire around the end of a month or annual period and so the housing market can become very hectic at that time. Be prepared with all necessary documents such as payment slips, employment letters, bank statements and referral letters from previous landlords for ease of renting an apartment.
2. Gain Knowledge of Your City’s Grid System
Understanding a city’s grid system before moving can save a lot of stress down the line. For instance, Manhattan features streets that run east-west while avenues run from north to south; Fifth Avenue divides them, with street numbers increasing as you get further from it.
3. Save for Rent
Although this may seem obvious, I want to stress how important saving for rent is: life in New York is expensive if you don’t have an emergency fund saved up (https://soexpensive.org/why-is-nyc-so-expensive/). Groceries will cost 28% more; utilities 25%. Transportation even more so saving at least four months’ worth of rent may help ensure a smooth move.
4. Consider Hiring a Real Estate Agent
Consulting with a real estate agent can make your move to New York much smoother; they have access to every apartment currently listed for rent in the market and will be able to help you find apartments that suit both your budget and lifestyle – plus they’ll keep an eye out for any special offers or deals that might arise! Plus they can help simplify lease documents so you’re not surprised later by unexpected clauses!
Car Shipping
New York is an iconic transportation hub, making it a prime location for car shipping services. However, before transporting your vehicle here or from there, there are some key considerations you should keep in mind.
Before giving your vehicle over to an auto transport company, be sure to first ensure it is clean and ready. Also consider clearing out any personal items before auto transport in NewYork as these could become lost or stolen during transport and may not be covered by your insurance company. Leaving items in your car increases its weight and makes driving more difficult – increasing transport costs significantly.
Moving Permits
New York City is famously fast-paced, which extends to the moving process. If you plan on relocating to NYC, it’s essential that you familiarize yourself with any restrictions or permits before your relocation date arrives.
First step to moving is determining whether a permit is necessary. If this is true for your move, visit City Hall and check in at one of their cashier windows (look for signs that say “street moving”) within one week prior to your move (usually number 1 through 6). When done so, they’ll give you a flier which should be distributed around your move area informing residents and vehicles about its temporary no-parking status to ease traffic and parking issues during relocation.
Your move requires that you secure a permit at least five days in advance; failing to do so could result in fines or parking tickets for both you and your moving company. A top NYC moving company should handle the permit application process for you; but for your own peace of mind it would still be wise to research local laws and regulations prior to relocation.
Storage
Moving to New York will present its own set of challenges when it comes to cost of living expenses, with almost all expenses higher than they’re used to being. Real estate here can be extremely pricey; single bedroom apartments may cost as much as $4,265 monthly on average! According to this site, utilities costs in NYC tend to be approximately 25% higher than they would elsewhere nationwide and groceries and entertainment can also be quite costly.
Before moving, it is advisable to set up an emergency fund capable of covering at least six to twelve months’ expenses in New York. With its high prices and tight finances, living here may be challenging without enough savings in reserve.
NYC’s rental market is notoriously competitive, and during summer it only gets more so as residents move into NYC en masse (such as college students returning for another term of school or recent graduates beginning their careers). This results in low inventory and sky-high rent prices; therefore if possible try to avoid moving between June-September.