Twenty-two years ago, we were facing a decision that many are looking at now: Where did we want to live long-term? We could live virtually anywhere, so the decision seemed daunting and overwhelming. How did we narrow down the choices when we had so many? Our oldest was a year or two away from school, so schools were a consideration. We were living in a neighborhood on a pretty busy street, and we wanted to get away from that. William worked from home, but he needed to be close enough to appointments that he didn’t need to leave at midnight for an 8 a.m. meeting. Still, the options seemed almost limitless, even with those qualifications.

For the first time ever, maybe we were ahead of the trend we’re hearing and seeing in Northeast Georgia now. Everyday, we’re talking with people who have relocated or plan to relocate. These aren’t just Metro-Atlanta folks. It’s people from Florida, Texas, Arizona, all over the United States. Whether a short or long-distance relocation, here’s some things we learned when we decided to relocate from the city where we grew-up to a place where we can only see one house from our front porch:

Rule out before ruling in. If you ask opinions of “the best” area to live, move, relocate in Georgia or South Carolina, you will get back a multitude of answers. However, a long list of choices is most often overwhelming rather than helpful. Before making a list of places you’d like to move, make a list of features you don’t want. Why are you moving? What do want to get away from? We started by ruling out anywhere traffic was already heavily congested because we were tired of driving 2 miles in 15 minutes when we forgot milk at the store. These are the items you don’t want in your new town or city. Once you make that list, you can compare it to a specific place. Beyond looking at today, also try to look ahead, what do you not want in the next 5 or 10 years?

Put your boots on the ground. While William worked, I drove and let the kids take their naps in the car. We were planning and intra-state move, so many of our options were within a couple hours of where we lived. First, we looked at the northern Atlanta suburbs to exurbs, like many of our friends. We tried to look ahead. They were really nice at the time, with a sort-of rural feel that was similar to what we thought was interesting. But we also saw the future possibilities. We saw the congestion and construction that we were moving from was going to come to that area very soon (We were right.) Without visiting, we’d never have seen that likelihood first-hand. Visiting specific regions of the state, towns, even neighborhoods with a critical eye and personal interaction helped us narrow the area even further.

Plan your plan. This is a “learn from our mistakes” warning. When we identified a specific property to buy, we had absolutely no plan whatsoever as to how we were going to make the move to a new area. Our house wasn’t on the market. It wasn’t even ready to put on the market. Somehow (really, thanks to a couple family members who helped bridge the gap) it all worked out.

What do you need to plan? First, how are you going to move? Are you going to sell your current home and move into a short-term living situation in your new town? Or, are you going to buy with a contingency? How are you going to shop for homes? Do you want to see them in-person or have your REALTOR® do FaceTime showings? What is your timeframe? Are you willing to wait for the “perfect” place, or are you going to buy something that fits your budget and find a more long-term option when you settle? Each relocation plan can be individualized to fit each person’s need. Yet, a plan and partnership with someone in your new area is vital to a smooth move.

We’ve lived in rural Northeast Georgia now for twenty-two years, and we often tell people it was one of the best decisions we have ever made for our family. While we love our home and town, the big move—a hour and a half relocation—was more about making the lifestyle we wanted rather than to a specific place. That qualification is what made it a great decision. Whether you’ve been here forever or just a minute, helping others understand schools, atmosphere, amenities are just the minute factors that determine where and why we relocate with joy and happiness to realize the vision of new beginnings.

--William & Alison

Want us to help you plan your plan? We’d love to come along side to help you in your move, whether it’s 10 miles or 10 hours to your new home. Give us a call, and we’ll partner with you.