[Anonymous]

Hope everyone is doing well prepping for their tests! I just wanted to get some advice on moving out of state (NJ –> VA), where to look, things to be cognisant of, etc. Right now I am using craigslist to line up potential places which is okay, but I feel like there is a better way somewhere else. I was just curious if anyone else on here had to go through a similar situation. I’m already sitting as a Virginia CPA candidate so no worries about transferring CPA scores, but is there any need-to-know tips I should be aware of!

Any help is much appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Mmm my family moved cross-country all the time when I was growing up, so I've seen this process a lot. 😛 Are you looking to rent or to buy? Realtor.com lists places both for rent and sale, and of course local newspapers are a good resource as well.

Is the company covering relocation expense? If so, find out about limitations (last time I moved with the family, there was either a poundage or square footage limitation for what they'd pay) and then make the most of them – like if it's per pound, ship all the pillows with hte moving company, and throw your tools in the back of your car…per square foot, ship the pillows UPS and give the moving company your tools. 😉 If relocation expense is up to you, you can check with places like grocery stores to try to get free boxes. We found a great website to order boxes from (cheap and quick), but I can't remember what it was. 😐

If you have any questions about moving between states, I'll try my best to answer them. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Definitely looking to rent. The goal the first year would be to meet people, haha. Realtor.com isn't bad and Hotpads has a few places so far.

[Anonymous]

Renting somewhere new is usually a good idea! Are you close enough to get down to the area and see some places before signing up to rent one? My parents' last move (leaving KY), they signed the paperwork before seeing the house…but that's generally not advisable. 😉

Also, when you get there, fall in love with the area. My family had one move that I would consider a failure, and that was to KY. We moved to one of the poorer Appalachian regions, and my family mentally fought the culture, instead of embracing it. So they spent a miserable 4 years here, then moved. However, if you give the area a chance, it's a great community…and personally I've fallen in love with it. But, you have to give it the opportunity to woo you. (At one point, when I was going to school out of state, I swore I'd never come back here to live…and now I love it. haha.) So, when you get to VA, embrace the changes, and try to fall in love with the area. If things are done differently than you're used to, remember they're “different”, not “wrong”. Especially if you get into the Appalachian regions, things will be different – very different. They may seem “backwoods” and “hillbilly”. But, they're equally valid, and you can love them in you try! If you're going from one big city to another, there won't be as much change…but still, being open-minded about your new home will help you enjoy it!

P. S. The LinkedIn link that you have on here doesn't allow anyone outside of your network to view your profile. Might want to change it to a public link!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I appreciate all the advice, and I fixed my link, thanks for that too! When I originally did it, I wasn't aware that there was a separate link for public.

I definitely will do my best to get out and see what's going on with the area. I feel like this is a good opportunity to change. My life has been pretty routine up to this point which I don't regret because it had to be for me to get to this point. But the change in lifestyle was one of he reason I accepted the offer. I just hope I can find a place or i'll be living out of a hotel when I start, haha.

[silekta]

I am from NY and last summer interned in DC and lived in VA (Old Town, Alexandria) for about 3 months. Overall it was a fabulous experience. In NYC everyone is always running somewhere, it wasn't the case in VA. Public system is completely different from NY (so do become familiar with it if not driving around). The only negative thing I could recall is getting around to different stores. From where I was staying it would take you about 20 minutes to walk to Whole Foods and about an hour to get to the closest Target.

But you will enjoy it !!! Good luck.

[silekta]

I am from NY and last summer interned in DC and lived in VA (Old Town, Alexandria) for about 3 months. Overall it was a fabulous experience. In NYC everyone is always running somewhere, it wasn't the case in VA. Public system is completely different from NY (so do become familiar with it if not driving around). The only negative thing I could recall is getting around to different stores. From where I was staying it would take you about 20 minutes to walk to Whole Foods and about an hour to get to the closest Target.

But you will enjoy it !!! Good luck.

[silekta]

I am from NY and last summer interned in DC and lived in VA (Old Town, Alexandria) for about 3 months. Overall it was a fabulous experience. In NYC everyone is always running somewhere, it wasn't the case in VA. Public system is completely different from NY (so do become familiar with it if not driving around). The only negative thing I could recall is getting around to different stores. From where I was staying it would take you about 20 minutes to walk to Whole Foods and about an hour to get to the closest Target.

But you will enjoy it !!! Good luck.

[silekta]

Sorry for posting the same thing couple of times (my computer acting up a little).

[Anonymous]

My dad's lived out of hotels at the start before…it's not ideal, but it works! On the bright side, it gives you some time to get a feel for the culture of different parts of town before you make a commitment to live in one area for awhile. Sounds like you have a great attitude going into this job and move, and that will be the main deciding factor in your success!

[Author]

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