Moving to a new city sounds like an impossibly difficult task only before you start preparing for it. Once you start putting in the work, it actually is a lot easier than it sounds. But there must be a thousand thoughts in your mind as you consider moving to a new city. How exactly can you prepare for this process? Should you insist on an air conditioner if you’re moving to Delhi or brush up on some Kannada words before heading to Bangalore? How do you go about finding housing for yourself? What are some key things you need to know about the city you’re moving to? Well, ask and you shall receive.

Today we’ve got a foolproof four step guide that will help you prepare for your big move. No matter how anxious you are or how many worries you have, following this guide will make your life a lot more stress-free.

Do your research

If you know where you’re headed, you need to do your research about the city you’re about to call home. Each different place in a country that’s as multicultural as ours has its own quirks. So, it’s important to understand a little bit more about the city of your choice before you head over there. Find out a little bit about the weather conditions, the cost of living, the public transport options, the cuisine, and any other basic information that will make life easier for you in the city.

Budget for the move

One of the key mistakes that people make when they think about moving to a new city is to forget about the process of moving itself. Sure, you’re going to have to know the living costs and daily expenses you’ll incur in your new city, but you also need to factor in the amount you have to spend on the move itself. If you’re hiring packers and movers to help you move, ask them for an estimate and book their services well in advance to avoid rush charges. If you’re planning to move by yourself, make sure you only pack the essentials so that you don’t have to pay an excess shipping fee or airplane baggage charges. Once you’ve got a moving fund ready, make sure you add an emergency amount in there too. This will be some money you’ve got ready to go in case there are any sudden expenses on the day of the move or if you have to replace something that gets damaged in the process. You’ll feel a lot less stressed about moving if you know you’re financially secure.

Arrange your accommodation

It’s not enough to know about the city that you’re moving to, you need to have accommodation ready and waiting for you. Check listings of flats, PGs, or hostels online or reach out to brokers to help you find a place that’s right for you. When you’re doing your research, remember to filter your options within your budget and according to a convenient location (because you don’t want to end up spending all your time in your new city stuck in traffic). And if you want to experience all the privacy of apartment living with all the comforts and amenities of a PG, you could opt for a professionally managed accommodation like Stanza Living which is super easy to book online. Then you’ll be confident that your housing has at least been taken care of and save yourself a lot of stress once you move.

Learn the language

One of the best parts of moving to a new city is getting the chance to meet and interact with a whole new group of people. And if you want those interactions to go smoothly, it’s important to be able to speak the local language. Learn a few basic Marathi words before you land up in Mumbai or Pune or invest in a Telugu-English dictionary before heading to Hyderabad. Knowing the local language will make your daily communication, especially with public transport operators, market vendors or even your PG landlord a whole lot simpler, and it’ll make bargaining while street shopping a lot easier too.

And those are the preparatory steps that you should start performing well before you move to a new city. By keeping these in mind, you’ll be able to save yourself a lot of time and hassle during the moving process. So, put these tips into action and good luck!