I would want to move out sometime after college. (job, rentals, truck)

[moshywilly]

I can't believe it is 2019 honestly. I am in college as an IT major going into my second half of junior year. I can't believe I am starting senior year in September. The feeling of "getting closer to moving time" sounds so unrealistic now that time is flying.

I live in New Jersey I always dreamed of living in the West, primarily in New Mexico. Maybe Arizona, or southwestern Utah as secondary choices. or even the Pacific Northwest as a tertiary choice.

I have approximately $20K under my name, which is more than a person my age even has (I am 20). In fact, relatives have spoiled me with money ever since I was little, so that's why I have more than people my age.

Obviously to move anywhere, I would need a job. Let's just "pretend" and "assume" I get a job in the second half of my senior year (which is the time to start applying). I assume most long distance job interviews would on the phone these days. I really hope that this summer break, Christmas and upcoming holidays, are the last ones of me living here in NJ.

But, I was never taught the small details of moving. I know it is a bit early to even post this, but during my senior year, I would like to start preparing once I know for sure I got accepted into a job. What do I need to do? From my knowledge, I would definitely need to transfer car titles (not sure how to do that), transfer my phone from my parents' Verizon account to my own Verizon account (not sure how to do that), change insurance stuff from my parents' account to my own insurance account (not sure how to do that), finding a place, dealing with furniture costs, buying laundry machine, buying a dryer, etc. These are small details I never learned about in moving. I never moved in my childhood ever, so I have absolutely no experience of the backstage stuff about moving.

[ClaraC]

potanta, can you not ask your parents to guide you through this transition period? They should be able to drop you from insurance and cell phone, and tell you how to get your own plan.

You have a LOT of money to work with during this transition, to make it work.

Are your parents unwilling to guide you with advice?

Edited to add: In going through your history, it seems you've never ever visited New Mexico.

I would suggest you fly out there, and spend 2 weeks this summer and just see what you think.

[E-Twist]

Have you visited any of these places? I think any of them would be better than NJ, but that's only my opinion. I have been to all the places you have mentioned. I absolutely love Arizona, but living there year round is different than spending a couple weeks there during the most pleasant part of the year.

I suggest you research the climate, cities, activities, cost of living, etc., of any place you are interested in living. It is definitely not too soon to be thinking of where you want to live/work after graduating.

As for car titles, insurance, phone plans...... it's not rocket science. If you are capable of graduating school and holding down a job you will find all this stuff easy. :-)

[Coldjensens]

Getting off your parents insurance is easy to figure out. If you cannot figure out how to get your own insurance, you are not ready to live on your own. However if you are not 27 it is pretty foolish to get your own insurance. Although you have a little money to start out with, if you do not learn to manage money and avoid waste for no reason, you will soon be broke.

Go to the places you are interested in and explore them. Decide where you want to be and start applying for jobs. If you do not know how to find and apply for jobs, your university should have people to help you. Also you will find online guides.

When you get a job, your employer will typically help you with ideas of places to live in the area. Not specific apartments, but which towns or neighborhoods are nice or fun and reasonably close. Then you go on line, or drive around and find a rental apartment or house. Contact them, look at it, fill out an application, pay the deposits. bingo, you have a home. Call the utilities (electricity, gas, cable, water, trash, phone - if you want a land line). Your landlord will be able to help you with contact information for these. Probably should contact some insurance companies and get renters insurance to protect your things from theft or fire.

Get a six month lease if you can. that way if you find an area you like better or hate life in whatever city, you can get out quickly. Switch to a longer lease after you have a better idea of where you want to be. Make sure you have covered parking. Parking can be a nightmare and the weather in New Mexico can be devastating to your car.

Now put your clothing in your car and drive to your new home. Get out of your car and bring your clothing inside and hang it up, or put it on the floor for now. Presto - you have moved.


Unless you have really nice furniture to take with you, it will make more sense to not bring furniture, just buy what you need over time. Pick up a good air mattress at Target (or Walmart,but you should boycott Walmart as they are evil) and some sheets and towels if you do not have any to bring. Also some basic cookware and a microwave if you apartment does not come with one. Everything else can wait until you have time to figure out what items, sizes, styles, you want. Keep in mind, most new furniture is very poor quality and will nto last long. Anything made of pressboard will break in a year or less. Higher price does not mean higher quality. You will have to learn to identify quality if you want good stuff. It is hard to find and not cheap. You can also find places to rent furniture, but that is a very bad deal. Depending on your apartment, you may also need to buy a fridge and a washer and dryer. Have them delivered and installed when you buy them unless you are handy and have a pick up truck.

Eventually you will need to change your car registration, insurance, and drivers license. No hurry. you can with at lest a month or two. Sometimes you are even fine for years. To find out how to do these things, you contact the DMV or Secretary of State. Look for locally licensed insurance companies online or get a broker. Sometimes you get a better deal if you combine your renters insurance with your car insurance. You will also need to find a doctor, dentist, barber, therapist, health club (if you use one - there might be one in your apartment complex).


Also keep in mind if you move that far away. you will likely only see your parents and other family once or twice a year, at least over time. You might get back more often and at first they may visit you often, but for most families, it will die down and you will see them rarely. People get busy with life. If you marry and have kids in New Mexcio, your kids will grow up without really knowing your parents and family. You will have to raise them without family support unless your spouse is local.

Not sure what you are looking for, but in New Mexico you will probably end up living in either Santa Fe or the Albuquerque area. Santa Fe is an awesome city. Sort of isolated though. Albuquerque is a pretty bland city. It has a couple of cool features, but in general it is just a "Meh" city. Also they have a serious water shortage problem. Nothing you can do about that, but be aware that you may experience rationing eventually if you settle in there long term.

Have fun.

[WorldKlas]

If your employer does’t provide temp housing (some do) stay at a local extended stay type hotel when you first move to an area and search for an apartment. The place you lease will let you know about getting utilities started at the new place. Once you get a place, take your lease down to the motor vehicle dept and get a new drivers license. Once you have a new drivers licesnse, you need to register your car at the new State and get new insurance. Most states require you get your car registered w/i 30 days. You can contact a local broker or go online to shop for new car insurance. When you get your new insurance secured, then your parents need to cancel you from their policy.

Some rentals come with washers and dryers, so hold off on that. Maybe buy a used set, this isn’t an urgent choice. There are laundrymats all over to use while you are figuring it out.

This is all pretty straightforward stuff and you won’t have any trouble navigating through these waters.

[Coldjensens]

[quote=WorldKlas;54156543 Most states require you get your car registered w/i 30 days.

S[/QUOTE]

But they really have no way to enforce this. They do not know if you are living there, or if you are just vising for a long time or visiting frequently. I kept out of state license and registration for years without any problems. My license did not have my current address on it. So what? Changing over was a PIA and insurance was much more expensive.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

A few pieces of advice from personal experience:

- Making friends when you move is hard, since people will already have their social circles set up and may be wary of newcomers. I suggest getting to know your coworkers well, and going to as many clubs as you can - Meetup .com is really helpful. Get people's names there and add them on social media. Invite them to events if you find something cool that's going on. It takes time, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't work out right away.

- Get to know your city/metro area really well. Check out different neighborhoods even if you have no particular reason to go there - buy a floor lamp at the Wal-Mart on the other side of town instead of the one six blocks from your apartment. Don't use the GPS every time you're getting somewhere; try to memorize the route, and once you have, don't go the same way every time. I like going on walks, bike rides, and drives down random streets to get to know how a city is laid out. Doing all this will help you find cafes, bars, restaurants, museums, and parks that you never would've known about otherwise and make you feel like more of a true, knowledgeable resident (and if someone asks you for directions somewhere, knowing the street layout is good).

- I also suggest getting to know a bit about the history of your city and state, if for no other reason than to feel a deeper connection to the land and community.

- Most young people will hate themselves if they live in some suburban subdivision off a six-lane road. I recommend looking for apartments primarily in, or close to, the downtown so you can easily find things to do and be where the action is.

- Do not spend more than a third of your paycheck (after taxes) on rent. My current complex doesn't even let you rent if you don't make three times as much, but it's just an easy way to get into an uncomfortable financial situation, especially if (like me, a mid-20s male who's been in a couple accidents) your car insurance payments are high. Find the cheapest place you can that fits your needs; as a young person with no kids, you probably don't need to pay a premium to live in a safe, quiet neighborhood with good schools.

- If you're buying a car there or bringing one over, you'll need to get it registered in your new state, and you'll also need a driver's license of that state. I recommend having a parent to help navigate all the paperwork involved in buying a car; it was easily the most complicated part of my transition to independent adulthood.

- Moving will feel like an overwhelming maelstrom of change for the first couple weeks. That's okay. It doesn't mean you can't handle it; it just means you're growing.