Austin Moving Guide – Tips, Costs and Living Information

While there are bigger cities in Texas, the capital, Austin has its small town charm –  cosmopolitan culture and beautiful countryside, make it stand out in the Lone Star State. With lush hill countryside, lakes, and numerous parks, this city is the perfect place for anyone who loves both country and city dwelling.

Many people have been relocating to Austin, for reason. Young families find this city a great place to raise their children and kick off a great career. For singles, Austin could be a great place to find someone to settle down with, as some studies indicate that over half the residents of Austin, TX are single and ready to mingle.
If you enjoy the great outdoors, live music, technology and sunny weather, or you simply want to move somewhere to raise your children, or settle down, Austin could be the right place for you.

Why Move to Austin?

Cost of Living, Housing, and Job Market

Here are the most important things to know before moving to Austin TX. Generally, Austin has provided a wonderful job market that usually has a lower percentage unemployment rate than the national average. This could be due to the diverse range of employers who provide jobs in technology, business, healthcare, education, government, and entertainment. The biggest companies that operate in Austin include Dell, IBM, and 3M, while HP, AMD, Cirrus Logic, Cisco, eBay, Samsung, and Google, all have offices in Austin.

Education jobs are also prevalent. With its numerous universities such as the University of Texas, St. Edwards, Austin Community College, and Southwestern University, Austin, TX, is a center for employees in educational sphere . The many education establishments – high and middle schools of Austin could be a great factor in drawing young parents to bring up their children in this city. There are great educational opportunities for anyone who wants to provide their children with excellent education.

Healthcare also provides an enormous job market to anyone in the healthcare industry, from nurses to medical software engineers. With its several hospitals, medical healthcare centers, and St. David’s Healthcare corporate office in Austin, and Methodist Healthcare Systems only an hour away in San Antonio, this region is simply full of healthcare positions ready to be taken.

The housing market points an upward trend, as more and more people relocate to Austin. With a fast recovery after the economic downturn, Austin continues to grow and the active listings are starting to decrease – a sure sign of a recovering market. Austin real estate has also proved itself to be a great investment with displays of momentous growth in the past ten years. Your dollar will go a long way in the great city of Austin. If you’re willing to venture a little north or south of the city (with commute times of about 30 minutes in rush hour traffic), you can get a nice, single family home in a decent area starting around $200,000. The median home value is around $280,000.
Buying a real estate in Texas has always been a smart choice for businesspersons or relocating families due to the infamous Homestead Act. This act states that an applicant has a freehold title to their homestead, allowing the owner of the homestead to keep their land even if they’ve gone into debt. If you’re an entrepreneur, you can rest easy knowing that your land will remain under your name and that you will never be forced into selling it in the case of nonpayment.

Geography, Demographics, and Climate

You may have read about Austin’s strong economic standing in Forbes or seen many colorful restaurants on the Food Network, but don’t think that you know everything about this beautiful city. Austin is the capital of Texas, located in Travis County in the center of the state. It’s the fourth largest city after Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. This city is only a short commute from Round Rock and San Marcos, and these cities are often grouped together in one, general metropolitan area.
When packing to move to Austin, TX, you’d better pack a lot of summer-wear. Average temperatures in the summer soar into the 90 F, while winters range in the mid-fifties F.

Austin Culture and Leisure Guide

Beside the businesslike or social reasons to move to Austin, this city is worth for its culture, music, and food. Austin has more live music performances than almost any other city and it’s made a name for itself as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” Austin is the home of several music festivals, such as South by Southwest (often shown as SXSW), Austin City Limits (ACL), and Fun Fun Fun Fest. Austin City Limits has grown into an enormous festival and their television series are one of the most popular on US television. Whether you’re a country music lover, folk, or rock n’ roll fan, Austin has a little bit of everything. If you are also keen on film art, Austin is a great place to catch a great movie or attend film festivals, like the Austin Film Festival or South By Southwest Film Festival.

If you like to spend your leisure time outdoors after a busy day at the office, Austin can give you this great opportunity to do it. Barton Springs and Deep Eddy pools are both popular swimming destinations, giving you a chance to cool-down in the fierce Texas heat. Other leisure activities include kayaking, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing.
In close proximity to Mexico, Austin has some Tex-Mex culture, generally indicated by the deep-rooted passion for Tex-Mex cuisine. Taco trailers, tortilla factories, and great margaritas are typical on the food market. As the host city of part of the latest season of Top Chef and the birthplace of Whole Foods, Austinites are avid foodies and fans of healthy, wholesome eating.

Austin Moving Guide Tips

Here are some things to know before moving to Austin TX that will help you when considering to move in Austin:

• Contact a few Austin moving companies before you make the move. If you’re shipping your entire household across the country, check the prices with different relocating companies.

• You may need to put some of your belongings in storage before you move into your new home. In this case you should get many quotes before making a decision on a storage utility. If you’re putting furniture into storage, make sure you have movers that you trust. Expensive tables, lamps, and couches may be damaged in the hands of unprofessional movers.

• Since you’re most likely moving from somewhere else in the country, you won’t have to worry about transporting vehicles. Pack your car with precious items in the household, like laptops and other personal belongings.

Finally we may agree that, Austin is sunny, warm, and full of opportunities city. However, before you take the plunge into the Austin lifestyle, make sure you have a job nailed down and resources at your fingertips. Save some cash ahead of time and use the online resources to connect with people and business in Austin city. After you’ve gotten settled, you’ll be happy with your choice to settle down in the Lone Star State.

Are there other things to know before moving we’ve missed? Let’s know!

Guest post by Jessica Johnson
Author’s Bio: Working with self storage users all over the Unites States, Jessica Johnson helps customers store their stuff in places like the Houston self storage facility and in a Dallas self storage facility. Jessica is an avid golfer and makes a point of learning a new skill each year.

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