Moving to a New City Alone: Challenges and Solutions

Moving to a new place is always exciting and unnerving at the same time – the opportunity for a fresh start vs. the insecurities of the unknown. Moving to a new area alone, however, is a whole different level of overwhelming – stepping out of your comfort zone without someone loved and trusted by your side is not only daunting but utterly terrifying. Yet, it’s a chance to find your true self, learn to stand on your own, and build the life you want.

There is no doubt that moving to a new city by yourself is incredibly difficult – it’s scary, stressful, challenging, and quite lonely.  But it can be the adventure of your lifetime – as long as you’re in the right frame of mind. Being well prepared and knowing what to expect from your new area, how to perform a smooth relocation, and how to adapt to your new environment will also help a lot.

So, if you’re planning a move to a new city on your own, make sure you take a closer look at the comprehensive moving to a new city guide below before you embark on your relocation journey – it will help you overcome the challenges you’re going to face along the way and establish yourself in your new world.

How to Move to a New City Alone

Even though moving alone is much simpler than moving with a large family, most of the relocation challenges remain the same – you still need to find an appropriate new home to move to, budget for your move, find an efficient way to transport your belongings to your new place, schedule the relocation, take care of the paperwork, pack your items, and complete dozens of other moving tasks before the Big day comes.

The real challenge, however, begins when the relocation is over and you find yourself in your new world – completely alone. You’ll have to adjust to your new way of life and learn how to thrive in it.

Daunting as it may sound, you can do it – just follow the proven tips for moving out of state alone listed below:

Research and plan

Diving head first into the unknown won’t do for you when moving away on your own – you need to know exactly where you’re going to, why you’re moving to that specific area, and how you can make it work:

• Research your new area – find out the cost of living in your new city, learn more about the employment options and business environment in the area, check the climatic conditions in the region, get familiar with the social practices and cultural peculiarities in that part of the country, and find out what your new city has to offer, so that you know what to expect after the move;
• Find a suitable new home – look at the crime rates and living standards in different neighborhoods of your future city, think about the most important features you want your new place to have, consider its location, and make sure you choose a property in a good overall condition with a monthly rent or mortgage that does not exceed 25% of your disposable income. Moving into temporary housing is also a viable option when moving to a new city alone;
• Pare down your possessions – sort out your belongings and decide which of them you’d like to take to your new home. Make sure you bring along only items that you really need and love (get rid of everything else before the move);
• Set a moving date – take into account all the relevant factors (start of new job, end of lease agreement, previous plans and engagements, etc.) and decide on the best moment to perform your move;
• Create a moving calendar to better organize your time – break the tasks you need to complete before Moving day into achievable mini goals, prioritize them according to their significance and difficulty, and define adequate timeframes for their completion;
• Have a detailed moving checklist to track your progress and make sure you won’t forget anything important;
• Decide if you’re going to use professional moving services or perform a DIY move – compare the moving costs and consider the risks and advantages of each option (If you’re moving without heavy furniture or large household items, you may do without professional moving assistance. Otherwise, a full-service move will be your better option, as you’ll be moving alone and there will be no one to help you take your belongings into your new home).

Budget for your move

To find out if your savings will be enough to cover all the relocation-related expenses and sustain you for the first couple of months of living in a new city by yourself, you need to assess your finances and make a moving budget. Consider the cost of moving with a professional moving company (or the cost of a self-move), the cost of the necessary packing materials, your travel expenses, and the most likely post-relocation expenses.

To be sure you won’t experience any financial difficulties during this highly uncertain period of your life, you need to have at least double the amount you determined as necessary for your one-person relocation.

Organize your move

Once you’ve gathered all the necessary information and planned your time and your money, it’s time to set things in motion:

• Find experienced and trustworthy movers to help you relocate and book their services as early as possible (or rent a moving truck for the day of your move);
• Collect the necessary documents – gather your personal documents and financial records and retrieve your medical records (and your pet’s health certificate and vaccination record, if applicable);
• Change your address, transfer utilities, and cancel subscriptions;
• Get your car serviced (if you’re driving to your new home) or book your flight (if you’re flying to your new city);
• Say goodbye to your friends, your old home, and your favorite places in town.

Pack your belongings

Depending on the specific circumstances in your case, you may have only a few personal items or an entire household to pack when moving to a new place alone. Either way, make sure you:

• Get appropriate packing materials;
• Know what not to pack (non-allowable items);
• Start packing as early as possible (pack rarely used and out of season items first and follow an efficient packing timeline to bring order to the packing chaos);
• Provide the best possible protection to your items (especially fragile ones);
• Label the boxes with their contents and the necessary handling instructions;
• Pack your valuables separately and with utmost care (if possible, move them yourself);
• Set aside your essentials and pack them in your survival box (make sure it travels with you).

Stay focused and motivated, so that you can finish the moving preparations in time. Be fully ready by the time the movers arrive and make everything possible to ensure a safe and trouble-free moving day. Double check everything and have a nice trip to your new home.

Once you get there, your new reality will hit you – you just moved to a new city. Alone.

What to Do When You Move to a New City Alone

Your first days in your new city will be thrilling – there will be so many things to do, places to visit, people to meet, and wonders to discover.

As time goes by, however, and your initial excitement fades away, you’ll come to realize how quiet your new place is; how empty it all feels; how strange and foreign your new surroundings seem to be. You’ll find that you desperately wish for the familiarity and comfort of your old home and your old life, for the company of the family and friends you left behind. You may even question your decision to move and start feeling the pangs of relocation depression.

So, what can you do to overcome your distress? How to start over alone in a new city?

1. Make your new place feel like home – First things first, you need to create a sanctuary where you can find refuge from the unknown, relax, and feel safe and comfortable. Unpack your items, arrange the interior to your liking, make the living space functional and cozy, display your favorite decorations, and surround yourself with items that bring you cherished memories and remind you of your dreams. When you have a safe haven to return to, it’s easier to venture out and face the big new world that await you;
2. Meet your neighbors – Go shake hands with your new neighbors and tell them how glad you’re to have moved to their community and much you’d appreciate any tips they might have for you. After all, they’re the people who know how things work in your new micro-world – the neighborhood – and can give you invaluable advice that will help you adapt to your new environment much faster and easier;
3. Explore your new city – Getting acquainted with the neighborhood and the city you live in will make you feel more confident and more relaxed in your new surroundings. So, whenever you have the chance, step out of the safety of your home and go explore – take a walk around the neighborhood, discover local businesses and entertainment venues, locate key places in the city, hang out in the parks or go shopping in the most popular mall in town, etc.;
4. Get involved in the community life – The more involved you are and the more time you spend with others, the better you’ll get to know them and the more aware you’ll become of the concerns and assets of the community. So, don’t shy away from people or communal activities – go to coffee shops and restaurants and engage in casual conversations with whoever is interested in talking to you, visit local events, volunteer at charities that are meaningful to you, etc. – you’ll get a sense of belongingness and connectedness and will find your place in your new community real soon;
5. Search for like-minded people – New friendships is what you need to combat loneliness and depression after moving to a new place on your own. And making friends in a new city is not as difficult as you may think – all you need to do is find people who love the same things that you do. So, make sure you practice your favorite hobbies, visit the events you’re interested in, join causes you support, and do all the things you enjoy doing – you’ll meet people who share your interests and points of view and soon enough you will find some friends to share your adventures, ideas, and thoughts with;
6. Stay in touch with the people who matter to you – Make new friends in your new city, but do not forget your old pals. A mouse click or a phone call is all you need to contact an old friend, catch up on their lives, and tell them about yours. You can maintain your meaningful relationships regardless of the distance that lies between you and your friends or relatives back home. And the encouragement and support they will provide will help you regain your strength and resolution even in your most desperate hours.

How to Deal With Moving to a New City Alone

The better you get to know your new area and the more friends you make, the more at home you are going to feel in your new city. Yet, it will take time. And effort. And patience. And courage. And positivism. And willpower.

It is hard to move to a new city alone, of course it is. But you can make it work:

• Give yourself time – Do not expect that everything will fall into place on day one – be patient and allow yourself time to get accustomed to your new surroundings and your new lifestyle. Relax, engage in activities you enjoy, and remind yourself that you’re on the right track of your life. Slowly, but surely loneliness will begin to fade away, you’ll regain your balance and your motivation, and will thrive in your new reality;
• Keep busy – Staying alone at home with nothing good to do is certain to make you feel anxious and depressed. You need to keep your hands busy and your mind occupied to avoid homesickness and downbeat thoughts – especially during the first couple of months after the move. It will be much easier to overcome your gloomy moods, when you have a new adventure waiting for you;
• Build a routine – Developing a routine will give you a sense of security and fulfillment. You won’t stay sulking in your home for hours as you’ll have something you need to do. You won’t feel forlorn and downhearted as you’ll be engaged in an activity that’s either enjoyable or productive. You won’t question your decisions or your abilities, as your life will be back on track and you’ll be moving towards your goals;
• Overcome your fear – You may have been scared to move to a new city alone, but you did it – you followed through with your decision, left your comfort zone, and braved the unfamiliar. All by yourself. So, you don’t lack courage. What is left to do now is to lose your fear of solitude and learn to embrace your new way of life – enjoy your quiet time alone, be confident and comfortable to do things on your own, find new companions to share experiences with – do what you want to do and find your peace. Being by yourself can be truly liberating;
• Get in “adventure mode” – Moving to a new city on your own is quite an adventure, so why not make the most out of it? Explore your surroundings, see what your new city has to offer, try new things, meet new people, say “yes” to every opportunity – and with each exciting experience your “new city adventure” will feel more and more like your real life;
• Appreciate the differences – Do not compare your new home (or your new life) to your old one – focus on the things that you love about your new surroundings and your new lifestyle, not on what they lack. When you’re in a new environment, surrounded by new people, involved in new social and cultural practices, and exposed to new ideas and possibilities, you will have a chance to grow and evolve, to broaden your horizons and find your true self.

Benefits of Moving to a New City Alone

Even if it’s hard and scary, moving to a new city alone will be a very useful and beneficial experience for you:

• You’ll learn to stand on your own feet – When you have no one to rely on, you’ll be pushed to work harder, acquire new skills, and deepen your understanding of the world in order to be able to find a solution to every problem you face. You’ll learn to fight for what you believe and what you want and never give up, no matter how difficult it may be. You’ll become independent, responsible, and confident in yourself;

• You’ll grow as a person – Moving to a new city alone presents great opportunities that will allow you to expand your knowledge and evolve faster than ever before and enormous challenges that require a lot of resourcefulness and resolution to overcome. The trials will make you mentally and emotionally stronger – every success will increase your self-esteem and your self-confidence and every failure will teach you an important lesson. You will gain plenty of experience and will see your life in new perspective and with heightened awareness;
• You’ll find your true self – Moving to a new place by yourself will challenge you in ways you never considered possible. You’ll be forced to face your demons and defeat them, so that you can succeed in your new life. You’ll be more in-touch with yourself than ever before, because you’ll realize what is holding you back and what is pushing you forward. You’ll find things about yourself you never knew before, because they only show when you’re at your most vulnerable. You’ll be your true self, because there will be no one to influence your decisions or control your actions;
• You’ll become more open-minded, more tolerant, and more flexible – You’ll meet new people and learn new things, will get acquainted with different cultures and different believes, and will open yourself up to new ideas, new interests, and new ways of living. Your world will be bigger, brighter, and better than ever before.  

So, if you feel like it’s the right thing to do at this stage of your life, don’t just sit there scared to move to a new city alone – it will be difficult and stressful and you may be lonely at first, but it’s a big step that will not only put you on the right path to achieving your goals, but will help you gain the strength, confidence, and practical knowledge required to fulfill your dreams. It’s time to hit the trail!