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You did it! You landed a better job in another location! The prospects are very exciting and you know this is just the opportunity for you. You feel proud, anxious, happy and sad all at the same time because relocation is a huge life event. Much planning and research is required for a successful relocation, so where do you start preparing? Having planned and lived through a many recent relocations has helped me get it down to a science, here are my suggestions for you:

Draft your moving budget-
The very first thing you need to do in preparation for your relocation is map out your moving expenses. Your finances will greatly influence how, when and where you'll relocate to. It is essential that you tackle this first!

Determine how much money you will have on hand for the move. Will your new employer cover some of your moving expenses? How much available credit do you have? Will you be getting deposits back from a landlord or utility company? What do you have in savings? How much can you save from now until the move?

Once you have a clear picture of your financial situation you can begin making moving plans that coincide with your budget. Now think of all the moving expenses you'll incur and list them, this will show you your moving budget. Compare and mesh the two budget sheets, do you need more money than you have for the move? What can you cut back on? How much can you spend?

One of my sample budget sheets looked like this, we had $10,000 available for moving expenses:

$2000 - Buy motor-home to get us and pets to our new destination
$2000 - Hire moving company to transport our things
$1300 - Money for gas to drive motor-home
$2000 - Deposit for new rental place
$200 - Deposits/ costs to turn on new utilities
$1000 - Money for food and possible lodging along the way
$600 - Plane tickets for helpers to fly home

One you have listed all the necessary moving expenses you'll see if you are over or under your available moving budget. At this time you can make necessary additions or changes based upon your budget. Don't forget that for certain costs you'll need cash or certified funds, things like gas and food you could charge to a credit card but rental home/ utility deposits often require certified funds or cash. Once you have figured the budget you can begin moving forward in your preparations to relocate.

Make lists to help you prioritize your thoughts-
The most important thing you can do when you prepare to relocate is make lists! Lists will help you ensure you haven't

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