Making a move to a small town is one of those life-changing decisions that many often mentioned, but only a tiny percentage of these people actually take action. Once you have made the decision at a preliminary level to make that move, there are many things that you must consider and keep in mind before finally starting the move.
To understand what these are we need to first see who the people who move to a small town are. This is either someone who has a new opportunity to work there, someone looking to settle post-retirement, or someone heading back to their origin town for a multitude of reasons. The considerations below May not all be applicable to each of you but indeed something you can mull over while at it.
- Reduced Cost of Living
Living in a small town certainly alters the spending that a person has to indulge in. In most cases, the cost of items in a small town will be reduced compared to the value of the same things in a big city or a metropolitan. This is owed to several factors, such as reduced transportation costs and a reduced number of mediators that go into having the product being available for purchase.
Not only this, but also the cost of housing, electricity, and other essentials is also much lower in a small town. This results in more savings or investment options for you moving to a small town from a big city or a metropolitan. An increased purchasing power of your income is also something that is a direct result of such a move.
This reduced cost of living directly affects your standard of living as the latest betters substantially in comparison to earlier.
- Job Opportunities
Unless it is a job opportunity that has led to the move in the first place, moving to a small city may result in reduced job opportunities or certainly very different job options. The kind of jobs that are readily available or available in large numbers and in many areas in bigger cities are nearly absent in such towns. Employment and job timings are certainly extremely different in small towns. This adds in an adjustment factor that needs to be kept in mind when making the decision.
It becomes essential to keep in mind the skills and talents one has when thinking of job opportunities that one can bank on in the small town. A preliminary analysis of what jobs exist in what number and how one goes about doing and applying for them is recommended before the move is made.
- Getting a Car
While most people in metropolitans are looking at the decision of buying a car in a new light with respect to investment versus output, the same analysis does not hold true in the answer in a small town. You need to understand that unlike big cities, public transport is limited in these towns. Also, most distances are coverable by a short ride, which adds to the lack of public transportation.
What this translates into is the need for a car. Getting a car in terms of the decision when coming to the usage, the mileage, etc. turns out to be a much better decision if you move into a small town. It takes the load of everyday journeys.
Another reason to get a car in a small town Is get-togethers, and moving around is much more common on the weekends here in one particular sense. This means that while you might not be going to bars and malls, you would be visiting people at their homes. A car comes in handy in such situations. With highly reduced traffic and increased parking than a big city, the decision translates to a sensible one.
- Changed Entertainment 0ptions
As we briefly touched upon in the last point, amongst the many things that will change your life in a small town, one significant aspect will be your options for entertainment and leisure activities.
The big cities often have more of the free time being used up in shopping, partying, clubbing, sitting out in restaurants, cafes, etc. While some of these may be possible different in a small city, some of these are nearly entirely out of the question. Small city life often revolves around community picnics, get-togethers, movie nights, and the likes of it. This means that your focus on the form of entertainment shifts entirely.
No longer does entertainment entail staying out post-midnight as that is hardly an option in small towns. Any and all options are available to the people inside their homes; this is not true for marketplaces. One major factor in the change of entertainment practices is that everybody believes in the concept of community centers, more or less in such places. This also leads to a change in your forms of entertainment.
- Community Living
A strong sense of community exists in small towns. From local elections to town-wide decisions, all are taken by the members of the community in totality. As we have already mentioned, a lot of spare time is spent with one another in a small town. This, at times, seems to be in sharp contrast to a big city life where one often centers on themselves and their family.
When looking to decide to move to a small town, understand that this will be a significant difference in lifestyle that will come into effect. While there is no denying people their right to privacy and being with themselves, community living is highly encouraged in such places. From work to entertainment, everything involves a sense of community and togetherness in these places. You must be ready to work with this as a constant in your setting when moving to a small town.
As someone looking to move, all the points mentioned above and everything that stems from them, such as different schedules, schooling, commuting, etc., must be kept in mind.
Author Bio- Jennifer is an editor and author at nyrentownsell a leading real estate company in New York.