Last Updated on 2 months by David Bergmann
If you are changing jobs and place of residence at the same time, you should plan your move particularly well. It is often impossible to predict how long you will stay in your new job or new place of residence, so the packing list must be carefully thought through.
- Why should I move for a job?
- Will I receive financial support?
- Packing list: Can it be a little less?
1. Why should I move for a job?
A move involves a lot of time, money and stress and needs to be carefully considered. If the change of residence goes hand in hand with a job change, the stress factor is of course even higher. This effort must ultimately be worthwhile either financially and/or in terms of career development.
For some employees (e.g. a single mother with several children), this may not be an option at all. However, there are reasons that can make a move in connection with a new job very attractive.
For example, it increases your job pool enormously if you expand your search radius. Mobility and flexibility are also seen as a plus by many employers and can give you an advantage when looking for a job. Career and salary leaps are also often easier to achieve by changing jobs than if you stay in your comfort zone (aka “old job”) for years.
Another incentive for moving to a new city or even a new country can be the desire for a change of scenery or an adventure. Life experience cannot be outweighed by money and the new impressions and memories remain for eternity.
2. Will I receive financial support?
Whether your employer reimburses your moving costs or at least offers you a financial allowance is often a matter of negotiation and depends on the situation.
You probably have the best chance of receiving compensation or a so-called “relocation package” if you are “transferred” as an employee from one company to another place of work or if you are actively encouraged by a new company or recruiter to apply for a job. In both cases, the company is interested in your relocation and therefore usually tries to create incentives for the employee.
Regardless of which scenario applies to you, you can always negotiate and you have nothing to lose. In the worst case, you will not receive any financial support; in the best case, your entire relocation costs will be covered by the company.
Another point that you should not ignore is to take the relocation costs into account on your next tax return. Depending on where you are resident for tax purposes, you can claim a lump sum for relocation costs or deduct part of your costs for tax purposes if you are moving for work-related reasons.
3. Packing list: Can it be a little less?
When packing, the first question is of course: How long am I staying? If your new job is temporary or you are unsure whether you want to stay in your new place of residence for longer, you will most likely not move all your household goods.
Especially if you are moving to a distant country (e.g. Australia), you should think carefully about which possessions you actually need. You can store all the things you don’t need temporarily either in a storage unit (“self-storage”) or with family/friends.
Depending on where your new home is located, you may not have to move your entire wardrobe. For example, if you move to the sunny south of Europe (Italy, Spain, etc.), you can probably leave your down jacket and ski suit behind.
If you are not planning to return to your old home in the foreseeable future, you should consider selling or giving away at least some of your household goods. You’ll be amazed at how few things you actually need and use in everyday life!