A guide to moving cities

4 years ago, I left my home town of Perth to move to Sydney. From the move itself to finding my niche, I have definitely learned a lot. A few of my friends have asked me many of these questions. While the focus is for Perth to Sydney, I feel these tips could apply to any move.

I hope these help you out on your new adventure. If you have any questions, comment below and I will do my best to answer your question!

1. Enjoy the new city
   I put this at the top of this list as I think it is one of the most important items. The best way to get to know a city is to explore it. Among looking for a place to live, make sure you check out the local area. Its also an excellent way to work out what you like/dislike about the city. Try to keep an open mind and most importantly have fun!
2.  Ask people you know
   If you know people who have lived in the city, reach out and ask questions such as where is the best place to live, is the area safe or what tips do they have. Despite all of the information on the internet the knowledge of a local you know will far surpass that of a stranger. Most people are quite keen to share their local knowledge.
3. Car License
   In Australia each state has their own laws about cars, licenses and insurance. If you are moving from Western Australia, ensure that your license is set to unrestricted. For some reason WA Licenses are automatically set to restricted. This meant I had to complete two trips to get my NSW license. Other then that the license transfer itself is fairly easy. The time you have remaining before your license expires will be transferred to the new license (for NSW, I’m not sure for other states).
4. Car
   When you move your car across states you have three months to transfer the rego. In NSW this will mean that you need to complete a vehicle check even if your car is under 5 years old (For all cars over 5 years in NSW an inspection is required each year). In addition a green slip also know as CTP insurance is required for registration (this isn’t need in WA.) The CTP insurance is on top of your comprehensive insurance. Make sure you take a screw driver with you when you go to get your new plates as you will need to hand in your old ones. The NSW license center will send the plates back to the appropriate state. The state should sent you a receipt. However in the case of WA license center they sent the receipt to my old address (at least it was the family home).
5. Rent
   This is just a general tip about renting. Do your homework and know all of your rights as a renter. It has saved me a lot of grief. One particular rule, is that the owner/landlord are not aloud to just turn up as they please. They must give 7 days notice (I find myself always reminding real estate agents of this), unless their is an emergency. Ensure you check the local state laws.
6. Find an activity outside of work
   This is the best way to meet people. I play volleyball (admittedly with a work team but its still a social game), go to uni and meet up with friends.

I hope that your moving journey is as enjoyable as possible. Have fun exploring the new city! If you have any questions feel free to comment below.

The Nail Chronicle