We live in a big world, filled with cities, beach towns, countryside villages and hamlets hidden off the beaten track. When it comes to reaching adulthood, we get to choose where we want to live and how we want to live – and it’s most freeing to realize this!

We all know that home is where the heart is, but what if you don’t know where it should be and how to get there? You – like everyone else – have specific things that they want from the area that they are living in and you need to start with making a list. Do you want low crime rates? A beach that’s local enough to walk to? A great school system? The research that you do into your new home has to be thorough. Don’t forget, you can just throw a dart on a map and be done with it, but that doesn’t always happen to be the right way to go about it. So, with this in mind, we’ve got some guidance below on how you can choose where you and your family should live.

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• Assess Affordability

Whatever it is that you earn, you need to make sure that you live within your means. You will be getting a job in a new area, and some areas pay more for certain career paths than others. Your affordability is more than just what your mortgage and other housing expenses are. You have to consider what you can afford on groceries, gas, utilities and the internet. If you’re currently living in a big city and move out to the suburbs, then you’ll notice your expenses drop down fairly low very quickly. It’s why so many people move out – more bang for their buck. Anywhere you move, consider your living costs and affordability.

• Work Opportunities

If you are planning to move across the world, the one thing that you need the most is a job. Researching the job markets in any location is vital, as you need to know that you have a steady income when you get there. You need to look at both the quality of the opportunities available to you, and then you can determine whether there is a good career progression in the future, too. This will save you from having to move all over again!

• House Value

Most of the time, people are interested in buying a house at some point. Whether it’s now or in the future, buying a home needs to be on your radar and you need to know that you can afford it. Some areas have higher house prices than others, and you need to ensure that you are going to be able to afford those prices. There is no point in living somewhere you can’t afford the housing – you’ll only have to move again!

• Crime

Whether you are planning to have a family or not, you need to consider the crime statistics of the places in which you plan to live. The last thing that you need is to think about is looking over your shoulder when you walk at night. Research the crime statistics and get to know the areas in a little more detail.

• Distance

You could be willing to move to the other side of the world, but if you plan to be able to visit friends and family, you need to think about how far you’re moving. Family is important to many people, and if they’re important to you, don’t go too far!

• The Weather

Believe it or not, the climate is an important moving factor for a lot of people. If you love to be in the mountains where there’s some snow, it’s not a good idea to head to the hottest places in the world. Work out what would make you happy and find a climate that will balance all of those things. Base your choice on the seasons you need and love in your life, and find some balance in it.

• Education

If you plan to have children one day, assessing the school districts and learning what would be positive in the life of your children is going to be a big part of the puzzle. Consider what you look for the most in schools for your children, and choose to look at both public and private education facilities. The quality of schools should factor into your affordability, too!

Choosing where to live is going to take time and research – where will you start?