Author Topic: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?  (Read 5301 times)

elmustacho

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I might get a job offer 20 min car commute away from where I live. I had just signed a 1 year contract to live within walking distance from where I currently work. How do you cope with it? do you wait for the year to be over then move?  (Potential offer is maybe 20K more than what I make now.)

Thanks.

Kwill

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2016, 05:04:31 PM »
In this situation, I'd wait until the new job was a done deal. Wait until you actually start the job and like it and feel settled. Then start looking for a new apartment and for someone to take over your current lease. You could let the landlord know once you were certain that you would be looking to move, just in case someone approached the landlord about vacancies.

There's no rush if you're still within a decent commute, but you also don't need to feel trapped in your current place.

therethere

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2016, 05:14:15 PM »
Considering my leases usually have crazy cancellation charges (1-2 months rent at minimum, i.e. 2-3k) I would just stick out the remainder of the lease. 20 min is also way shorter than what I would consider a typical, doable commute so I would be thrilled with a 20 minute commute! It seems a little over the top to move over a 10-15min difference.

Zikoris

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2016, 05:17:12 PM »
I have historically moved to be closer to work many times, but I really like where I live now, so would flip it the other way around going forward. It's pretty easy now since I live in the downtown area where all the jobs are.

Runrooster

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2016, 06:02:39 PM »
Depends on the rental market.  If your lease starts may 1, and you aren't already moved in, I would go back to the landlord and see if you can get out of it.  They might charge you half a months rent, or maybe nothing if they fill the space.  If it's the space you already live in and you just signed a renewal, it should be even easier to explain that you have a new job and would like to give notice.  You can offer to stay until th landlord finds a new tenant.  In amongst these options is whether you should sublet the place yourself.  If you were six months in, that would make sense.  With a new lease, I would at least give the landlord refusal rights or background checks.

Finally, this is based on my situation, where a 20 minute car commute is probably 45 minutes by public transportation and not bikable at all.  Would you have the car either way? What about parking at home or job?  It would be worth the hassle to move if you could go car free, maybe not if you keep the car and hang out near current job for friends and evening stuff.

AZDude

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2016, 10:22:10 AM »
I might get a job offer 20 min car commute away from where I live. I had just signed a 1 year contract to live within walking distance from where I currently work. How do you cope with it? do you wait for the year to be over then move?  (Potential offer is maybe 20K more than what I make now.)

Thanks.


I highly doubt your current contract has a $20K clause for breaking a lease. Also look into local laws, many places maintain than the landlord has to make a good faith effort to replace you before just sticking you with the rest of the bill.

EastCoastBestCoast

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2016, 10:04:21 AM »
I might get a job offer 20 min car commute away from where I live. I had just signed a 1 year contract to live within walking distance from where I currently work. How do you cope with it? do you wait for the year to be over then move?  (Potential offer is maybe 20K more than what I make now.)

Thanks.


I highly doubt your current contract has a $20K clause for breaking a lease. Also look into local laws, many places maintain than the landlord has to make a good faith effort to replace you before just sticking you with the rest of the bill.

I think OP was saying his new job offer is $20k over what he is making now, not to get out of his current lease.

AZDude

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2016, 08:52:52 AM »
Exactly, meaning the cost of breaking the lease will be less than he makes with the new job.

ooeei

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2016, 09:35:35 AM »
Exactly, meaning the cost of breaking the lease will be less than he makes with the new job.

This is true, but the cost of moving is also higher than the cost of not moving.  Well, it depends on the particulars of the situation, but most likely.

Eric

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2016, 06:32:26 PM »
How long by bike?

I wouldn't change anything for a 20 minute car commute.  I'd just do it for a year and then think about moving after the lease is up.

Hotstreak

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2016, 10:38:55 PM »
At 20 minutes each way you're looking at about 160 hours of extra driving over the next 12 months, what dollar figure do you value your free time at?  If it a fairly conservative $10/hour, that's $1,600.  Lets say the commute is 10 miles and your car runs at $0.30/mile.  You're going to drive 4,800 miles at a cost of $1,440.  So the total cost of your new commute for 12 months would be approx $3k, or $250/month.

Now look at how much it costs to break your lease and move.  My personal cost to do this would be 1k, I have no idea what yours is but plug in your own number.  Subtract, and the cost of staying over leaving is an additional 2k.  For every month you stay, subtract $250 from that savings (so decide quickly if you get an offer!).


Personally I would move within the first few months, as long as the job is what I expected.  Those few months give plenty of time to check out the area around work and decide exactly where to live.  My reasons for moving are partially financial, but also the practicalities of being close.  I like to go home for lunch sometimes, to go several days in a row without getting in to a car, and getting a little exercise each morning and evening.  A car commute makes those things difficult.

Cassie

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2016, 12:31:21 PM »
We have never moved within the same town when jobs have changed.  I think the costs would outweigh the benefits.

Zikoris

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2016, 02:11:42 PM »
For what it's worth, I've never moved closer to work with cost being a factor, because my unlimited transit pass was good for the whole city. I just did it so I could sleep in later.

Fortunately, moving has never been expensive for me - I have very little stuff, and have mostly been able to rope people into helping me. When my boyfriend and I moved into our current building, we hired a guy with a truck from Craigslist for like $120 or $130 or something, and it took two truckloads because we had a washing machine.

Cassie

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2016, 02:24:52 PM »
It can be expensive when you are a family of 5 and have stuff for everyone.

tomatops

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Re: Renters: Do you move everytime you switch jobs in the same city?
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2016, 02:28:01 PM »
Well, luckily I move solo, girlfriend is in another town for the next while so we do the long-distance, see each other on weekends thing.

I have moved every 4 months since 2013 signing short term leases, partly because of a co-op placement, partly because of contracts always being short term. I own very little which makes it easy to do so. The moving is a hassle, but being able to live across the street or in the same building (not joking) can be pretty sweet...

I've got a FT job now, so hopefully moving will end soon,