It’s been four months since our big move, and people been asking, “Have you liked it as much as you thought?”
The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” In fact, it’s fully exceeded every expectation we had. In the suburbs, we had a beautiful home on a quiet street, but we felt very little connection to our neighborhood. To do anything, we generally had to leave the city limits. Now, while the apartment itself is everything we wanted when we moved to the city (big windows, a beautiful view, and a much smaller space), we’ve truly found a neighborhood we can call home.
I love seeing our grocery store and our gym as I walk home from work every day. I know that just around the corner is our favorite brunch place and a coffee shop most locals haven’t discovered yet. Recently, my husband’s mom came to visit and we tired ourselves out walking her through just about every square inch of our new neighborhood. We were so proud to show it off and to show her an important piece of our new lives.
Still, we’ve certainly had our ups and downs through this transition phase. Here are some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way:
· Tally the Cost of the Whole Picture: I’ve overheard a lot of comments about the “expensive lofts” being built in the heart of the city. But we’ve found that living downtown costs just about as much as our house in the suburbs. That’s because now we are driving less, using the gym in our building, paying less for utilities, and are no longer responsible for home repairs or upkeep. While the base rent payment may be more than our mortgage, our maintenance and lifestyle costs are quite a bit less.
Tip: To do a more accurate apples-to-apples comparison of your monthly expenses, take into account the cost transportation, membership dues, or property management fees (like yard maintenance, landscaping, or snow removal).
· Don’t Let “Busy-ness” Deprioritize Your Relationship: Over the course of our move, we got so sucked into the endless “to-do list” that we let a lot our relationship traditions — like weekly date nights and monthly money dates — go. When we finally landed in our new home, we realized how disconnected we’d become from each other and from our finances. Four months later, we’re regaining momentum, but it’s taken a long time to pick up the pieces.
Tip: There are so many “good” excuses to let a date night go or to skip a money meeting. Don’t do it! If you need to, reschedule … but always put your relationship first. The minute something else becomes more important is the minute things will begin to move off-kilter.
· You Won’t Miss the Stuff: We sold or donated 90% of our furniture and a lot of our possessions before moving into our apartment. Throughout the minimizing process I kept wondering, “Would we miss these items?” It wasn’t like we had a lot of junk in our house; we were getting rid of some things we cared about, too. Still, four months in, there’s been nothing we’ve regretted giving away. It’s freeing to focus on the minimum number of items you need to live happily and let the rest go.
Tip: Having a small space really forces you to make tough decisions about what you need and what you don’t. Instead of filling up every nook and cranny, aim to leave some spaces empty or minimize your life so all of your shelves and cabinets can remain ¾ full. Resist the urge to create a storage room you never take things out of.
· A City Can Still Feel Like a Neighborhood: I have to admit, I was nervous that moving downtown city would feel like living in a lonely concrete village surrounded by tall buildings and sirens. It’s been nothing like that! We’ve created relationships with local shop owners, found our “go to” restaurants and coffee shops, enjoyed Minneapolis’ many green spaces, and discovered the gems in the heart of the city that most locals miss. This has become a neighborhood we call home — not just an apartment we call home — and we’re so proud.
Tip: We’ve learned that in order to create these relationships, we needed to be open and willing to take the first step. Saying “hi” to people in our building and being open to conversations with strangers around our neighborhood has led to a sense of connection we never had before. No matter where you live, be the one who is greeting and welcoming others rather than waiting for someone else to do it, and see how that transforms the way you see your neighborhood.
· Be Prepared to Invest Both Money and Time: While I knew we would need to spend some money to bring our home up to a good standard for selling it, I never could have imagined how much time we would need to put in with minimizing, cleaning, redecorating, and working through the financial/legal elements of the sale. I know we had much less work to do than the average homeowner, yet still we lost an entire summer to the process.
Tip: Considering selling your home? Start the conversation with a realtor early in the process. Don’t wait until you’re ready to sell! Allow yourself space so you’re not crunched — in your budget, or on your calendar.
· Keep an Eye on Your Food Budget: This is the one area that’s gone up over the last four months. Back in the suburbs, we went to the grocery store once per week, and ate takeout or dined out only occasionally. Now, we’re just steps from Whole Foods and many of the city’s best restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops. It’s all so tempting! We’ve tried to limit our eating out to special occasions, happy hours, and brunch with friends.
Tip: Shopping at Whole Foods was certainly a budget adjustment for us. A friend shared a trick to make our trips there faster and less expensive: shop around the store’s perimeter (produce, bulk dried fruit/nuts, fish, meat, dairy, and deli sections) and skip the middle section of canned and boxed items when possible. Shopping this way also helps us create healthier meals.
Are you renting a home, townhome, or apartment? This Thursday, Feb. 6, I’ll be going Live on Facebook at 8pm Central to show you the things you should focus on when you’re comparing rental properties. Not on Facebook? No worries: I’ll be posting the recording to IGTV afterwards.
P.S. Ready to up your financial communication game in 2020 and get on the same page with your partner about your money goals? Join me at my Love & Money brunch on Feb. 29. Sign up today — seats are filling up.