Moving to a New City for Work? A 30-Day Housing Plan
A week-by-week plan for finding a home in an unfamiliar city: where to stay first, how to shortlist localities, when to commit to a flat or flatmate, and what to sort out after you move.
A new job in a new city comes with a deadline, and housing decisions made under a deadline are often expensive. The trick is to separate the problem into stages: somewhere safe to land, enough time to understand the city, and then a considered decision about where to live for the next year.
Days 1–7: before you arrive
- Book a short stay — a PG, a serviced apartment or a hotel near your office — for two to three weeks. Do not sign a year-long rental sight unseen.
- Map your office and draw a commute circle: the areas you can reach in 30–40 minutes at peak hour by the transport you will actually use.
- List three or four candidate localities inside that circle. Ask colleagues who already live in the city where they would and would not live.
- Decide your housing type: a room in a shared flat, a PG or co-living space, or your own flat. Each has a very different budget and setup cost.
Days 8–14: learn the city on the ground
Use your first week at work to visit the shortlisted localities in the evening and on a weekend. Walk around after dark, try the commute at peak hour, and notice the basics: grocery stores, pharmacies, places to eat, street lighting and how the area feels.
Days 15–21: shortlist and meet
If you are looking for flatmates, treat it as a two-way interview. Talk about schedules, guests, cleaning, cooking, work-from-home days and how bills will be split. A 20-minute conversation now prevents months of friction later.
- Confirm the rent split, the deposit split and who holds the agreement with the owner.
- Ask who pays for internet, the cook or cleaning help, gas and electricity, and how it is shared.
- See the room you will occupy, not just the living room, and check storage and ventilation.
Days 22–30: commit and move in
- Read the rent agreement (or the flatmates' arrangement with the owner) before paying anything.
- Pay deposits by bank transfer with a reference that describes the payment.
- Record the room's condition and the meter readings on move-in day with photographs.
- Update your address with your employer, bank and for deliveries; set up internet early, since installations can take a few days.