Lately, I’ve been getting a LOT of questions and DMs on Instagram about moving. everything from tips for moving to San Francisco specifically or just general questions about what it’s like moving across the country.
My husband and I both grew up in Wisconsin but moved out to San Francisco about 5 years ago. Was it an easy move? Hell no! But was it worth it? HELL YES!
We sat down and answered a lot of reader questions like…
- Why San Francisco?
- Cost of living
- Weather
- Biggest changes between Wisconsin vs California living
- Our favorite differences
- RENT!
- And more!
We sat down to film and it ended up being close to 30 minutes long, so I broke the video up into two parts! In part 2 I share how much our rent is, along with tips for finding an apartment in San Francisco or any new city that is competitive, along with cultural differences and other quirks about California vs Wisconsin living.
Head to my YouTube Channel to subscribe and watch both parts! Or, watch below!
Other posts you may like
- Why we moved to San Francisco
- Our EXACT road trip route from Wisconsin to San Francisco
- Ultimate San Francisco city guide (all the fun things to do!)
My biggest tips for you if you want to move to San Francisco (or just to a brand new city in general!)
- Save up AT LEAST $20,000 if you are moving to San Francisco. Your savings will go FAST after first and last, getting settled in, hotels while searching for a place, etc.
- If you are a big family person, plan how often you’ll see your family and know that it may be really expensive to fly home. Are you ok with only seeing them once a year or even less than that?
- It really helps if you have a job BEFORE you move here, as all apartments will require you to make at least 3x your rent.
- Make a little bio packet. Put your photo, info about yourself, copies of your offer letter and/or checks to prove income, background check if you have it, filled out apartment application, etc. This helps landlords pick YOU over someone else!
- Be prepared to spend at least $3,000 a month on rent. Also be prepared to live in a smaller space than you are probably currently living in.
- If you are working in Silicon Valley or East Bay, you will probably want to live there. Taking the Caltrain down is a pain and turns your commute into something that takes HOURS each day.
- Look for a rent control apartment if possible otherwise you may wake up one day to find your rent has gone from $3000 a month to $6000. It happens!
Got more questions about moving or living in San Francisco? Leave a comment below, I’m happy to help.
1 comment
Your extremely thorough essay provides me with a plethora of useful ideas for acclimating to my new surroundings. Many people find it difficult to transition from the office to their home, but your information provides me with a practical solution. What should I keep in mind as I cross state lines? Please keep up the good work and continue to share.