If you’re planning on moving to San Francisco, you’ll need more than just flowers in your hair (and actually, all due respect to Scott McKenzie, those aren’t actually necessary). Don’t pack a single thing, then, until you’ve read the following San Francisco guide designed to make your move as easy as possible. Here’s our San Francisco movers guide.
Research the Neighborhoods
San Francisco may only be 47 square miles in size, but it’s home to some 850,000 people, meaning it packs them in 20,000 people per square mile. This has given birth to countless neighborhoods—far too many for us to ever list in this San Francisco guide.
Most people are familiar with many of the more famous neighborhoods. There’s Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Downtown and Pacific Heights, just to name a handful of the more popular ones.
However, this is barely even a start. Each neighborhood has its own unique personality, meaning you’ll want to research all of them before moving into one or you could end up with a different version of San Francisco than you expected.
Pad Your Budget
Obviously, you need to set money aside to buy or rent your new place. At the moment, though, your budget may not have enough in it for living expenses in San Francisco. This guide would fall short of its job if it didn’t warn you that this city is one of the most expensive to live in in the entire nation.
Fortunately, wages here tend to be a lot higher too, but you’d do well to give yourself some breathing room with your budget. It also helps to go easy on “luxury” items when you first move here. While you may be in the mood to celebrate this milestone, save the champagne and fancy dinner for another time and reduce unnecessary costs for a while, at least until you get the lay of the land.
Don’t Throw Away Cold Weather Clothes
Depending on where you’re moving from, you may have a wardrobe that features plenty of pants and long sleeves. Don’t think that moving to San Francisco will mean you don’t need them anymore though. It gets pretty cool here starting around 4 p.m. and nights get be downright chilly.
Learn Public Transport Options
One way you can cut expenses immediately is by getting rid of your car, as well as the fuel and insurance costs that go with it. Everyone knows about the iconic trolleys that travel up and down roads here, but a quick look at any San Francisco guide to transit will show you there are other ways to get around as well, without spending a lot of money.
For example, there’s the Caltrain railway system. There’s also the commuter rail (the Bay Area Rapid Transit or BART), the Muni Metro light rail and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s dies and hybrid diesel fleet of buses.
Go with Boxbee Boxes
Lastly, we recommend getting moving boxes in San Francisco from Boxbee. Our heavy-duty boxes will protect all of your precious belongings throughout the course of your move, yet they couldn’t be easier to open up, pack and unload.
They’re also incredibly cheap, which will help now more than ever, and we’ll handle delivery and pick-up when you’re done. San Francisco is known for its environmentally-friendly nature, so you’ll fit right in with this equally sustainable option.
Hopefully, this San Francisco guide to moving has helped you prepare for this new adventure of yours. Overall, this city enjoys one of the highest standards of living throughout the entire country, so there’s a really good chance you’re going to love absolutely love your new home.
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