Moving for work can be an exciting opportunity for employees to advance their careers, explore a new city, and make new connections. It can also be a daunting challenge, especially when it comes to finding the right place to live. If managing a move for work is new to you or your employees, it helps to have some guidelines about what to consider when looking for a new rental home, things like location, lifestyle, and amenities.
Dwellworks Move is here to help. Each employee authorized for assistance in a Dwellworks Move program will be paired with a Destination Consultant who will support them in line with the approved benefits in your company policy. In most programs, the Consultant is available from before the move to the time of the final move-in to assist with home search and a smooth settling-in.
In this blog, we share some tips from our relocation experts on how employees can get ready for the rental search and be best prepared to be selected as a tenant for the properties on their short list.
We recommend you share this content with your associates as well, to prepare them for their relocation and rental search experience.
Location Location Location
Employees considering a move to a new destination need to determine how far from the workplace they want to live and what kind of neighborhood they prefer. The ideal area will have convenient transportation options and good traffic flow. Planning ahead will save time, money, and stress on the daily commute. Employees planning to relocate will want to consider the neighborhood and the surrounding area, and whether it suits their preferences and needs. A busy downtown area or a quiet suburban community? How important is walkability? What’s the preference for access to shops, restaurants, parks, schools, and other facilities? If schools are a consideration, the employee will want to know about school availability and ratings before settling on a housing choice.
Our Dwellworks Move experts provide an incredible level of local information and insight, which is further extended by the content in our myDwellworks portal. These Consultants know the ins and outs of every neighborhood – from the cost of rentals to area attractions and amenities to the scores and admission requirements of the local schools.
Budget and Expenses
Another factor to consider is budget and expenses. Moving into a new home can be costly, so employees need to plan ahead and set a realistic housing budget. Dwellworks Move can provide tools to assist in researching the average rent prices in the destination area so employees can compare them to their income and their monthly household budgets. When building their budget, prospective renters should factor in other expenses, such as utilities, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and fees. Note that some landlords in some markets also may require a certain minimum income-to-rent ratio when qualifying tenants for eligibility. Our Destination Consultant can recommend neighborhoods and rental options based on budget and other considerations. Remember, all relocated employees should be familiar with the company’s relocation benefits and should keep track of their costs and receipts for potential tax savings related to moving expenses.
Preferred Lifestyle and Amenities
Lifestyle and amenities preferences are also key considerations when looking at housing choices. Relocating employees will want to find a place that matches their personal style, taste, and comfort. We advise them to think about the size, layout, design, and features of the housing they are looking for, and whether a potential rental option meets their needs and expectations. Every employee looking for a rental home should consider “Do I need a lot of space, or will I be fine with a cozy studio? A modern or a traditional style? How about a balcony, a backyard, a garage, or a pool? Do they accept pets and what are the rules? ” Other property features include amenities like appliances, furniture, internet, cable, security, parking, etc. We recommend making a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves and using it in conversations with the Destination Consultant to narrow down options.
How to Start the Rental Search
These days, there is no shortage of resources to look for rental properties. Once they are offered a relocation opportunity, most employees will search online and ask for suggestions and referrals from colleagues and other connections they may have in the destination location. That’s an excellent start and a good way for employees to get acquainted with the local market. In a typical Dwellworks Move assisted program, the Destination Consultant also jumps in – looking not only at online offerings but also checking in with local landlords and property managers for potential upcoming rentals. Employees are encouraged to share their findings with their Consultant, who will advise if the listing is current and legitimate and provide additional insights about the degree of competition in the market and whether employees should prepare themselves to make compromises or consider alternate options to increase the likelihood of finding a rental Every prospective tenant should always inspect the property before signing any contract and ask for a written agreement that specifies the terms and conditions of the rental. myDwellworks offers sample leases and typical terms and conditions to use as a resource and the Dwellworks Consultant is knowledgeable in providing feedback on particular properties and terms. While the extent of available support is tied to the company’s authorized benefit, our Consultant’s role is to respond to each customer’s priorities and help them organize the most effective search and result.
How to Be the Best Tenant Candidate
Many rental markets are very competitive. Listings can be here today and gone tomorrow and while in most markets in the US rental price increases have stabilized, in many highly sought-after locations, landlords have many options for tenants and multiple applications from interested renters. For a prospective renter to improve their chances of being selected, they should prepare themselves with the following and be ready to submit with their application.
- Credit history (it will be asked for, so it should be up to date and meet ‘good’ credit standards or better)
- Proof of employment, which includes employer name, location, job title, and salary
- Two most recent pay stubs
- Bank statements, to confirm sufficient funds to cover deposits and rental payments
- Rental history/reference from previous landlords
- Pet reference, if moving with a pet
The Dwellworks Destination Consultant and the resources we provide in myDwellworks can help employees prepare for the review of their application and put their best renter-self forward.
How to Move and Settle-In Hassle-Free
The physical move can be stressful and time-consuming, so employees should plan ahead and get organized in advance. Best practices include deciding what to keep, sell, donate, or throw away, and packing a ‘day one’ box of essentials. Getting ready to move also means providing notice to the current landlord and utility providers and setting up a change of address notification and other updates. If your company’s benefits include paying the cost of moving your employee’s goods, we can help with options, referrals, and estimates from movers who understand relocation and lead with customer service.
For a full list of how to prepare for a move, read our blog.
After a successful home search and move, your employees can settle in and enjoy their new home and city. Share our full blog.
Let Us Help
Choosing the right home when moving for work can be a challenging task, but it can also be a rewarding and fun one. By following these tips and advice and connecting with Dwellworks Move for expert local insights and market guidance, your employees can find the best place to live when relocating for a new job and a new adventure.
Get Started With Us!
To learn more about how our company can help with your relocation needs, click here and schedule a meeting with our sales leader Hannah Sekerak (hannah.sekerak@dwellworks.com)
About Dwellworks Move:
Dwellworks Move is a one-stop shop for core employee relocation needs for small to medium-sized businesses. We offer our clients destination services to support their employees’ temporary assignments and permanent moves, corporate housing accommodations for any temporary living need, and resources like quotes for moving and storage for household goods removals. Our online tools include an estimated rent calculator for any city an employee may be relocating to. These resources are pulled from trusted partners and the Dwellworks Destination Services database of thousands of relocation transactions, so you can trust the most accurate and current information is being relayed to your employees.
These assets are made available from the strong family of Dwellworks brands, the preferred mobility solutions partners for many Fortune 1000 and emerging companies. Our parent company Dwellworks offers Destination Services in hundreds of key cities across the globe and pairs relocating employees with a local Destination Consultant, trained to answer every question about their transition and an expert in local housing, schools, government regulations, and local culture and customs. Dwellworks Living specializes in temporary living solutions and has access to 80,000 high-quality, professionally managed properties in over 125 countries. Your employees will have tools to get around town and transition to their destination thanks to our Xplore app, free to all Dwellworks Living guests.
Transparency and up-front information are crucial for managing a life change as major as a corporate relocation. Visit our homepage and read our blogs to see how we can help with your relocation and business travel needs.
