When do you move to your new city?

[AnxiousNerd]

After you've been accepted (knock on wood), around when do you move to your new area? Do you plan to move at the beginning of summer to get acclimated? Or maybe the beginning of august? Or is your date dependent on leases? What's typical? 

 

Danke!

[thegrey]

I'm trying to save up so I can move comfortably a month before the Fall semester starts. I'd like to explore my new town a good bit and maaaaybe even start working/training in a new lab

[AspiringGC]

If I get accepted, my date is dependent on my lease. I likely will be moving around the beginning of August as my lease ends the end of July. I really don't want to pay rent for two places. However, I would like like to take another trip out to go look at places to live and get that all lined up before my actual departure date. 

[TakeruK]

For all of my moves (MSc, PhD, postdoc), I started a lease about 1 month before the start of the program. It gave me time to get used to the city, unpack my apartment and make it nice and settle in before starting school/work. I also took a trip to look for an apartment and sign a lease. For most places, this requires going about 4-6 weeks before the lease starts (in one case it was 60 days because most leases in that city require 60 days notice to break, so places go on the market 60 days before they are available). In all three cases, we were able to find a place to live within 3 days of searching (usually viewing 10-20 places). The trip costs about 1 months rent**, but given that most leases are for at least 12 months, I would rather spend 1 month's rent and know I will be happy than to be stuck somewhere crappy for 12 months. (**Note: for my postdoc, the employer paid for the "house hunting trip").

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

So, I won't be able to move until August 17th and, if I go to one of my potentials, my TA training starts August 20th (I know, only 3 days to get acclimated, yikes!). However, I plan to use some PTO from work to choose a place to live and get all of that squared away earlier. I'm guessing my lease will begin on August 1st and I'll probably have to do a quick move in and then get more of my stuff later in the semester/over winter break. Not an ideal situation, but it's what I need to do to get everything taken care of.