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Relocating

Js1

By Js1
in Can You Help Me With This?

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Js1

Js1 85,420

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Turns out I might be leaving the swamp-ass hell that is Houston for the fresh air and plentiful weed of Denver within the next month and a half/two months.  Any advice on relocating?  I basically went from growing up in Houston to UT and then back to Houston.  

What's a good standard relocation cost to negotiate? Single, 30 years old and lives in an apartment.  

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Js1

Js1 85,420

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1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

I think there's a lot of discussion on where to live in denver on the Food and Travel board.

I'm not worried about where to live.  I have someone helping with that.  For me, it's what is involved in relocation, costs, things easily forgotten, etc.? 

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royiv

royiv 9,326

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Keep in mind that under the Trump tax laws, relocation allowances are now considered taxable income so you need to make sure your employer grosses up the allowance. A relo from AZ to Houston earlier this year cost about $20k and my employer gave me around $30k.

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Viking

Viking 301

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Since you don't have much I'd recommend negotiating straight cash, as much as you can and grossed up, and you take care of everything. You can turn it into a nice bonus that way. Just hire movers on each end and a company like ABF to move your container.

My wife once worked for one of the largest corp relocation companies in the country and she's got crazy stories about the shit that CxOs put them through. Long term hotel stays, 0% mortgages for new homes, guaranteed sales price for their current home, refrigerated trucks for their wine collection, cranes to lift their custom built outdoor grill over their home because they can't live without it.

Edited by Viking
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Js1

Js1 85,420

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16 minutes ago, royiv said:

Keep in mind that under the Trump tax laws, relocation allowances are now considered taxable income so you need to make sure your employer grosses up the allowance. A relo from AZ to Houston earlier this year cost about $20k and my employer gave me around $30k.

This is helpful.  From my understanding, it is just a signing bonus you can use for relocation and not a specific relocation allowance.  I'd need to break a lease (~$6000), movers, deposits on a new apartment, etc. 

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52-80

52-80 19,168

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that was one of the best moves ive ever done.  absolutely no fucking ragrets.

if you are relocating with a large company, the package should be very standard - every cost associated with move (transport, packing, vehicle transport; temporary accomodations, house hunting, break-lease, etc); housing stipend; plus lump sump usually 2x-month salary equivalent

 

 

if you've been a texas boy all your life, be aware that you're going to *need* winter tires in the winter.  if not, at the very least, M+S labeled all-season tires.  if you stay within the actual city in the winter, its not that gnarly since winter is extremely mild -- snow comes and goes quickly.  occasionally you get the blizzard, but it aint a deep long winter like in the East.

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Js1

Js1 85,420

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Anyone got any experience breaking a lease for a new job? 

I have ~3.5 months left on my lease and they want $6k to break it early (60 day notice + one month market price + pay back the 3 month concessions they gave me). 

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52-80

52-80 19,168

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23 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Anyone got any experience breaking a lease for a new job? 

I have ~3.5 months left on my lease and they want $6k to break it early (60 day notice + one month market price + pay back the 3 month concessions they gave me). 

break-lease is part of a *standard* relocation package

 

technically and ethically speaking, i dont count a payback from concession as part of a break-lease, but practically speaking, i dont think many people care and it aint that high a value anyway

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zork

zork 629

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1 hour ago, Js1 said:

Anyone got any experience breaking a lease for a new job? 

I have ~3.5 months left on my lease and they want $6k to break it early (60 day notice + one month market price + pay back the 3 month concessions they gave me). 

IIRC, they have to only charge you for x amount if they are able to re-let the place.  ask them about their vacancy rate for units like yours. Check this out:

Quote

Reletting fees are authorized in lease agreements often written by Texas Apartment Association (TAA). The reletting fee must be a fair amount to cover actual expensesfor getting a new tenant on the hook and cannot be unfairly inflated. TAA usually sets this fee at 85 percent of a month's rent.

https://www.texastenant.org/termination.html

 

Maybe something to consider but maybe not, might depend on the wording in the lease you signed.

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Southland

Southland 35

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I've done this 3 different times with 2 different companies and the package was different each time.

First move Dallas to Denver with a midsize company. A couple of trips to Denver for apartment hunting, all expenses driving up (mainly gas/food since you can do the drive in one day), professional movers, and costs of breaking my lease were paid for.

Second move Denver to San Jose with large company where they had a relocation company handle everything. Package included two trips for house hunting with realtor guiding me around, professional movers with packing service, 30 days temp housing and storage of household goods, all expenses for driving from Denver to San Jose, and one month salary for "incidentals". I didn't have to break a lease on this move, but they would have reimbursed for that as well, along with expenses selling a home if I had one. Anything that wasn't tax deductible was grossed up. Don't remember the exact amount as I was way under it, but think they capped the total package at $60k.

Third move with same company as second, San Jose to Denver. I negotiated a move back to Denver with a work from home arrangement since my company no longer had an office out here. I was expecting to pay for the move back myself, but they gave me an $8k lump sum that I was able to do with what I wanted. No tax gross up on it.

For all of these I had to sign a 1-2 year employment contract with pro-rated payback terms if I left early.

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Iceman

Iceman 2,717

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On 8/22/2019 at 9:00 AM, Js1 said:

I'm not worried about where to live.  I have someone helping with that.  For me, it's what is involved in relocation, costs, things easily forgotten, etc.? 

I've moved a lot on my life.  One thing that came up on our recent move:

Upon arrival to your new residence, take photos  with timestamps; of the gas, electric, and water meters the day you start service.

 

They (incorrectly) estimated our first water bill at $75 which seemed very reasonable.  The second bill came and it was about $435, IIRC.  They estimated the initial reading and after researching, the house had been vacant for 6 months but the city had left the water on and the sprinkler system was running like a spotted ape. Grass was beautiful when we got here, but damn.  They DID get it corrected, but if we had proof of those initial readings, it would have saved some headaches.

 

Good luck.

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25,975

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2 hours ago, elfenix said:

Make sure your stuff is worth $10k before spending $10k to move it. I have very similar advice for storage units.

Oh yeah.  Most 30  year old single dudes in apartments don't have expensive shit.  Sell it all on craigslist, drive to denver, go to costco/ikea, furnish 1 bedroom apt for $5000

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horn4life

horn4life 3,763

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Years ago my BIL got a package where they gave him a 6 month living allowance to figure out where he wanted to live and time to close on a house.  They paid for the move completely. He had a house under contract and closed on in 45 days and he applied the living allowance to his first few months mortgage.

You need time to transition so you don't make a bad housing decision. As noted this is now a taxable benefit so you have to negotiate extra for the new tax burden.  

Move near a good weed store that is near a Fed-X, call all your friends in Houston. Or call your cool friends to call their cool friends and profit! 😎

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