Lesson 1 8 min

Welcome: Planning Your Move

Discover how AI simplifies every phase of moving — from city research and housing search to logistics management and building a new community.

Moving to a new city is one of life’s biggest decisions — and biggest logistical challenges. Where should you live? Can you afford it? How do you find housing remotely? What needs to happen before, during, and after moving day? AI turns this overwhelming process into a structured plan.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

Compare cities based on cost of living, job market, safety, and lifestyle fit
Build a housing search strategy with neighborhood analysis and lease review
Create a moving logistics timeline with vendor comparison
Design a relocation budget covering all costs
Manage address changes, utilities, and administrative transfers
Build a community in your new city

How This Course Works

Each lesson tackles a major phase of the moving process:

Lesson	Phase	What You’ll Build
2	Choosing Your City	City comparison analysis
3	Finding Housing	Neighborhood research + housing strategy
4	Moving Logistics	Timeline, vendor comparison, packing plan
5	Finances	Relocation budget and income gap plan
6	Settling In	Address change checklist, utility setup
7	Building Community	Social connection plan for your new city
8	Capstone	Complete moving master plan

Where AI Helps Most

AI Is Great For	AI Is NOT For
Comparing cities and neighborhoods	Physically visiting neighborhoods
Calculating cost-of-living differences	Predicting if you’ll be happy there
Building moving timelines and checklists	Packing your boxes
Reviewing lease agreements for red flags	Signing legal contracts
Generating packing lists by room	Knowing which items have sentimental value
Drafting scripts for utility setup calls	Being on hold for 45 minutes

✅ Quick Check: You’re considering two cities: one where you have friends but the job market is weak, and one with great jobs but you know nobody. How should AI help you decide? (Answer: Ask AI to run a weighted comparison across all factors — job market, cost of living, safety, lifestyle, social support, and career growth. Then assign YOUR weights based on priorities. Having friends might matter more to you than a 10% salary bump, or vice versa. The point isn’t AI making the decision — it’s giving you complete data so YOUR decision is informed.)

Key Takeaways

Cost of living varies 50-200% between US cities — the same salary can mean comfort in one city and struggle in another
Start planning 2-3 months before your target move date to avoid last-minute price premiums and logistical chaos
Neighborhood fit matters more than rent price — a cheap apartment in the wrong location leads to regret, isolation, and often a costly second move
AI compresses weeks of research into hours — it can compare cities, analyze neighborhoods, review leases, and build moving timelines

Up Next

In the next lesson, you’ll use AI to compare cities systematically — cost of living, job market, safety, climate, lifestyle, and the factors that matter specifically to you.

Knowledge Check

1. You're considering moving from Atlanta to Denver. Your salary stays the same ($55,000). Will you be better or worse off financially?

Better off — Denver has a stronger job market You can't answer this without a cost-of-living comparison. Salary alone doesn't determine financial wellbeing — cost of living does. Denver's housing costs are 15-20% higher than Atlanta's, but other costs (taxes, transportation) differ too. AI can calculate your purchasing power in both cities, compare specific costs, and tell you the salary equivalent — the amount you'd need in Denver to match your Atlanta lifestyle The same — $55,000 is $55,000 anywhere

2. When should you start planning a move to a new city?

As soon as you sign a lease — then figure out the details 2-3 months before your target move date. This gives you time to research neighborhoods, compare housing, get moving quotes, save for deposits, and handle logistics without panic. A 'buffer week' 2-3 weeks before the move catches anything you've missed Planning is overrated — just load up the car and go

3. What's the single biggest mistake people make when moving to a new city?

Not hiring professional movers Choosing housing based only on price, without researching the neighborhood — commute times, safety, walkability, grocery access, and lifestyle fit. A cheap apartment in a neighborhood that doesn't match your needs leads to regret, isolation, and often a second move within the year. AI can analyze neighborhoods across dozens of factors to prevent this mistake Not selling enough stuff before moving

Answer all questions to check

Complete the quiz above first