Last month we asked y’all: “What #protips would you offer people moving to Asheville?” And, man did you deliver. From housing tips, message boards, career networking, and making new friends, we’re crowdsourcing advice that make for a smooth transition to any new city (and ours in particular).
Our sweet little city has been growing at an annual rate of 1.2% since 2010 – which perfectly explains how we’ve made 20 best-of lists (four of which we’ve topped). We shared a few pointers to get our readers started so they can easily get acquainted with the #828 – such as Reddit’s moving guide, a cost of living calculator, our monthly events guide + more.
Now here is what some of y’all said:
Moving
“After moving here in May 2016, I’ve had time to think of what I would have done differently. I definitely would not have moved so much of my furniture - esp big pieces. I thought my furniture would work here - it fit size-wise but didn’t fit with new mountain and Asheville environment. It would have been better to save the money I spent on moving and bought new furniture after I lived here for a while. Also, I would have joined the YMCA right away. I’m very glad I joined OLLI soon after arriving.” – Cindy S.
“My most important tip - don’t spend a fortune moving furniture - there are fabulous consignment shops and places to get cool pieces - I hate the fact that I wasted so much money moving crap! Less is best!” – BakerTrainerDeb
“My husband and I moved from a non-mountainous area and our advice would be: When selecting a home and preparing to move in, pay close attention to the size of the road so that your moving truck can access your home (especially those beautiful ones half a mile high!). It can be really frustrating trying to get your items to your new home or paying a moving company to do it and not being able to get past a certain point of the mountain!” – Rachael F.
“Before I moved to Asheville permanently, I would come and live here for a couple of months. I would rent before buying so as to decide what area I would want to live in — there are so many great areas in and around Asheville for all different life styles - then decide where to buy, if that’s the plan. REALLY look at the job opportunities — lots of low paying jobs - but not a lot of well-paying positions — especially for folks over 50, and if you need to work this is a huge consideration. Lots of competition for every job. Wages have risen a bit in the 3 years I’ve been here, but so has the cost of housing — dramatically!! Fun city to live in, though!” – Kathy W.
“Rent somewhere for your first 6 months to a year. This will give you time to find out where you tend to spend your free time...no sense being in South Asheville when you’re always meeting friends in WAV!” – Nancy H.
Resources
“If you want a good paying job bring it with you. If your fantasy job is service or nursing this is the place for you.” – Colleen G.
“I would recommend that people get connected with reliable contractors BEFORE they move here, and get connected in FB groups and community groups to get tips, advice, and recommendations long before they arrive as the wait time for a good contractor is months, if not longer. I planned very well for my move, but not being able to find reliable and skilled labor for a house that I purchased (knowing it needed work) was my biggest hurdle. Everything took twice as long, I couldn’t even get contractors in to fix necessary items, and I paid a significant amount more than I would have in Texas. I ended up under-budgeting both the time and money necessary to do the proper repairs and improvements.” – Annie B.
“Bring your job with you, or be prepared to work in the service industry. A seasonal job at the Biltmore is practically a right of passage for Asheville residents.” – @ted.kendrick
“Get the local newspaper on a regular basis, maybe even a subscription, and read about our local issues. Editorials are always interesting food for thought. Read the local free papers like Mountain Xpress and Asheville Laurel. Rent for a while before buying. There are so many neighborhoods and they each have their own personalities, not to mention housing prices and styles. A week with a realtor just doesn’t do the city justice. Attend events. There’s nothing that makes a city’s vibe come to life than a music/food/craft festival or a well-known local parade. If politics are important to you, realize the city is generally liberal. If that irritates you, don’t spend your life being irritated because it’s not likely to change anytime soon. I am amazed at residents who rail at the liberal press and write scathing editorials bemoaning the “libtards” who live here. Ditto for people who don’t respect the rights of people of color, out-of-the-box religious practitioners, gays and LGBTQ individuals and men who wear dresses. It’s a weird and wonderful city and we like it that way. If you don’t, it’s not a good match for you.” – Cherie M.
“For meeting people/making friends - search out local activity Meetups. For learning about Asheville, follow sites like AVLtoday, Asheville City Government, and any local entertainment, health and wellness businesses, dining, and beverage sites that Facebook suggests - you’re bound to find all the fun that fits your lifestyle. I’ve learned more about the Asheville area in 6 months of AVLtoday posts than I ever learned about the city I used to live in during the 10 years I was there. And be prepared to spend $$$ on quality housing near the city as well as more $$$ than expected on health and wellness services.” – Mara W.
“Donate your furnishings that don’t fit in your new home to Homeward Bound’s Welcome Home Donation Center!” – @homeward_bound_wnc
“Bring a job or an in demand good paying skill. Consider living in the county. Real estate prices are high but purchase if possible. Property will continue to appreciate. Moved here 30 years ago with working class skills. Don’t think I could afford it today. It is a WONDERFUL place to live. If the area speaks to you, come on in, make it happen!” – Charlie B.
“Look on property management websites for places to live, they are cheaper and more reliable than Craigslist.” – @avlbubbleguy
“Have a job before you move or a good chunk of money to live on for at least 6 months while you look. Sometimes it can take a while. It’s a really tough market, but hang in there.” – Mary M.
“I tell all the newbies to pick up a weekly copy of Mountain Xpress to keep up with the music and arts scene. 👍🏼” – @kelsay_renay
“My best advice for moving here is to find a trusted Realtor to help navigate the wonderful and varied neighborhoods in our area!” – @kindhomesasheville
“Move here with a job or work in hospitality/ service industry. Make sure you have housing set. If you’re looking for diversity look someplace else.” – @abraca_dabra
“Pro tip! Check housing sites everyday! Housing comes and goes quick! People should be on top of there game!” – @gabrielzababe
“Explore Asheville helped me find multiple options for group hikes after I moved here alone. You can meet new people and explore the mountains safely if you are a single moving here.” – Cynthia B
“I would recommend spending some time on City-Data, both the part that tells about the city, and the CD forum. Also Realtor.com, which has rentals as well as purchase dwellings and will give mover real time pricing for housing. I also believe AVL Today and Mountain Express including “Best Of” publications give a good picture of social life and things to do.” – Bonnie D.
Other
“Check into Creative Mornings monthly meet ups.” – @def28765
“Be Flexible and Don’t Expect ‘everything to be the way it was where you lived before, and/or done the way it was where you lived before!’” – Ben B.
“Tip #1 - Buy a lot of umbrellas!! 🌂” – @carl_gandolfo
“Join YPA (young professionals of asheville).” – @flying_casual
“Be prepared to shift your way of living. Recycle more. Ditch the straws and styrofoam. Get outside more. Support local. Support local businesses who also support local businesses (and farms!)” – @nicolemicheli
“When you move here, you need to know to say “hi” to people you walk past, don’t run red lights or litter and definitely buy a reusable water bottle and shopping bag.” – @unicorns_are_my_power_animal_
“People are kind of jerks on the internet about new people moving here, but tbh almost everyone here is a transplant, so they were the new person at some time too. This attitude doesn’t translate offline for the most part— most folks are very kind and welcoming. But definitely BYOJ (bring your own job).” – @therachelelise
“For all those people saying, “don’t,” sorry, not sorry. I moved here from FL in September and have never once regretted it. I’m jealous of the locals who were born and raised here but the secret’s out. This place is amazing and I love spending my money here.” – @evilstephsister
“Take care of the locals and local businesses and restaurants hang out at the hole in the wall music venue or coffee shop support the environmental changes we are trying to make and strive to! Take care of our land! Check out surrounding cities as well 😍” – @theblackbearcoffeeco
“If you are young, think hard about what you want in the future. It will be hard to save for buying a house because rents and housing prices in general are too high for the income you will earn. If you are older, think about your health (especially your knees). Flat, one level houses are rare, and if you do find one, it is probably 50+ years old and sits on half an acre of grass. Stairs and hills are a reality you need to deal with or you will become homebound and miss out on all the reasons you moved to Asheville. (like our great art, music, food and beer).” – Kathye S.
“Attend Creative Mornings, buy good quality weather specific clothes (we came up from Florida so had to stock up on essentials like hiking clothes, winter jackets, rain coats, boots), and make conversation with people wherever you go!” – @crisgreene
“Born and raised Asheville-ian! I love this area and how close it is to other things (Charlotte, Greenville, etc). My advice is to find housing outside of Buncombe county. There are more taxes and fees on housing, car registration, etc.” – @candy._.cane
“As a painter who moved here this summer for a fresh start, (which has turned out to be one of the best / but still hardest decisions of my life) the only thing I have found to not be refreshing is people complaining about newcomers moving here. Change is challenging already without feeling like you need to feel guilty about relocating when talking to locals. I look forward to welcoming the new people who move here with a Dream in the heart and pure intentions.” – @calliefine_art
