Moving to a new city can be one of the biggest adventures of your life. But while the anticipation and the initial move may be exhilarating, it can also be enormously challenging and lead to anxiety, loneliness and regret if you haven’t weighed up all the pros and cons.

Here are the things doctors should scrutinise thoroughly when considering a move to a new city. 

Cost of living

Moving to a new town or city will become counter-productive if your new salary is offset by a giant leap in your cost of living.

Consider the price of real estate and rental accomodation, entertainment and transport before committing to any move.

If you are really savvy, you may be able to earn good money in a region with a lower cost of living.

At the time of writing, Adelaide has one of the cheapest costs of living in Australia across all metrics, while also being one of the most liveable cities in the world.

It is 20% cheaper to live in Adelaide than Sydney and 15% cheaper than Melbourne.

Additionally, the average house price in Seaford is $565,000 which is 25% lower than the Adelaide average of $754,250.

Climate

Climate has to play a big factor, particularly if it affects your health.

Think about where you are coming from and where you are going.

If you are used to a warm or humid climate, immersing yourself in a cold city where the sun rarely shines will soon test your resolve.

Adelaide enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters that rarely produce any extremes.

A sea breeze generally makes Seaford a couple of degrees cooler on summer days and nights.

Lifestyle

Think about what you like to do in your down time and what your potential new home offers.

Do you thrive on city living and the restaurants, clubs and bars that populate them?

Or do you prefer wide open spaces, hiking and biking trails and fresh, sea air?

Seaford showcases the best of both worlds, just 35 km from the Adelaide CBD, and is ideal for young professionals as well as young families.

It offers a quiet, beachside life in a relaxed environment, but with ample retail and shopping facilities.

And it’s all just 10 minutes from the famous McLaren Vale wine region and only 35 minutes from the holiday haven of Victor Harbor.

Transport

Public transport has to be key when assessing any new move. No one wants to lose precious hours every day commuting to and from work. It can be a real buzzkill as well as raising stress levels. 

AHA’s two clinics at Seaford and Seaford Meadows are just five minutes apart by car.

You won’t get caught up in the peak hour traffic crawls that plague the bigger cities.

And if you do need to travel into Adelaide, Seaford is serviced by a number of buses. While the train from Seaford station takes around 55 minutes to reach the city.

Development

Research your target city.

Try to learn what projects are in the pipeline and what funding is being promised to drive it forward.

Adelaide, for instance, has taken the reins as the national leader in space technology with the launch of Lot Fourteen on North Terrace.

While Adelaide BioMed City is a $3.8b health and medical innovation district in the heart of the CBD, poised to become the largest medical research precinct in the southern hemisphere.

Tonsley Innovation Precinct, home to some of Adelaide’s top technology companies and education institutions, is also just 20 minutes down the road.

Adelaide really is a city on the move!

Education

Education is important if you are bringing a young family with you.

Seaford offers a number of primary and secondary schools as well as private colleges close by.

The world-acclaimed Flinders University is just 25 minutes by car with the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia located in the city.

Crime

When you move to a new town, you need to learn as much about it as possible and crime rates are something else to be investigate.

Adelaide has one of the lowest crime rates among Australian capital cities.

This interactive map also underlines Seaford and surrounding suburbs as among the safer suburbs to live in Adelaide.

Work at AHA

It goes without saying that you shouldn’t move to a new city without a job offer on the table.

And there are some outstanding opportunities for General Practitioners at all levels with AHA Clinics at Seaford.

We pride ourselves on a fantastic culture that supports doctors of all ages both professionally and personally.

And we work overtime to ensure everyone who joins us from interstate or overseas makes the smoothest of transitions into our clinic and the local area.

Our purpose built, state-of-the-art facilities utilise natural light and make coming to work here a joy.

If that sounds attractive to you, we’d love to hear from you.

You can learn more about our practice and register your interest here.

Or you can call us today on 0411 059 421 or email recruit@aharecruitment.com.au.