If you’ve been living in a cold-weather state for years, don’t be too surprised to catch yourself dreaming about moving to a warmer state and enjoying all the benefits that come with a warmer climate. And if you happen to have any health issues, then the low temperatures of the area where you’re living now could worsen the symptoms.
Moving to states such as Texas, California, Arizona, Florida, or Louisiana will offer you mild and comfortable temperatures, dry weather and clear skies throughout the year. Thus said, it’s important to note that each geographic area has its pros and cons, so you’ll just have to determine what type of climate you want… and need.
Will it be the dry heat of Phoenix, Arizona? Will be the ocean breeze type of warmth of Southern California? Or will it be the tropic climate of South Florida?
Here are the pros and cons of moving to a warmer state so that you can reach the best decision under your unique set of circumstances.
Advantages of moving to a warmer state
As you can expect, moving to a warmer climate will come with multiple benefits for you:
Healthier lifestyle
Moving to a warmer state will give you prolonged exposure to the sunshine you’ve been missing so much in your life. And since sunshine is the primary source of Vitamin D, your body will increase its production. It’s important to keep in mind that that all-important vitamin stimulates insulin production, regulates the immune system, prevents bone and heart diseases, and even inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
And by moving to a warmer climate, you won’t even have to do anything but enjoy the warm sunshine – your body will do the rest. Using the sun’s energy, your organism will convert the cholesterol in our skin into Vitamin D3, and then your liver kidneys will further convert the Vitamin D3 into Vitamin D.
As a bonus, moving to a warmer climate will decrease the chances of you having to deal with plenty of infections and viruses that are typical for cold weather regions due to the way they spread. And if you happen to suffer from any respiratory problems, the warm air in your destination state will be greatly beneficial for your condition.
Believe it or not, moving to a warmer climate can even help you fight depression thanks to the increased production of serotonin in the body – the hormone that is responsible for putting us in a good mood and reducing stress levels.
A plethora of outdoor activities
Another great advantage of moving to a warmer state is the plethora of outdoor activities you can engage in throughout the year. Depending on the specific location you move to, you should be able to enjoy various fun activities outside such as jogging, walking, hiking, picnicking, mountain biking, city cycling, fishing swimming, sunbathing, or even sailing.
The opportunities for outdoor activities in a warmer climate are practically endless.
In a warm climate, you’ll have so many options to spend fun time outside that you may find it tough to pick your preferred outdoor activity. And it’s a well-known secret that being active is hugely beneficial for a person’s health – especially for older people who need regular exercise to stay in better physical shape and be healthier for much longer.
As an added bonus, spending more time surrounded by nature can be a lot of fun too. In fact, having the opportunity to enjoy year-round blue skies, warm sunshine, amazing sunrise and sunsets, beautiful flowers and sweet birdsong can only become a reality when you decide to move to a warmer state from a colder one.
Of course, moving to a warmer climate will be extremely favorable for small kids and pets as well as they will have the unique opportunity to play outside whenever they feel like, thus boosting their immune systems in the process.
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Lower maintenance costs
Think about this – living in a cold-weather area means trying to keep your home adequately heated during the cold winter months, and that always proves to be overwhelming for your budget, doesn’t it? The energy bills tend to skyrocket during the cold periods of the year and then there are the costly repair works after a blizzard or a hailstorm during the winter period.
The good news is that moving to a warmer state should enable you to (significantly) lower the home maintenance cost. If you happen to move to a place with a particularly hot climate – moving to Phoenix, for example, and enduring the extremely dry heat there, then you’ll do need to have your air-conditioner on to cool down your new home. However, choose a destination with a year-round mild climate and you may never need to use an air-con again.
In general, moving to a warmer climate will also help you save money on winter gear as well. You’ll no longer need winter boots or thick coats, winter gloves and hats to protect you from the cold. Also, after the move, you won’t have to spend any more on snow tires for the car, space heaters for the home, snow shovels and ploughs to keep your sidewalks and walkways clear of snow and ice. You won’t spend any money on sidewalk salt or sand to fight the ice.
Sometimes dreams do come true. If you’re sick and tired of the constant struggle to keep yourself warm and cozy, then you only need to move to a warmer state and invest the winter money into something much more exciting, for example – a few pairs of high-quality sunglasses and fancy designer swimwear.
More free time to enjoy life
Moving to a state with a warmer climate will most likely free you up more time for yourself and your family. But how exactly do you get more free time from the warm weather?
- You won’t need to spend hours trying to remove the snow or ice from the driveway, the sidewalks, or the roof of your house. Clearing the snow is a painstakingly slow process, even when you have a snowblower.
- You won’t have to get at least an hour earlier to dig your car out of the overnight snow.
- You’ll get many more hours of sunlight a day and that fact alone will free up more time to be outside and enjoy nature, take long walks in the park with your family or friends, or just watch the beautiful sunset that marks another warm and sunny day filled with memorable adventures.
Disadvantages of moving to a warmer state
Naturally, every aspect in life has its pluses and minuses, and a house move to a warmer state is no exception to that universal rule. Here are the major disadvantages of moving to a warmer climate:
The heat may be too much
The heat in your new state could prove to be unbearable.
The chances are that you won’t be used to living in a place with a hotter climate. As a result, you’re likely to find the adaptation period pretty rough, at least in the beginning.
You may start to sweat more than usual as your body will be trying desperately to cool itself down. Once you get used to the heat, your organism should slower the sweat production.
You may have skin problems too due to the suddenly increased sun exposure. To avoid serious sunburns or even more serious health issues, do make sure you wear sunscreen of SPF 15 or above every time you leave the home, and wear sunglasses and hats for additional protection.
Moving to a warmer state will also mean that you’ll be running a greater risk of heat exhaustion. Stay well-hydrated at all times and avoid exposing yourself to direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. Also, wearing light-colored and lightweight clothes will help you stay protected from the heat.
An abundance of bugs and insects
Moving to a warmer place may turn out to be the right decision for you… but you’ll still have to find a way to deal with increased varieties and quantities of bugs, insects, and possibly even spiders. Such annoying and sometimes dangerous critters have the tendency of thriving in warmer and hotter areas in the country, so you’ll just have to be extra careful after your relocation.
Having too many insects and bugs around you may be a serious issue if you happen to be allergic to insect bites. But even without any known allergies, some of those little critters are poisonous or contagious, so make sure you stock up with and use high-quality insect repellents, whenever necessary.
Also, do install net screens on doors and windows to will keep flying or crawling intruders away. Inspect carefully the vicinity around your house for any signs of nests, especially true for wasp nests.
Lack of seasons
Arguably, one of the greatest disadvantages of moving to a warmer state will be the lack of seasons. Some people never mind that but if you’re coming from a place with 4 distinct seasons, then moving to an area with a year-round warm climate can prove to be a real disappointment for you and even an issue that may keep bothering you until you come to miss too much your old climate and the true beauty of each season.
And while you will probably appreciate not having to clear any snow from the driveway or your car, being robbed of the unique chance to make a snowman with your kids or enjoy a magical white Christmas may prove to be a hard pill to swallow in the end. No fun activities either – no skiing for parents and no sleighing down the hill for young children. You can forget about snowball fights too.
Moving to a warmer state could well be another harsh case of Expectation vs. Reality. Unfortunately, allowing such nostalgic thoughts in your head may swiftly lead to relocation depression – the last thing you’d want to experience when you’ve already planned and executed a house move to another (much) warmer part of the country.
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Get a feel of the new warm-weather place before you move there.
How to move to a warmer climate? Moving to a warmer part of the country takes careful planning. The most important thing is to plan a visit to the warm-weather town or city in the new state beforehand – that’s especially important when you’ve never actually been there before.
You must make sure it’s a place where you see yourself living for real. If possible, spend some time there to get a feel of it and see whether you’ll like it as much as you think you’ll do. Some warm-weather areas come with “bonuses” that you may not find too attractive – extreme heat, hurricanes, floods, droughts, forest fires, earthquakes, and so on.
Moving to an inland Southern city is usually a safe choice but nothing compares to actually spending some time in the destination state before you decide to move there.
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Another thing not mentioned is the fact that your vehicle doesn’t get really bad corrosion on the undercarriage because the roads aren’t salted after a cold freeze.
Yes these are true. It’s a fact that living in a warmer state give us more time to do a lot of activities. So it is great to check for cheap moving companies especially for long distance moving.
Hahaha, love this! In Oregon, we have a good chunk of people who “migrate” to warmer states like Arizona during the winter. Definitely pros and cons to both warmer and more mild climates. Great post!