A Relocation Guide to Help You Settle in with Ease
If you ask someone for advice about the relocating process, they’ll probably tell you all about how to find a reputable moving company, pack up your belongings, hold a moving sale and other tasks that have to do with moving day. However, most forget about what happens after the move. It can be tough to get comfortable in your new home – but it doesn’t have to be stressful if you take it one step at a time. Follow these relocating tips to settle in with ease.
- Unpack. This may seem obvious, but one of the quickest ways to settle into your new home is to find a spot for all of your boxed-up items. The sooner things are out of boxes and on shelves, in drawers, and well-organized, the sooner you’ll start to feel at home.
- Set up utilities and Internet. Hopefully you’ve prearranged to have your electricity, water and Internet turned on before you arrive, but even so, check all of them as soon as you can. If there’s an issue, call the company right away.
- Ensure your mail is being forwarded to your new home. Before you move, you should fill out a forwarding form at the post office informing them of your new address. There’s nothing worse than not receiving important documents because of forwarding difficulties.
- Get to know your surroundings. As soon as possible, locate your nearest grocery store, gas station, post office and fast food restaurant. In the week after your arrival, it’s likely you’ll be visiting them all – possibly more than once! There are several phone apps that can assist with finding stores and retailers nearby.
- Find a good school and enroll your children. Depending on the time of year in which you find yourself relocating, this may be an immediate priority. If you have time, do research on the nearby schools and visit their campuses before deciding on one.
- Meet your neighbors. These are the people you’ll be sharing sidewalks and streets with! Being friendly with your neighbors can be a challenge, but it can also be a great way to get to know people in your community – especially if you aren’t acquainted with many others. Many a strong friendship has been formed because a neighbor said hello!
- Find a doctor and dentist in your area. You can call up your former doctors and get recommendations for those working in your new city, or ask your coworkers or neighbors for recommendations. It’s better to get this sorted out before you become ill and are desperate to see someone.
- Join a club. Whether you enjoy reading, rock climbing, cooking or something else, you can find like-minded people when you join a club at a nearby community center, bookstore, church or library. This is a fast way to make friends!
Relocating and settling into a new home can certainly be a challenge, but it’s one that’s best met head on. So roll up your sleeves and dive into your new life – and have fun doing it!