Movers Who Blog Home Sweet Home, Moving, Tips and Tricks

5 tips for settling into a new town

New homeowners

May is National Moving Month and at mortgages.com, we talk a lot about what goes into moving including finding the right realtor, house hunting, and negotiating. But what happens when you’ve done this and you realize your new town is quite different from where you used to live? Like, really different. Don’t let homesickness set in. With a little planning you can settle in and make it feel like home in no time.

Unpack

It sounds like a no-brainer, but unpacking is a lot of work. Once you’ve already put in a days work, it’ll be tempting to leave things in boxes while you take a break. Suddenly, that break turns into years and you’re scrambling to find that piece of art your mother-in-law gave you to quickly hang up before she visits. It’s much better to bite the bullet and unpack everything within the first week. Not only will it be one less thing hanging over your head, you’ll also be surprised at how much more at home you feel once everything is put away.

Get the kids settled

Be sure to take time and communicate with your children about this big change. It’s also important to see how they’re feeling throughout the process. To help them settle in, this is the time to get them into sports teams, summer camps and clubs, or school activities. Being the new kid is rough and it’s even worse if you don’t have any way to meet people. Plus, you get the added bonus of meeting other parents when you drop your kids off. Who knows, you might just make some new friends yourself. Our friends at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® have excellent tips for moving with kids!

Find a group

Regardless of whether or not you have kids, it’s always important to take some time for yourself in a new town. Join a group, take a class, or start introducing yourself around the neighborhood. If you’re not sure where to begin, start with your city or county’s website to find classes or join a group on a site, such as Meetup.com.

Stay in touch

Keeping in touch with people from your old town will help you feel connected and supported throughout your move. If they live close enough, invite them over for a backyard BBQ once you’ve settled in. They’ll enjoy visiting your new home as much as you love being there! If you’ve moved long distance, set up a Skype date, give them a call, or go old school and write a letter.

Embrace your town

Yes, it’s important to stay in touch with your old town, but don’t get stuck in the past. Really embrace the culture and lifestyle in your new town. Find out where the favorite local hangouts are. Go to all the festivals you can. Take some time to just walk around and visit the local shops and restaurants.

Remember to think of this exciting new beginning as an adventure. So long as you make the effort, you’ll feel at home in no time at all!

 

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Kylee Della Volpe writes about real estate trends, real-life home owner stories, and personal finance for mortgages.com. As an adult, she’s relocated from Maryland to Colorado to South Carolina.

Movers Who Blog Moving

7 Establishments You Need to Locate Before Moving

Guest blog by Madoline Hatter

locatorMoving to a new area can be exciting to say the least. It’s your opportunity to begin a new life with new surroundings and develop new relationships. Knowing where to find some of the important establishments in your area could prevent you from getting frustrated or lost when trying to quell some of the most trivial of needs. Thanks to the power of the Internet, you can do a bit of background research on an area before you arrive.

1. Medical Facilities – While you can rely on 911 services to find their way to a hospital in the event you suffer a major injury, knowing where your medical facilities are located can help you in a variety of ways. Maintaining your health is an important aspect of life and you should know where all of them are located such as hospitals, chiropractors, and dentists.

2. Nearest Gas Station – Until everyone can drive electric vehicles that can operate forever, you still need to know where the gas stations are in your area. As this is such a common need, you can almost find one on every corner of a major street in some areas. However, is it worth the extra drive to save a few cents per gallon if there is a slightly more expensive station nearby?

3. Grocery Stores – One of the first things you’ll need to do after the move is buy the necessities for urban survival. Knowing where grocery stores are located could help you save money on buy-one-get-one free specials, or provide you with an outlet to purchase everything you’ll possibly need.

4. Emergency Services – Some emergencies and instances are beneath those of 911. You may have to call the local dispatch officer in certain events. Knowing where your emergency services are located as well as the phone numbers for such can help you greatly in the event of emergencies. This includes local law enforcement, county sheriff departments, and fire houses.

5. Phone Carrier Office – Does your phone service carrier have an office in the new town? Some people neglect to realize that not all services are provided in all areas. You could be experiencing roaming charges without realizing. Knowing where the office is could help you in the event of changes, repairs, or other account related issues.

6. The DMV – While you may not spend a great deal of time at the DMV, knowing where it is could greatly help you in the future. In the event that you are moving from a different state, you’ll need to replace your driver’s licenses and plates for the automobile. As each area is different pertaining to driving laws, you should also find out what the requirements are for changing plates and licenses before moving to another state.

7. Local Utilities – Paying your bills is an unfortunate fact of life. Knowing where these businesses are can help you keep your utilities from being turned off. Not every location has access to online payments and the human element may still be mandatory in order to pay your bill.

Although an area could provide a great deal of other establishments that could be useful, you should concentrate on your necessities first. While you may like to know where the local bars are, it’s an extravagance that doesn’t qualify as a necessity. Meet your needs first and then look for the fun areas within the area you now call home.

This article is contributed by Madoline Hatter. Madoline is a freelance writer and blog junkie from ChangeOfAddressForm.com. You can reach her at: m.hatter12@gmail.com.