Moving into a new home is exciting, but it can also be disconcerting, giving you an uneasy feeling about your big decision. This will definitely go away with time, but the first few days after moving can be particularly difficult, especially if you don’t know what to after moving.
Below is a list of 10 things you can do to help things go smoother as you adjust to your new location. In fact, if you can make ample use of this time, you won’t have to worry about confusing or stressful situations.
Sure, unpacking is an obvious part but what about learning the secrets of your new home, but what about making friends? Or finding a new healthcare provider? Make sure to keep these things in mind as some can involve severe consequences if forgotten.
Here is a list of 10 things to do after moving into a new home:
- Organize your post move tasks
- Unpack your belongings
- Get to know your new home
- Change your address
- Register your kids at school
- Find a new healthcare provider
- Register your cars
- Help your pets to adjust
- Make new friends
- Get to know your new location
1. Organize Your Post Move Tasks
Your post move starts as soon as the movers leave. This new feeling can come as a relief, knowing that the big project is finally over as you sit down, relax, and release the built-up anxiety and stress.
But because there are so many things to do after the move, this feeling of relief won’t last long, at least until after these things are done. For right now, it’s important that your time is organized in the most efficient manner so you can start enjoying it sooner than later. If you remember how everything was when organizing the move before the big day, these next few days should feel like something similar.
It doesn’t sound fun, but creating a new list of all the tasks that need to get done after moving in will help you adjust much quicker. So these new errands, city tasks, and adjustments must all get done in a timely manner; so you might as well start now.
2. Unpack Your Belongings
Packing certainly can be tedious and require a lot of planning, but unpacking is certainly the opposite. You get to find new spots for your belongings and not have to worry about being pressed for time when doing it. It is time-consuming, but at least you aren’t constricted on time for getting it done.
When starting the process, begin with the essentials, like bedroom and bathroom-labeled boxes. Surely the only thing on your mind now is taking a shower and going to bed, so you’ll want to make sure they’re both ready when the time comes.
While packing is indeed one of the first few things that should be done after a move, but not worrying about when it will all get done is certainly a relief.
3. Get to Know Your New Home
Not many people know much about their new home after moving in. Sure, you’ve seen it in pictures and did a walkthrough before, but did you really look at it? This would be the time to become familiar with everything, scoping out any signs of damage, leaks, or even infestations. Don’t forget to locate the fuse box as well as the water shutoff valve to turn them off in an emergency situation. Then write down the readings on the electricity and water meters.
Continuing the tour, take notes of whether or not your home is secured from theft or damage from natural disasters. If you have young kids or a baby, you’ll also want to find any hazards right away, child-proofing everything to keep them safe.
Ultimately, knowing the small things like if the windows and doors are secure, smoke detectors are installed properly, and having fire extinguishers available on each floor are extremely important for preventing disasters in the future. The more you know now will only help you later on.
4. Change Your Address
It won’t matter if you moved across town or across the country, you have to change your address to get not only your mail but bills from utility companies. Otherwise, you will either need to contact these companies directly to have them send you new copies to your new location or have them forwarded to your new address.
Of everything you need to do after moving into a new home, changing your address should not be put off for a later time; it must done right away. Some people prefer to do it the old fashioned way and fill out an address change card at the post office, but for others, it’s much easier and faster to get it done online.
You should also consider giving some cash to the new owners of your old home to forward any mail to your new address until the change of address takes effect.
5. Register Your Kids at School
If you have kids that are in school, finding a new school is definitely important. For many parents, choosing an area within the district of a reputable school is a deciding factor when choosing a house. But once you get there, they will still need to be registered.
If you haven’t done so already, keep in mind that many schools require registration fees if they are particularly reputable. They will vary according to the school, but preparing for this fee is a must. If not paid on time, you may also face a higher fee after classes have started.
After choosing a school, meet with a few teachers as well as the principal to get an idea of what to expect before classes start. Also have all necessary documents, like doctors papers from annual physicals, birth certificates, social security cards, proof of residence, etc.
6. Find a New Healthcare Provider
Everyone will react differently when adjusting to a new location, especially when moving from a rural to an urban area or vice versa. It’s common for people to think that it will be hard to find a new doctor after moving away from one they knew and trusted for years. But if the time comes that you become seriously ill, you will want to know who to see.
When looking for a doctor, finding one that can treat the entire family is important and makes things easier. If you have already met a few of the locals, such as the teachers at the kids’ new school, ask them for some recommendations as they can be a great reference for finding a reputable provider.
Of course you won’t want to forget about your furry friends either! Finding a trusted veterinarian that will treat Fido as their own would surely be the way to go.
7. Register Your Cars
Some homeowners opt for having their car moved for them in order to prevent the wear and tear. While not always required if you moved to a neighboring state, it’s still a good idea to register your car where you live. But updating the information on your license is very important. Some states, like Illinois, do not require the information to be changed on the physical license, but it must be done online within a week after moving.
But if you do need to register your car or change your license, you’ll want to find your local DMV office. Just remember that the registration deadline of your vehicle can vary between 10 days to a full month. You can contact the central DMV office in the state to find the details regarding your state, or simply get it done right away.
8. Help Your Pets Adjust
Pets will react to a new environment much differently than humans. If you have a dog or a cat, pay attention to their behaviors as they will be likely to feel uncomfortable after being pulled away from their comfort zone. Don’t forget to keep a stain remover on hand as accidents during these times are common.
Try to keep the home clean and make it smell like you. Due to their heightened sense of smell, they will be most sensitive to these new changes, so the best thing you can do is to make them feel at home as soon as possible.
Also try not to leave them home by themselves for a long period of time, at least not right away. Be sure to give them lots of attention, treats, or even work on training.
9. Make New Friends
While not considered urgent, it won’t be long before you start to feel lonely at your new place. As soon as the essentials are taken care of, get out and explore your new city or rural area! Don’t let the anxiety or depression sink in about losing the people you left behind, but instead occupy your time with meeting new people.
Here are some great ways to make new friends in your new city:
- Download the app called Meetup and join a few groups
- Download a friend-making app, start conversations, and meet for coffee
- Ask your coworkers for good places to go after work and invite them out
- Cook or bake something for your new neighbors and use it as an icebreaker to get to know them
- Take your dog for walks around the block and talk to others passing by
- Become a member at your gym and join a workout group
- Be creative!
Ultimately, there are tons of ways to get to know people. In fact, the hardest part is jumping out of your zone and start talking to them. Staying in touch with your old friends and family is important, but it should never consume so much of your time to make you regret your decision of moving. So go out and socialize!
10. Get to Know Your New Location
If you have recently moved to a new city, you will definitely want to get to know the area. In addition to checking out the tourist areas, find the closest grocery stores, bank, healthcare facilities, mechanics, schools, and other important businesses. The more you find in the beginning, your transition into this new lifestyle will be that much easier.
One good way to become familiar with your new location is to take a few walks around your neighborhood. As you get to know what’s nearby, expand your circle further into the city, such as the landmarks, history, and the best spots where the locals hangout.
Just remember that in order to do this, you will have to keep an open mind at all times. Experiencing culture shock is normal but being open to these changes and living like the locals do will make your transition will make your transition that much easier. After meeting new people, you will learn to live like they do, find shortcuts to work, and even the best places to park at which times.
Work with Professional Movers
Finding a professional mover is just as important as getting all the tasks listed above. Surely there will be a lot of high-value items in your home that you wouldn’t want damaged. But there are simply too many for them to be moved by yourself. So you’ll want to make sure that the professionals who handle them will treat them as their own.
When looking for a moving company, they should be licensed, trained, and experienced in order to not only prevent damage to your belongings but to ensure an efficient process. Most companies will charge by the hour, but if things are moving too slow, the service can be both long and expensive.
But our experts at Mid-West Moving & Storage not only have the qualification listed above, but are background-checked to give you the peace of mind you need when relocating your belongings. Whether you’re moving down the street or across the country, our professionals can ensure a stress-free process, even packing and moving specialty items if needed.
For more questions about our moving services or a free quote, please fill out a contact form or give us a call at 847.593.7201. We look forward to working with you!
