This is a really helpful collaborative guest post. Moving home really is a stressful time, and there are some great hints and tips in here :
Moving home is among the most stressful situations in life. In all the commotion of transporting your belongings and uprooting your life, it’s all too easy to forget to actually plan how to settle in. We don’t just mean unpack all those boxes and put everything in its right place; settling in can mean preparing the kids for a new school, getting to know your neighbours or finding a new bank. We’ve done the hard work for you and have come up with some great tips for making the big move that much easier.
Prepare the kids
Moving into a new home can give kids mixed emotions. It’s a disruption to their normal lives so there can be some tears and tantrums. They’ll be leaving friends and familiar surroundings behind so make the transition easier by keeping them in the loop: take them to the new house before the move, introduce them to their new school and neighbourhood, let them help pack their own stuff and have a ritual of family dinner time to re-introduce some stability.
Get your finances in order
In addition to the costs of moving, there will be a lot more things to pay for when settling in, so it’s a good time to assess your finances after the move as well as before. Do a monthly budget planner, not forgetting you may need to make different council tax payments, amongst other bills. Decorating the house, buying new appliances and new school uniforms are sure to be a drain on your wallet and the chances are the credit card will be making quite a few appearances. If you find yourself thinking about getting an extra credit card or any sort of loan, it’s a good idea to check your credit rating first. A credit rating check can help you work out whether any applications for credit might get rejected by the bank. Even if you have an immaculate credit record, moving houses can cause a temporary dip in your rating.
Get to the know the area
Once the kids are sorted (assuming you have them!), what about the adults? It’s a scary time for us too and as with anything, preparation is the key to success. Treat the area you’re moving to like you would a holiday destination – do your research, look at maps to find the best routes for work and school, find the good bars and restaurants, and look for local activity groups. That done, throw a housewarming party and invite neighbours, work colleagues, parents from school and old friends for a nice balance. Then there are the more serious considerations, like finding a new doctor, dentist, and perhaps a new bank depending on the location; and setting up utilities and council tax payments.
Check the house
Early into finding your perfect home and getting settled, you’ll probably want to start checking that everything’s as it should be. Check all your belongings to make sure nothing was damaged in the move and check the appliances and furniture at the house are in good working order. Go through the inventory and check everything, making sure to point out any problems or damages to the estate agent. Make sure you know where circuit breakers, water stop-tap, electricity and gas meters are located. If you feel a little insecure in your new home, it can be a psychological boost to have someone look at your new home’s security system.
Good luck in the new house and neighbourhood!
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