MOVING TO A NEW CITY

Starting over in a new city can be one of the hardest, but also one of the most fulfilling events in a person’s life. It’s in our DNA to love to move, try new things, go on new adventures, and see new places. That doesn’t make leaving the familiar and moving to a new city any less difficult or challenging. Here are a few tips that hopefully make moving to a new city a little less scary.

Saying Your Goodbyes

The place and people you are leaving housed a lot of memories, good and bad. You want to make sure you are leaving on a good note. The last thing you want to do is pack and carry the bad baggage from your old home into your new one, but the one thing you do want to do is make sure there are no regrets once you leave.

Take a little time before leaving to catch up with a few friends and say goodbye. Make plans for them to come visit you in your new city once you have settled in. Go visit restaurants you never tried but always meant to. Visit your favorite places one more time. If you are leaving your hometown, make sure to go by your old high school and spend some extra time with any family you might have.

Take Care of the Small Things Before Moving

You’ll thank yourself later if you take care of a few things before you move.

Forward your mailing address. It could take days or weeks for the postal service to make the transfer so make sure you take care of this at least a few days before you move.

If you have a doctor, dentist, lawyer, veterinarian, even a hairstylist check with them if they have any recommendations for you in your new city. If not do some research. Figure out who you would like to start seeing and get in contact with them. If they are willing to take you on as a new client or patient get any records they may need transferred over.

Figure out where to send your prescriptions. Transfer any existing prescriptions over to the new location and make sure to update your information with them.

Update your address with different government institutions, bills you may have, any accounts you have online. Try to make a list to stay organized. It’s good to take care of this as soon as possible so you’re not overwhelmed or caught off guard by it later.

Cancel your gym membership or any other memberships you might have. Unless of course, they have facilities in your new area. Then make sure to transfer your membership and update your mailing and contact information with them.

During the Move

Packing and cleaning your home before a move is for some people an impossible task. Majority of us just do not realize how much stuff we’ve collected over the years. It is time-consuming, difficult to stay organized, and always takes longer than you expect.

Some moving companies, like Heaven on Earth Moving Services LLC, will offer packing services, which could save you a whole lot of time and headache. If you want to do this part yourself however, there are a few things you can do to make the process less painful.

Get Organized Follow A Plan

Whether that means you pack room by room or start however many weeks early, just do it. This is one thing you do not want to procrastinate on until the last minute. It is going to take longer than you expect. The best way that we have found is going room by room, starting with the room you use the least.

It is also a great time to throw out stuff you do not need or want anymore. You can hold a yard sale or donate to thrift stores. One of the best things about moving to a new place is the clean slate you have to work with. The last thing you want to do is clutter it with old junk from your old place. You’ll accumulate more new junk faster than you think.

Use Storage to Relieve Stress

Having a storage unit ready can help make moving to a new city easier to handle. If you will be between permanent housing for a while, storage can help you keep things close and safe without requiring you to deal immediately with unpacking. If you are unsure what to do with certain pieces of furniture, or if you even want to use your old furniture storage gives you the freedom to keep your options open.

Some moving companies like Heaven on Earth Moving Services LLC, can help you with this if you realize at the last minute that a sofa or bed does not fit as expected (it happens more than people realize). It’s good to call ahead and check availability for yourself if this is something you are worried about. You don’t need to rent a unit right away, but you’ll have piece of mind knowing that you can.

After Moving to a New City

Now that you are in a new place, there are a few ways to get more settled in. Try to unpack as quickly as possible before the motivation wears away. If you have moved before you know what we are talking about. Setting up and organizing your new space is all fun and games until it’s just not anymore. Then a few weeks turns into six months later and you still have unpacked boxes.

Help yourself settle in and get comfortable in your new city by making it feel like home. It will be your little familiar oasis away from the newness of everything around you. Hopefully, you’ve moved to your new city because you’ve fallen in love with it, but even if you love the city it’s still nice to have something familiar to come home to at the end of the day.

Find New Places to Go

Everyone has their go to places: restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores. Usually, it happens organically, but when moving to a new city it is easy to fall into the trap of becoming a bit of a hermit. Do not be afraid to check out new places and find new go to spots.

A local coffee shop is a great way to get a feel for the area and talk to some new people. It is easier to identify with a city when you’re emotionally invested in it. Go for drives and map out the hospitals, restaurants, shopping, grocery stores, parks, and neighborhoods. Get a familiar with your new city and really enjoy everything it has to offer!