Let’s face it, relocating is not always easy. Even if you are an experienced mover, anxiety can permeate every aspect of the process. The unknowns of moving to a new city, the mental and physical strain of getting your house ready to sell, getting rid of stuff you don’t need anymore, packing, etc. cause stress even for the most laid-back of people. If you have children, you’ll also be dealing with their anxiety over changing schools and making new friends. You may be starting a new job. There are so many things going on at once that it can simply become overwhelming. The little details seem to pile up and begin to feel gargantuan. I’ve put together a list of some helpful hints that will make your move a little smoother.
1. Research the school district in the area to which you will be moving. This will help you narrow down potential neighborhoods for your home search. Most cities have school information on-line which makes it easy to evaluate and compare school report cards, academic programs, sports programs, music programs and special needs. Write down phone numbers so that you can make a personal visit to the school during your home hunting trip.
2. If you have children who have particular hobbies or play sports, you may also want to research local facilities and programs. This may also narrow your home search.
3. Locate a realtor that will be ready to help when you arrive. A good realtor will ask the right questions in advance so that they can show you homes in the neighborhoods that will best suit your family’s needs.
4. In advance of your home-hunting trip, get a list of the local lenders from your realtor. Not only will it be important to have a pre-approval letter with you in order to make an offer on a home, but using a local lender can be a blessing if there are any last minute issues at closing.
5. When you arrive for your home-hunting trip, use the time to also check out daycare facilities, elderly care, after school care, or any other special needs you may have.
6. Bring measurements of your furniture with you during your home-hunting trip. It’s highly unlikely that every piece of furniture you own will suit your new home, but having the size of the major pieces with you will certainly help wean out those that will be completely unsuitable. Obviously, this means you need to take a tape measure with you also!
7. Keep important papers in your possession - do not pack them! Birth certificates, marriage licenses, stock certificates, divorce decrees, custody papers, passports, social security cards, etc. should all be brought with you. Anything that may be required to register your children in school, close on your home, or would be difficult to replace should be brought with you. Shot records, social security numbers, birth certificates, and in the case of divorce, child custody papers are generally a requirement to register children in school.
8. Get copies of all medical records, including any important x-rays such as mammograms, to bring with you to your new home. There may be a small charge for this, but it is worth it for the continuity of your medical history.
9. Ditto with school records; some schools will only send them directly to the new school, but you can give them written permission in advance to do this. The new school can of course request the records at registration, but it is much better for purposes of planning your child’s curriculum to have them at the new school as quickly as possible.
10. Make a list of the phone numbers of all the people/companies you need to call to cancel service in your old home. This includes cable, phone and utilities, but don’t forget lawn care, daycare, cleaning people, etc. When you are ready to leave and all of your paperwork is packed and on a truck, you will not be wracking your brain trying to remember who you are supposed to call. Your realtor should be able to provide you with a list of all the services you may need -cable, phone, electric, gas, etc. - in your new home.
