Things You Tend to Forget About When You Move

You may be excited about moving into your new home or apartment but the process of getting there is stressful. There are a lot of things going on at once and it’s up to you to make sure nothing is forgotten. While most people remember things like finding a moving company, purging, and color-coordinated packing methods, there are some things that are overlooked. Neglecting these things, however, can make transitioning into your new place a bit more difficult.

What could you possibly be overlooking during a move? Here’s a list below:

Turning on Utilities

Unless you want to show up in your new house without any electricity or water, you need to remember to have your utility services shut on. Ideally, you can contact your utility provider in advance and schedule a day to have the services turned on. Try scheduling for a day or two before your actual move to leave room for error.

Forwarding Your Mail

Another step you don’t want to forget in a move is forwarding your mail. It can be very difficult to try to retrieve important items from a residence you no longer live in. You can save yourself the headache by reaching out to the United States Postal Service and letting them know of your forwarding address. This way, all packages, and mail are forwarded to your address until you’ve had time to notify the senders of the change.

Talking With the Kids

Whether you realize this or not moving can have a significant impact on your child’s mental health. This is especially true if you’re moving far away from their friends and family. Teenagers especially can have a hard time but often guard their feelings. As a parent, it is important to try and make this transition easier for them by talking to them. Discuss why you’re moving, talk about the perks of the neighborhood, allow them to say good-bye to those closest to them, and listen to what they have to say.

Preparing Your Pets

Your children aren’t the only ones who can have a hard time relocating. Dogs, particularly, are very territorial and can become anxious or even depressed when they’re moved beyond what they’re familiar with. Give your pet extra attention, be sure you’ve packed all their belongings, and once you’ve arrived at the new place, create a space that is special for your pet. If necessary, look into solutions for soothing symptoms of dog anxiety.

Setting Up Security

Movers are easy targets for suspicious characters looking to steal things. They pay attention to what you’re bringing into the home, watching your patterns, and looking for a way to access the property. You can safeguard yourself and your home against this issue by setting up security. Have a home security system installed in your home. You can also take precautions like moving at night or covering things of value so it’s not easy for those nearby to see what’s inside.

Packing an Overnight Bag

Unless you’ve paid for a luxury full-service moving company that will pack, unpack, arrange, and install everything during the move, there’s no way you’re going to get settled into your new place in a day. Do yourself a favor and pack a bag or box with things you and your family will need over the next few days. This should include clothes, shoes, underwear, toiletries, medications, pet products, and whatever else you’ll need. That way, you don’t have to tear up boxes and mess up your new place scrambling to find what you need.

Breathing

Just about everyone forgets this small bit of advice when moving – just breathe. Yes, there’s a lot going on, a lot to remember, and time isn’t on your side, but don’t overwhelm yourself. Anytime you feel yourself getting too overwhelmed with everything going on, stop, take a few deep breaths, and then continue with your day. It makes a world of difference. Using practical tips like decluttering, purging, using a checklist, and sticking to a moving plan can also help reduce your stress so you can breathe easy.

There’s so much going on during a move that it can be easy to forget about some of the things discussed above. However, imagine moving into your new place with no utilities, packages at your old place, children and pets struggling emotionally, zero protections in place, and stress up to your ears. As no one wants their fresh start to begin that way it’s ideal to make sure that you’ve covered the tasks accordingly.

Speak Your Mind

*