It’s always a huge amount of stress, moving into a new home, in a new area, and it’s a whole new start for you and your family. Of course, it can be very overwhelming, and as you start making a list of things to do, it may feel like it will take an eternity to get it all done! We all experience a feeling of being overwhelmed by the process, but the trick is to break it all down into bite-sized chunks. Here are a few sage pieces of advice.
The House Basics…
Regardless of whether you are renting your property or you have bought your new home there are some essential things you need to do to cover yourself. If you are renting, make sure you go through the whole property, inventory in hand, and make a note of any superficial problems, like dents in the floor or a broken hob. You should raise these issues with the landlord or the letting agency just so you’re not lumped with the repair bill when it’s time to move out! If you have bought your property, there are a lot more things you are responsible for, and it’s not down to a landlord to fix it for you. Check your sinks and toilets for any potential plumbing leaks as soon as possible and examine your water meter for any odd readings. The best way to do this is to take a water meter reading and then check a few hours later (but don’t use any water during this period), and if the reading has changed, there is very likely a leak somewhere.
Protecting your property in every sense of the word means checking the locks (changing them if necessary) and adding insurance. This has to be a priority, especially when it comes to protecting your goods. When it comes to looking for the best insurance premiums, you can do some research to find ones that are within your budget and covers for the basics, such as theft and accidental damage. And it’s very surprising how many people are ill-equipped for a power cut, so find out where your circuit breaker box is!
If you have concerns about your old home regarding bills, set up a mail redirect service. It will save a lot of hassle in setting up each new utility for the new address, and as your post comes in during the course of the first month, it will prove to be a handy reminder of what addresses you need to change altogether.
The Area…
Moving into a new neighborhood doesn’t just mean a different area code! It can be a big change for you and your family, especially the children. So once you have got the basics out of the way, you need to make sure that your children are adjusting to the area properly. Most families move to a new area because of the parents’ needs, such as a new job, and the impact it can have on the children can be a big one. It can mean taking your kids away from everything they know, their friends, school, and whole way of life. It can mean that they may get upset, and if everything is new and unfamiliar, this can be very stressful. This is especially true for children as young as 3, ranging all the way up to the teens. It’s starting again, making new friends, and learning to find their way in the world all over again. The best thing to do is to give your children time to explore the new area. Take them for walks around the new neighborhood, and let them get a feel for the place. If you have toddlers, taking them to the nearest park can help them to make new play buddies, and it also helps you to speak to other parents and find out where is family-friendly.
The trick is to get the children into a routine as soon as possible. The reason that they are feeling stressed is the whole change of environment, everything they know has changed, so by settling into a routine as quick as possible, this will help a lot. This is something that the whole family can benefit from. Having the same routines as you did in your old home will make it a less stressful process for everyone!
The Settling Down…
It can take time for everyone to settle into a new way of life, especially if you have moved far away from everything you know. Change is something people don’t like for the most part, and if you have moved for a new job, it can make you feel stressed. If you feel like that, it is helpful to have a piece of your old life, whether that is a phone conversation with an old friend, or speaking to relatives via Skype. There are things to help you or your children make the change a less anxious process. As time goes on, everyone will get settled into their new lives, but the first few weeks are always the most difficult.
There are always community groups where you can drop in, and if you feel that a family member, especially a teenager, needs a little more help in getting settled in, then it is worth going to these groups. If your children had hobbies like sports or martial arts, there are plenty of local groups in and around every area. Community centers or local charities are also ways to help with this. And if that doesn’t help in the first few weeks, you need to give them some space to find their own way.
Settling into a new area is a mammoth task. It means everything changes, but you need to remember that settling in can be a long process. Coping with change is difficult no matter how old we are, and we can focus on the negative aspects too much. But as time goes on, you will settle in, and you or your family will realize that it was for the best.
