Get Settled Faster With These Practical Tips

By Barrie Vattoy
604.421-1010
Prudential Sterling Realty
Email – barrie@vattoyviews.com
Web – http://www.relocationbc.com

Moving to a new town can be a great adventure, if you go with the right attitude and a sound strategy for settling-in. Incorporate these tips into an action plan, and you’ll stay focused, organized and proactive—just what’s needed to put roots down fast.

Before You Go

  • Order a telephone directory for your new town from your local phone company.
  • Arrange for childcare. You may need to put your name on a waiting list.
  • Subscribe to the local newspaper to learn about upcoming events.
  • Get to know the new town street by street before you arrive. Contact the Visitor’s Bureau for materials, which should include a map. Identify important routes, such as those between your home and your office or your child’s school.
  • If possible, enroll your children in school. Firm plans will reduce the stress.

Upon Arrival

  • Have the locks changed. You never know who has a copy of the house key.
  • Locate emergency services – police and fire stations and the closest hospital.
  • Hang drapes or curtains to give you some privacy.
  • Select one room, perhaps the den, to be a refuge. Make it a cozy space, free of unpacked boxes, empty cartons or anything else move-related.
  • Stock the fridge with prepared entrees and the makings for no-fuss meals.

The First Week

  • Check with the post office to see if they are holding mail for you.
  • File away all documents related to the move. You’ll need them for verification of moving expenses at tax time.
  • Call the Department of Sanitation for a trash collection schedule.
  • Open a bank account and arrange for a safe deposit box, if needed.
  • Obtain a local driver’s license and transfer the vehicle registration.
  • Register to vote. Call the local Board of Elections for information.

Help Your Children Adjust

  • Maintain family routines. Kids will appreciate the continuity of family life.
  • Involve the kids. Allow them to select new furnishings or decorate their rooms.
  • Take your children to the local playground. If you move during the summer, it’s likely they’ll make friends there, which should ease the transition to the new school.
  • Try to be home when the children return from their first day at school. Kids feel reassured when a parent is there to hear about their day.
  • Watch for signs of adjustment problems. These can manifest as trouble making friends, academic difficulties, and irritability or depression.

Get Involved in the Community

  • Spend time outdoors. Neighbors may greet you and come by for sidewalk chats.
  • Walk your dog in an area where you see other dog owners congregating.
  • Schedule an after-work coffee or dessert hour. Invite neighbors to drop by.
  • Choose a place to worship and get involved; consider doing volunteer work.
  • Select professional service providers such as doctors, a dentist, a vet.
  • Check the YMCA/YWCA for a Newcomers Club.
  • Join a club or take up activities you enjoyed before the move.
  • Take a job-related class to develop new professional contacts and update skills.

Contact your real estate professional for more ideas. By re-establishing daily patterns and developing ties soon after arrival, your new environment will begin to feel like home.

Barrie Vattoy can be reached at (604) (421-1010).  Prudential Sterling Realty is an independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Looking for properties anywhere in B.C.?
Visit http://relocationbc.com

Prudential Sterling Realty
# 226-3355 North Road
Burnaby, B.C.
V3J 7T9
Fax 604-939-1797 Page: 604-618-8108
e-mail info@vattoyviews.com