Have you just moved into a new property? Or are you in the process of preparing to move from one home to another? Whatever the case, you’ve come to the right place to learn about how you can settle into your new home fast. Let’s dive in, shall we?
In This Article
1. Officially Change Your Home Address
Before all else, you’ll want to officially change your address.
This would involve the following:
- Informing your postal service about your home move and your new address. This way any post directed to you but with your old address will be rerouted to your new home for the first year following your move.
- Registering your change of address with all other relevant individuals/organisations. This could include your bank, employer, insurance company, and GP. If you have children, you’ll also want to register the address change with their school.
- Letting your utility companies know about your move. That way they can move your relevant services for you.
2. Make It ‘Your Home’
There’s no place like home! But the reality is when you’ve just moved into a new property, it’s not going to feel quite like your place immediately. But if you want to settle in fast, there are steps you can take to make it your home quickly.
You should put your belongings in their new place swiftly. You don’t have to recreate your old home, of course. You may want to add new fittings and items (e.g., a new painting on the wall or fresh kitchen table and chairs) and mix it in with items and fittings from your old home. Either way, with the right steps you can make your new property feel like home in no time.
Don’t forget to hire all relevant installers that are needed for making your new property your home. For instance, you may need to hire an aerial installer, if for instance, you have a Sky or Virgin Media TV subscription. It’s best to write out a list well in advance of who you’d need to hire, when, and how much it would cost.
3. Get to Know Your Local Area
Leaving behind your old neighbourhood can be an unnerving time, especially if you lived there for many years or even decades. However, by taking those first steps to exploring your new area, hopefully you’ll find a new comfort zone relatively fast.
Google would be your first port of call. To start with, you could simply Google ‘amenities in [name of the area]’. Alternatively, or in addition, you could try more specific searches like ‘sports clubs in…’, ‘landmarks in…’ or ‘pubs and restaurants in…’. Of course, those search options could go on and on depending on what sort of facilities or amenities you’re most interested in.
Beyond that, you could try Google Maps to find out exactly where different facilities/amenities are before visiting them in person. You and your family may decide to go to the local pub for a Sunday meal or maybe you’d like to join a club so you can mingle with some of the locals in relation to a specific topic.
There will likely be a whole host of possibilities, and, of course, the larger your local area, the more options there will be. If you have just moved into an especially rural area, it may be trickier. But it’s worth getting to know your local area either way.
4. Get Involved in the Local Community
As touched on with the previous point, you should take part in the community. If there are specific community events or community meetings taking place, we recommend attending some if this interests you.
Undeniably local communities are not as strong and cohesive as they once were. But that doesn’t mean they no longer exist. Therefore, we recommend Googling community events or/and looking for groups and events related to your local community on social media.
Of course, getting involved in your local community can include getting to know your neighbours. Therefore, we suggest making an effort to introduce yourself. You may find that there is even a social media group for your neighbourhood (e.g., a WhatsApp group).
5. Preparing the Kids and Your Pets for a New Home
Another aspect of settling into a new home fast (if applicable) is getting your children and pets ready for a new home. For children and pets alike, a new environment could prove particularly stressful at first.
Here are some ideas to help them get used to their new home:
- Let your children explore the layout of the property before you unpack.
- Give your kids time to personalise their rooms and make it feel like home.
- Allow your pets ample time to explore their new environment and minimise stressors, If you have a high-energy pet, it may be worth installing a pet door.
- Another consideration for pets is to let them visit the property before you move in, if it’s possible. This way they can explore the household and take its scent in before moving there permanently. Some familiarity is better than none.
- Allow your kids and pets to get used to a new routine by making the transition as smooth as possible. Some of the steps listed earlier could even help with this.
6. Get Into a New Routine
For many people, a solid routine is key to contentment. Therefore, we recommend planning out and establishing a new routine quickly after arriving.
Of course, your daily and weekly routines are going to vary. The former would focus mostly on things like what time members of the household get up at, what time everyone has dinner at (if at the same time), and other daily activities. As for the latter, a weekly routine may consist of events such as what day of the week your household purchases the weekly shopping or a Friday movie night at home.
7. Prioritise Your Unpacking
Unpacking a home is no easy task. Presumably you’ll be bringing a lot of items and fittings with you. In that case, you’ll want to have a priority list written up so you can unpack in a smart and efficient manner. A thought-through plan will make the unpacking process a lot easier and avoid things turning to chaos.
