In most states a “local move” or “intrastate move” is based on time so if you get your quote over the phone there is certain information that your local moving estimator should gather.  A visual “onsite” estimate is usually more accurate but for small moves like studio or one bedroom apartments a local quote can be given over the phone and still be good. There are generally 3 areas that should be covered to insure the proper information is conveyed to the move estimator.  Those areas include how much do you have to move, what are the logistics of your origin and destination, and how far and what type of drive is it from your origin to your destination.  This is assuming you don’t need your boxes packed for you.  If you do, an onsite estimate is a better idea.

The first area to cover is how much do you have to move?  You need to determine what’s in each room (not just how many rooms you have) so it’s best to go from room to room while on the phone with the local move estimator listing the furniture (and boxes) you have.  Each room is different so the more detail the better (even the smaller items matter).  Any local estimator worth his or her salt will also ask questions prompting you like is there any artwork? Are there any lamps? (what style, what size, etc).  Calculating your number of boxes can be difficult for a novice but the estimator should, again, ask questions, like how many linear feet of closet rod do you have (for wardrobe boxes), how many, and what length shelves  of books do you have? (For book boxes) how many cabinets do you have in your kitchen? How full are they? Of what? (for dish packs and large cartons).  These questions can help figure out the most difficult part of your local or intrastate moving quote.  Once you complete what’s in your apartment (or condo) your local moving estimator should check with you to see if you have any storage either in the building (or off site) or any garage or outdoor items like patio furniture, bikes, grills, or sports equipment.  It doesn’t matter whether you think something “isn’t much” or “isn’t a big deal”, the more precise you can be with your list of goods to be moved; the more accurate the local move estimator will be on his or her moving quote.

The second part of the local moving phone estimate equation is the logistics of your origin (where you live now), your destination (where you are moving to), and any restrictions that need to be followed related to the move.  Your local move estimator should find out what floor you live on, whether it’s an elevator or walk up (and the number of flights or stairs that are involved).  All these factors can affect your quote so be as detailed (and truthful) as possible, misinformation can only hurt you in the end.  Other questions should be is there a dock or loading area in the building? how far is it from the building to the truck parking (known as the push by movers) what is the distance from your unit to the elevator, etc? It sounds nitpicky but the logistical aspects of your move (on both sides) can make a difference of 25% to 35% in the time it can take to move out or move in.  Other areas of interest include are there time restrictions? If you live in an elevator building, do you have to make an elevator reservation? and is it exclusive use?  Are there height restrictions for the truck to get into the dock?  Do you have closing times?  The more information you give the better chance you have to get an accurate phone quote.  This is often the most over looked part of the local phone estimate process.

The third part of the local phone estimate is the distance and type of drive it is from your origin to your destination.  The local move estimator needs to get addresses (or at least neighborhoods) and the mileage between the two points to determine the time it will take a moving truck to get from point A to point B.  For instance, ten miles in a rural setting goes much faster than ten miles in a tight urban area.  Remember, in all traffic conditions a moving truck takes longer than a car to travel the same distance.

Once the local phone estimator retrieves all this information, he or she should be able to give you a quote including pricing (and how it’s determined), approximate length of time of your move, moving truck size, and approximate cost of materials, etc.  Also, if you can get 3 estimates you can compare and validate the quote you go with.  Like with any other part of the moving process, the more knowledge you have and your moving company has, the better decision you will usually make, and the more prepared your moving company will be to do you move.  Remember, you should always get the moving quote in writing after getting a phone estimate to insure there is no confusion.

Whether you have recently moved into a new home, or are relocating in the near future, your child should be comfortable with the concept of starting a new school.  This can be very stressful, so you want to make the transition as easy as possible on your kids or teens.  We’ve covered some areas that can help in making the move process and adaptation into a new school a little easier before and during the 1^st few weeks of the change.

Before you move and before school starts, make sure you discuss with your child that the move will be taking place.  The key to this is to stay positive and focus on the good points as we discussed in Helping your teen cope with a move.  Make sure your child or teen is included with the whole process.  Whether your focus is they are going to have a bigger home, or be closer to a grandparent, try to make it as positive of change for them as possible.

Remember it’s easier for a child or teen to start a new school at the beginning of a new school year.  Really try not to break up their school year, if it can be avoided.  This will make for a smoother transition, and studies have been shown that grades are less likely to be affected if the child is allowed to finish out the remaining time of their current school year. 

Include your kids and teens when finding a new school, and getting them registered.  Whether you arrange for a tour, attend school orientation, or have them at registration, make sure they are aware of their surroundings.  You may want to have your teen learn their bus route, or route they will take to get home for comfort levels.  For younger children, it is helpful to have them check out their classrooms, familiarize them with bathrooms, office, teachers, and surroundings.  When teens are entering high school, sometimes the school will have mentor–leadership programs for new students to familiarize themselves with the surroundings, it’s also a good idea if your kids are in middle school to check with the principle or dean to see if they have some type of buddy program or mentor program to help your student get more familiar also.

Get your teens and children involved.  The key to this is get to know what your child or teen wants to do, whether it’s them participating in a sport, activity, club, or hobby.  See what they most enjoyed about their old place, and try to make it as similar as possible.  Remember new friends can be made anywhere, so by helping them get involved with new clubs, sports, classes, libraries, etc, it will help with the success of their transition.  Making friends is important to your child’s development.  If your child or teen has a familiar face in their new classroom, it can also make things a little easier. 

Being Knowledgeable is key!  The more you know about the area and school and what they have to offer, the more you can ease your child’s anxiety, and the more you will be able to address any of your child’s or teens concerns.  If your child or teen is unhappy, figure out what exactly is the root of the problem.  Are they mad because they have to quit a club or sport?  Are they sad because they are leaving their friends?  Are they afraid they are not going to make new ones?  Are they concerned about new teachers?  This will help you address the potential problem, and surely ease a child’s concerns.

Encourage your child.  You as a parent need to be encouraging to your child, by reminding them of previous life changes that they have gone through.  This can help eliminate or decrease anxiety, or depression.  For instance, remember the first day of high school at your old place how scared you were?  Or when you first started junior high, or baseball, or anything new they might have done?  Assure your child or teen how they conquered their last task and got through the situation.  This can help your young one see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

When your teen or youth finally starts school, remember it is very important on your part, to stick with a routine.  A stable home environment will be more positive for your kid and they will have an easier time getting through the moving process.

Be prepared for a fight.  Most likely you will get some sort of a fight from your child, whether they are being rebellious, or going through crying stages, or fits.  Know that this is normal.  Once they have had a couple months to adjust, things will get easier.  If things have not changed after about 6 months, you may want to get a counselor or someone your child can talk to involved.

Now that you’ve settled in to your new area, get involved.  Whether you are being a little more social yourself, by setting up play dates, organizing a party, or social event, help your kids or teens get a little more social life.  You may want to even consider volunteering at a school or club, to help your kid.

Last but not least.  Keep in touch!.  Don’t forget your old friends, there are many ways your young one or teen can communicate with their old friends.  Skype, MySpace, face book, and phone are all good communication tools for the kids to use.  It’s much easier these days than 20 years ago to communicate.

Allow time! And you will succeed.

A delay in your move can add to the stress of the relocation process, but delays are very common and do occur.  With today’s economy, there are certain circumstances that can occur that are out of your control.  If you are better prepared for them, you can make matters a little easier to cope with.

First, you should understand there are many factors that can occur that may cause your move to be postponed; we have covered some common things that happen to people on a daily basis.

DELAYS:

1.  Delays in a job promotion or transfer may cause you to postpone your move.
2. Construction delays, these happen all the time, whether its contractor related, weather related, or village related.  This is very common; especially when building a new home or doing a renovation.
3. Buyers back out for financial reasons, etc.  This will cause longer delays because you will be starting from step one, and having to go through the whole process again.
4. Seller hasn’t met punch list by the time your home inspection occurs-this may cause a few days up to months to solve depending on how severe the item may be that needs to be resolved or repaired..
5. Contingency issues, your buyer can’t go forward, because their buyer backed out etc (domino effect).
6. Mortgage Lender, Attorney delays-this can occur with paperwork, if everything is not signed properly, misspellings, missing documents, something typed wrong, etc.  These can cause a delay in closings, which will have you postpone your move.

Whatever the situation may be if your move must be put on hold, here are some things to help you use your time wisely, along with things that need to be done to avoid any further complications.

BE PREPARED

1.  Notify your landlord if you are renting.  Whether it’s seeing if you can have a month to month extension, or week to week extension, see how flexible the person you are renting from will be, and if they will work with you.
2. Look at storage options, whether it’s with your moving company, portable storage company, or self storage company.  There are many options to choose from, figure out which one is best for you.  Checking out http://www.emovingstorage.com/storage/different-types-of-storage-and-the-pros-and-cons-of-each/, can help you determine which option is best for you.
3. Reschedule or cancel your move date with your moving company or truck rental company as soon as you know of the delays, the companies will appreciate as much notice as you can give them, so they can refill the slot.  This may motivate them to be more flexible to work with you in the future.
4. If you have already cancelled insurance policies, contact your agent, and see whats covered and what you need to do to have continued coverage until things are resolved.
5. Don’t go shopping for things for your new home, even if there are sales, this will cause you to have more to move.
6. If you are relocating out of state or country, take advantage of the time you have left with your loved ones, friends, family that are close while you can.
7. This is also a good time to help you purge more, and give you more time to get rid of items whether it’s hosting another garage sale, or selling your items on line like www.craigslist.com, or www.ebay.com.
8. Packing and Organization.  Time you will definitely have more of.  Take more time to get everything in order; do not unpack everything, only the essentials.
9. If you have not found new employment, take advantage of finding new opportunities and use the extra time as an extra bonus in your job search.
10. Take advantage of getting to know the new neighborhood, it will make you feel less of a stranger when you get to your new home.

If you have to live in a temporary residence because you have to vacate your current home, make the best of it for yourself, family, children, and pets.  Try to keep routines as normal as possible, and stay calm to keep everyone else around you less uneasy. 

A delay could be positive.  Sometimes a delay can reveal problems like new home inspection problems that could potentially cost you-things like foundation problems, radon or mold can be issues that have to be dealt with.

Understand your rights and responsibilities in any contract whether buying or selling your home.  Have legal counsel review to see what happens in case of delays, earnest money, daily charges, charges for expenses are all things to understand.  Remember delays happen, but by remaining calm, and taking advantage of the extra time you have before your relocation, you can make things a little easier on yourself and your family.

As kids grow into teens, they are more likely to experience sadness, anger or depression when moving away.  Research shows that teens spend at least 1/3^rd of their day with friends and peers between schools, activities, and just hanging out.  This is one of the toughest changes they will experience, and to be separated from their schools, home, neighborhood, and friends is very traumatic.  Unfortunately teens do not always know how to cope with their feeling of the loss.  Making and keeping friends is very important in a teenager’s social development.  Remember it is natural for your teen to start backing away and withdrawing or even kicking and screaming during this relocation process.

HELPFUL TIPS:

Get Them Involved:

If your still looking for your new residence, ask your teen for their opinion, get them involved.  Give them a project (like picking out colors for their wall), or helping you on where you want the furniture to go, or getting their opinion on picking out the house. 

 Visiting the New Neighborhood:

Take your teen to the new area; let them get to scope the area out.  See if there are any clubs, sports, activities that they may be interested in including school activities, or outside school activities.  Figure out where shopping centers, activities, etc are.  See if there is voluntary stuff, or festivals, something fun your teen may want to get involved with. Finding stuff for your teen to do can be helpful so they have something to look forward to.  Make sure when you are registering for school, they are present so they have a chance to check out their new high school, and other activities the school may have.

 Discuss Visiting the Old Neighborhood: 

Your teen may be old enough to drive themselves, so figuring out when they can go back and visit old friends is a good plan.  If relocating out of state, maybe they can have a friend for a weekend, or plan a weekend back at their old neighborhood, don’t restrict them, or they will rebel.  By allowing them visits, it can make things a little easier on the moving process.

 Allow Your Teen To Express Their Feelings:

Your teen is most likely going to be emotional over the process.  They will probably be thinking you should allow them to graduate and then move and will probably be resentful.  Allow them to express themselves, let them know they are heard.

 Figure Out How They Would Like to Say Their Goodbyes:

Whether it is a going away party for their closest friends or a weekend away.  If you do not allow your teenager to go through the hugging, crying, and the saying goodbye process, they will probably regret it, and be resentful towards you.

 THINGS NOT TO DO:

 Youll Make New Friends:

Don’t tell your teenager that they will make new friends, they are not worried about making new friends, they are more concerned with parting with the old friends.

 Don’t Bribe Them:

Whether its new clothes, car, accessories, etc, it’s not going to change how they feel, so bribing is never a good approach.

 Don’t Turn Your Back:

Expect your teenager to have fits and tantrums.  They will most likely withdraw, and, probably want their space.  Make sure your teen knows you are there for them, and again allow them to express themselves.

Remember you must be firm in the relocation process, even if there is screaming, kicking, and crying.  Your teenager will bounce back, and change is difficult, but over time, they will adapt.

When a friend moves away it can be devastating on a child.  When I was growing up, my best friend who lived next door, moved far away.  The separation was hard and I always wondered what she was doing.  We were able to reconnect 20 years later, but I wonder how things would have been different if our parents had kept us in contact.  There are ways to soften the blow of a friend moving away.  Here are some ideas:

For younger children,  7 years old and under, the consensus is that it’s better to wait to right before the move to break the news.  Then explain that there are changes happening and their friend is moving.  For children 8 years old and older the rule of thumb is to present the news ahead of time so the children have more time to prepare themselves, say goodbyes, etc.  The key in this presentation is to convey a positive attitude about the change.  Focus on the brighter side like their friend may have a bigger house, be closer to other family, or other situations that puts the transition in a positive light.

WAYS TO PREPARE AND COPE:

Get your child involved in activities: 

 Plan play dates, new activities, clubs, etc, something that is going to help them get involved with other children their age,  so they are being active, and not dwelling on their friend being gone.  The busier they are, the better they will adjust.

Plan a Play Date: 

Whether it’s a final play date with their friend, this will be good, also include other kids, so then your child does not feel alone or sad when the other child has left.

Going Away Parties: 

 If they are planning a going away party, have your child get involved in helping so they feel like they are a part of this aspect.  If there is not one planned, have your child plan a going away party with a couple of friends.

Keep In Touch: 

Make sure you figure out with the other parent different ways the kids can still communicate after the move.  Whether it is talking on the phone (exchange phone #’s)like skype, chatting on the internet like facebook (if old enough), or www.kidschat.com, or other similar sites, this can make the communication easier.  Another option would be to let them be pen pals or write letters.  You should also try to figure out with the parent if they are not moving out of the state or country when you could schedule a visit, maybe once a month, or every couple months, so the kids can still see each other.  In our internet age, contact is so much easier than it was 20 years ago.

Keepsake: 

 Your child could make a photo album, or scrap book so they have memories of their friend.  This is also a good going away present for the other person if the child creates something for the other child to have memories to go away with. 

Feelings Count too: 

Find out how your child is feeling about the move, open ended questions can get your farther.  Let your child know that you are there for them, and allow them a chance to express their emotions.  A good icebreaker or way to get them to open up would be doing this over something fun like going out for ice cream, or pizza, or for a walk.

Stay Positive: 

 Remember to be positive through the whole process, the more positive you are, the better the outcome will be.  Allow your child to be sad if need be, working through emotional periods is good, just be supportive when their friend relocates!

Babies too can sense if there is stress around them, so the key to moving with an infant is to make things as smooth as possible.  It is important that you as a parent formulate a plan and prepare yourself by eating right and getting plenty of rest in the days leading up to the move.  This preparation will help make for more relaxed parents and this will be conveyed to your infant by the tone of your voice.  Also a good idea is to talk to your baby about the move, even though they don’t understand, they can sense changes in your voice that can help ease them when there is a lot of activity around the home.  For instance, “we are almost to our new home”, or “today the moving truck is coming”, etc would be some examples of things to tell your baby.

When it comes to preparation there are several things that can help before moving day.

Hire A Babysitter (if possible): 

 Especially on a local move, it’s a good idea to plan this way in advance, that way your child is out of harms way. Someone  familiar (like a  grandma or grandpa if possible) can be fun for baby and helpful to busy parents on move day.

Plan A Route: 

If you are driving long distance in a car, make sure you have scheduled pit stops that are to be made, make sure you are taking breaks; a long car ride can be stressful, so you want to have a plan of where you will take a break ahead of time.  Also make sure you know where rest stops are, hospitals, pharmacy, in case of emergency and you need to stop right away.

Physicians: 

Make sure you contact your pediatrician ahead of time and have records transferred over, and set up a new doctors office if you are going out of state, or moving long distance, that way if you need to get in right away, you have no delays.

Checkups: 

Make sure to have your baby examined before the move, and  to make sure there are no illnesses, and that their immune systems are ready for the trip, to avoid any delays to your moving process.

Make sure you have enough essentials with you.  This will save you headaches in the long run.

ITEMS TO BRING:

When traveling by car, the best way to keep your infant calm is to make sure you have toys to occupy them, or sounds that ease your babies, whether it’s a kids tape, or a noise making toy, test it out ahead of time to see what occupies them for a while.  It’s a good idea to make sure you take a lot of breaks, this will help make your trip less stressful.

If you have to travel by airplane, make sure you check with your airline to see what restrictions they have on infants. You may need medical clearance from a physician if you have a new born, remember you will be on a plane confined with about 200 other people, and not everyone is healthy flying.  Airplanes can hurt the infant’s ears, so you may want to consider feeding them so they are doing the swallowing motion during departure and arrival, to help ease the pressure on their ears. 

So remember when you are relocating and using a mover or doing it yourself, don’t forget your little one can sense your stress levels, and the more calm and prepared you are for your child, the easier it will be to relocate with your baby.

Use Gates that Cannot Easily Come Open:  Make sure your gates are secure.  If placing them at a stairwell, make sure they are screwed into the walls.

Keep Furniture Away From Windows:  Children do climb, by keeping furniture away from windows, you can help protect your child from having a fall.

Make Sure Blinds Dont Have Looped Cords:  Make sure your blinds dont have looped cords where a child can get stuck, and cause possible strangulation.

Keep blinds away from Cribs:  Keep cribs as far away from the windows as possible.

Remove Free Falling Objects:  Kids will get into things, make sure all furniture is tacked down or secure, and there are no loose items that can fall on them while they are playing.

Have Smoke Alarms and CO2 alarms checked and tested:  You never know when this will or can become an emergency.  Make sure you test your home, every few months to make sure your family is protected.

Keep Breakables, Cleaners, Medicines, Tools, Razors, Lighters, and Sharp Objects out of reach:  Why tempt your child?  By having the items out of sight, you are not tempting fate.

Use Slip proof Mats and Rugs:  These will help avoid slipping or falling.

Check outdoor play areas before allowing your child to play:  Make sure there are no loose bolts, screws, nails, old objects, or glass that can harm your child.

Keep Hot Water Tanks out of reach:  Children get burned every year, keep this out of reach to prevent burn injuries.

Driveway Safety:  Have boundaries for kids especially outdoors, netting, gates, etc will help keep your child safe.

These extra tips will help keep your home a little bit safer for you and your child.

When you move into a new home, there are many things you can do to ensure your child’s safety and the following are some simple tips to avoid accidents and serious injury or death.

First we will cover some gadgets and their uses.  Many of these items can be purchased from a hardware store, baby specialty store, grocery store, or even online.  All safety items should be able to prevent access and be durable enough for the child and easy for the adult to use.  Make sure to follow instructions exactly to ensure your child’s safety.

CORD SHORTENERS:  Make sure your blinds at home do not have looped cords.  The cord shorteners can be used to avoid cords hanging too low on blinds, drapes, lamps, and appliances.  These are used to help prevent your child from tripping, pulling, entanglement, and/or possible strangulation.  When ordering window treatments,  make sure you ask for safety features.  You can also get blind cord information safety tips at www.windowcoverings.org.

ELECTRICAL OUTLETS/POWER STRIP COVERS:  These covers can reduce the hazard of an open electrical outlet which can be used to help protect your child getting electrocuted.  Be sure outlet protectors are not easily removable.

GATES OR SHIELDS:  Gates or shields can be used on stairs, balconies, decks,or any potentially unsafe areas to help prevent falls, prevent pets entering, and or prevent children from entering a dangerous area.  It is important to make sure they do not come apart easy.  When using a gate at the top of the stairs, make sure they screw into the walls.  Avoid gates that have v-shapes, that are large enough for a childs head or neck to get trapped.

WINDOW GUARDS/SAFETY NETTING:  These are used to prevent falls from windows or between railings.  You should limit the window to open about 4” or less which includes the space between the guard bars.  Make sure you leave one window in each room easily accessible in case of fires as an escape.  Screens are not an effective way to prevent falls.  If you are using house mover, or doing it yourself, it is a good idea to avoid putting furniture too close to windows as children can climb up and possible fall through.

BIFOLDS FOR DOORS/STOPPERS/LATCHES/DOOR LOCKS:  Bifolds for closets or doors are used to prevent fingers getting stuck in the cracks or pinched.  Stoppers also can be used for this reason, and to avoid slamming doors and holes in the walls.  The latches and locks can be used on cabinets, drawers, kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas of caution to prevent access by children, or to protect fragile items.  Items including medicines, cleaners, flammables, poisons, and sharp objects should always be locked away.  The locks should be easy to install and use but be durable enough to take pulling and tugging by children.

EMERGENCY DOOR LOCK RELEASE:  The emergency door lock release should always be considered to avoid children getting locked in or out of somewhere.

PATIO DOOR LOCKS:  These locks are used to prevent easy access to the outside area, especially when there are animals, or pools, etc involved.

FIRE ALARMS:  Every home should have a fire alarm or smoke detecter.  Safety route plans should be discussed with the child in case of fire. Make sure to do frequent checks to make sure the unit is working properly with charged batteries.

CO2 ALARM:  These alarms can avoid Carbon Monoxide poisoning.  Many deaths occur every year, and frequent checks to make sure the battery is working in every unit is a smart way to go.

ANTISCALDING DEVICES:  These devices can prevent burns.  A child can get a 3^rd degree burn in 3 seconds in water that is over 140 degrees.  Water should be set about 120 degrees to avoid burns. 

LIGHT SWITCH EXTENSIONS/NIGHT LIGHTS:  The extensions can make it easier for your child to turn on or off lights, and nightlights can avoid frequent wakeups in the middle of the night or a child tripping and injuring themselves.

SWIMMING POOL ALARMS/COVERS:  The alarms or covers can be used to avoid accidental drowning.  If not in use, a cover is a good idea to prevent fall ins.  The alarm will also detect if something or someone has fallen into the pool and will sound until shut off by the adult or proper party.

CHILD HAND RAILS:  The hand rail can be used for stair cases in case the handle is too high for the child to reach.

PLAYYARDS/TENTS/DRIVEWAY SAFETY NETTING:  The playards or tents can be used to keep pets out and avoid unwanted wandering.  The driveway netting is used to help create boundaries for your child and for drivers.

FURNITURE LATCHES/ANTI-TIP DEVICES:  These help secure furniture to walls and prevent furniture from falling onto the child if they are climbing up the piece.

FURNITURE BUMPERS:  These can be used around sharp edges, or hard corners to avoid injury to the child running into or bumping into.

BEDRAILS/GUARDS:  These can be used to avoid children rolling or falling out of bed.

KITCHEN SAFETY:  Fridge guards, oven and stove locks and washer and dryer latches can all be used to avoid your child from having access to these appliances without supervision.

BATHROOM:  Toilet locks can be used to prevent clogging or accidental drowing, tub handles can prevent falls, and tub bumpers can be used when the infants tub is too big to avoid hitting the sides to hard.

FIREPLACE GUARDS: can be used to prevent a child from opening or falling in and getting burned.

All of these items can help ensure a childs safety and will be helpful prior to your move in, or once you are settled in after your move.

Settling in After the Move can be easily achieved

Getting settled into your home can be a lot of work and exciting at the same time.  Getting your priorities straight and settling down into your new living quarters should be done with a little less stress by having these helpful tips to follow; while making sure all your bases are covered.

FAMILY:

It may take some time for your family to get used to their new living quarters,  especially children.  Be supportive and work together to help everyone adjust.  Treat yourself to a treat, or pamper yourself to ease your stress of moving in.

PETS:

Although they are not human, pets can be impacted with the move and have a hard time adjusting also.  You may want to start with keeping animals such as dogs, cats, etc in small areas, and keep them confined for a short period of time, until they can get acclimated, slowly breaking them in and to avoid them running away.

GRATITUDE:

Now that you have moved in, make sure to say thank you to everyone who helped you.  Whether you’re doing your movers review (calling the company afterwards) or typing a thank you letter, both are greatly appreciated.  Don’t forget your friends or family who helped you pack or move (pizza, a small gift, beer, etc) is always appreciated and shows your gratitude towards them.

UNPACKING AND DECORATING:

Don’t feel like you have to rush to unpack and get everything put away.  Start with your essentials first.  Also get your family involved with the process of unpacking, decorating, and getting acclimated to their own space.

ELECTRONICS:

Allow at least 24 hours after your move for all of your electronics, appliances, etc to adjust to room temperature.

RENTERS:

For places that are being rented or leased, get to know your building management or landlord.  It is a good idea to do a walk through noting any damages, that way you are not responsible when the lease is up, or the problem can be addressed during your stay.

NEIGHBORS:

Get to know your neighbors.  Introduce yourself and know who you are living next to and your surroundings in case of emergencies, or if you are new to the area.

NEIGHBORHOOD AWARENESS:

Get information from the Chamber of Commerce on schools, communities, activities, etc.  Get familiar.  Figure out where shopping, hospitals, gas stations, police stations, fire department and post offices are.  Participate in organizations or clubs if you are looking to interact a little more in the community.

UTILITIES AND PERSONAL FINANCE:

Make sure everything is hooked up and turned on.   Make sure you have your banks switched over, cleaners, pharmacists, vets, newspapers, internet, etc.  Get new library cards for your new town.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS:

Change your address, legal documents, banking, etc.  Get a new drivers license,  if necessary.  Figure out what forms are need if you have relocated to a new city.  Keep all personal documents in one area.

REGISTER:

Register to vote in your new city.  Register your vehicle, if necessary and Register your kids in school.

MEDICAL:

Provide new doctors, dentists, therapists, etc. with medical history.  Make sure all scripts are transferred to your new pharmacy.  Have medical files from previous health care providers in case you move to a different location and need to provide them to new physicians, etc.

SCHOOLS:

Learn your children’s school schedule.  Learn what time buses come and where bus stops are.  It’s a good idea to learn the bus route in case of emergencies.

GARBAGE/TRASH DAY:

Figure out when your trash day is.  You can find this information out by checking with the sanitation department.  Some cities will require stickers or fees that are billed to you.  Recycle bins may also be used.

RECYCLE BOXES:

Once you are finished unpacking, instead of throwing out your boxes, check with the movers that moved you in, or friends and relatives, someone may be in need of your moving boxes.

Now that you have all these areas tackled, you will be able to enjoy your new home stress free.

Moving into an assisted living or elderly community can be a challenging time for your parents or grandparents.  By being supportive and strategic, you can ease the process for your loved ones.  Below are some helpful tips to assist with making the moving process a little easier, whether you do it yourself, or use a residential mover.

TIMING:

Do your research and selection way ahead of time.  There may be waiting lists so it’s a good idea to do the research months or a year in advance of when the move is needed.

SELECTION:

Determine what your needs are and prioritize them.  Location, amenities, levels of care, meal plans, social events, and economics are all items to consider when determining the best fit for your loved one.  Even demographics (if a facility has primarily WWII vets, or if they specialize in Dementia, Parkinson’s disease etc.) will help make the decision.  Let your loved one participate in the decision process.  It will make the process smoother for everyone and they will not feel as much resentment in the long run.

DETERMINATION:

Once you have decided on a new home, find out what you need.  Is it furnished or is furniture needed?  Can art work be hung?  Being able to bring as much as possible from a previous residence makes it homier.  Familiarity and comfort can make the transition easier.

ORGANIZATION:

It’s more work but do a floor plan to scale, to make sure everything will fit.  Having to leave behind grandma’s favorite victrola because it didn’t fit would be stressful.  The process will also speed the move in so everyone can get acclimated more quickly.  Some communities have floor plan designers or computerized programs that will help you determine what will fit and will work with you in doing so.

PACKING AND PREPARATION FOR THE MOVE:

Either get professional movers or assist in the purge and pack process.  Not only is packing physically taxing, it can be an emotional strain.  Work with your loved one to pack and prep necessary items and discard what isn’t needed.  It will help make the task less overwhelming.

CONFIRMATION:

Make sure everything is confirmed before your move in day.  If you are using residential movers, or if you need to confirm with the new building, etc. so there are no last minute surprises.  Check with the building coordinator if elevators need to be reserved, or pads and protection need to be put up before your move in can happen.  Confirmations in writing or by email are good, followed up by a phone call the day before can confirm all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.

VISITS AND CONTACT:

Once your loved one is moved in, it’s a good idea to set up a schedule of regular visits.  It’s something that everyone can plan for and look forward to.  Remember resistance to this type of move can happen.  Being organized and planning well can help the transition go as smooth as possible.