You’ve arrived at your new home and it seems as if, finally, the hard part of moving is over. Gone is the uncertainty over which company you’ll choose to help you move, what date you’ll settle on for moving day, which items you’ll pack up and take with you and which you’ll leave behind via charity shops or auctioneers. Gone, too, is the sheer slog of getting it all ready, wading through mountains of tasks and liaising with different people to keep the show on the road. Now you’re in your new house and able come up for air and to take a deep breath. Then, quickly or slowly, an uneasy feeling descends. It may feel like a kind of disorientation. You’re in the post-relocation stage, and it’s a bit like the aftershocks that follow an earthquake. The best way to get through it is to make conscious efforts to acclimatise yourself, especially if you’ve changed not only homes but actual areas and therefore the streets or countryside around you are unfamiliar. Here are some suggestions to help you get beyond this somewhat unsettling phase of your move.
- Connect to your new neighbourhood by checking out local newspapers, community magazines, residents associations. Getting up to speed on what’s happening will help you feel less dislocated and focus your energies on the present.
- Join your local library and get library cards for everyone in your family. Not only are libraries good for books, they’re also community hubs where you can find out about events like writers’ groups, reading groups, authors’ promotional appearances and more.
- Set aside time for fully exploring your new home. After all, although you will have been on viewings before you moved, it’s still unknown territory. Snoop around, checking for signs of pre-existing damage. Get to know where things like the fuse boxes are located, along with the main water valve stop. Get a sense of whether or not your home needs a security upgrade and also if the front and back door locks comply with your contents insurance requirements.
- If you didn’t do it before your move, make sure you issue all the necessary change-of-address cards, as well as apprising all applicable companies of your new details. You may have set up mail-forwarding with the post office but it’s still better to get as much of your mail as possible sent directly to your new address rather than re-routed.
- Set up all the new professional services you’ll need – healthcare providers, dentists, vets and so on. Expand this list to include plumbers, handymen and electricians, so that you’re prepared if something goes wrong.
