What to Do Before the Big Move to a New Neighborhood

If you’re worried about moving to a new area or neighborhood, don’t. We’ve got your back. Moving to a new house or apartment in a new neighborhood, before unpacking your stuff and then calling it done rarely means it’s done. Your family and yourself will all of a sudden be living in an area you don’t know much about and without those familiar places and faces you’re all used to. It will take a bit of time to settle in, but with the right preparation, you’ll be able to adjust more quickly.

A Quick Thing or Two

There’s a social media site where you can go to attempt to learn about any rampant racism in the area. Nextdoor’s racism education & prevention efforts can help keep you and your family safe. You never know when or where racism will rear its ugly head – even in the best of areas.

You may also want to recon the neighborhood itself a bit before you sign anything. This goes for whether you’re coming home after working abroad or just moving around the block. Neighborhoods change every time someone moves in or out and this can tell you whether or not it’s a safe area or even if there are nosey or noisy neighbors.

Check it Off

Before the big move, there’s always more to do than simply pack up boxes and move things around. A few weeks, or even a few months before you move, you should create a moving checklist. Aside from the inevitable packing, you should also have things on it such as getting the utilities turned on at the new place and checking out/registering the new schools your children will be attending. It’s also a good thing to change the locks before you move in. You don’t want strangers still having keys to your new place.

Neighbors

Once you’ve finished moving and get unpacked, take a bit of a break and have a stroll around your block. Say hello and introduce yourself to anyone who happens to be outside while trying not to be overly intrusive. Be approachable, open, friendly, and yourself. Meeting your neighbors is a great way to get to know who is living around you, which is smart especially if you have kids.

Housewarming

Once you’ve met a few of the new neighbors, throw yourself a housewarming party and be sure to send them an invitation. You might let them know that they can invite other members of the neighborhood if you haven’t met everyone yet. This will allow you to meet them all in a group social setting so you’ll be able to make more connections. It’s alright to keep things a bit simple, the neighbors will all know and understand that you just moved in. Ask them to bring a chair or two, glasses, dishware, or even snacks. People generally don’t mind it at all.

When All Is Said and Done

When you move to a new neighborhood or area, it can be likened to a sort of new beginning. You’ll have new things to experience, new places to explore, new noises to get used to, and new people to meet. It’s more than natural to feel a bit anxious for the first few days, or even more when you finally move into the new place and the excitement wears off. It can help more than a bit if you just calm down a bit and give yourself the time you need in order to acclimate yourself to your new surroundings and get settled into a groove. Once you’ve found your footing, things will be just fine.