Getting Set Up in Your New Community

Moving into a new home in a new community can certainly be an exciting, rejuvenating, wonderfully adventurous experience. Of course, feeling the wonder may have to wait a bit – after you’ve recuperated from all the frenetic activity of finding a new home, planning your move, gathering supplies, transferring personal records, packing, unpacking, obsessing over a myriad details, and whatnot. But when all that’s done and you’re finally in your new home … ah! That’s when it hits you: your new life is just beginning.

Now you must concentrate on making this new house of yours truly a home. You and your family must get to know it. That’s an easy enough matter, given that you surely still have some furniture to move around, a few décor items to situate, and lots of little things yet to unpack and find a spot for. There’s no reason other than personal preference to hurry through this, either; you’ve got plenty of time, once all your big possessions and living essentials are in place.

But your new house won’t really be your home until you get to know your new neighbors and your new community as well. The sooner you introduce yourself to those living around you, and the sooner you start exploring what your new community has to offer, the sooner you’ll feel that you really belong in your new home.

We’ve got some great tips to help you do all this, starting with …

Getting Through Your First Night

Most of your possessions will still be boxed up and unavailable when you arrive at your new home. To get through your first night, then, you’ll want to have a few items readily accessible to stay there in some kind of comfort. That requires forethought, of course. So before you head out for your new home, be sure to have with you …

• A pre-packed box or two of “essentials”

• A plan for who’s going to sleep where

Maybe you just throw down blankets and pillows and sleep on the living room floor. Maybe you get your permanent beds assembled in the bedrooms and made up right away. Or maybe you go to a nearby hotel. Whatever you decide, decide before you arrive.

• A plan for what you’re going to eat

Do you really feel like cooking after an exhausting Move Day? We expect not. Especially since most of your food, pots, pans, and cooking utensils will still be in boxes. Think, instead, about eating out at a nearby fast-food place or restaurant … or ordering pizza, Chinese, or other fare for home delivery. You can research restaurants and delivery options online before Move Day and program their numbers into your phone for quick access.

Getting Your Utilities Connected

You should arrange to have your new home’s utilities connected before you spend your first night there. That may seem simple enough to do. But, actually, it’s a bit complicated. For one thing, you must deal with different companies, each of which will have its own schedule. That means you’ll have to contact these companies well in advance of your move if you want everything connected when you arrive to take up residence.

• Physical Utilities – Water, Gas, Electricity. Find out, first of all, if you have a choice of services. Depending on where your home is located, you may not. The Internet’s a good place to start. Your state should have a Board of Public Utilities website that lists utility providers in your location. Check the phone book and Yellow Pages too. And talk with your new neighbors. Typically, it takes providers a day or two to activate a physical utility service and make all the appropriate connections. So the sooner you notify them, the better. The longer you delay, the greater the chance the utility company will be overbooked and unable to accommodate your wishes.
• TV, Phone, and Internet Services. Standard or Hi-Def TV? Satellite or Cable TV and Internet? A new calling plan? Most major providers “bundle” a variety of services, which often saves you money, lets you consolidate your utilities in one bill, and simplifies communication because you have only one company to deal with. Talk with friends and neighbors to determine which provider might best serve your needs. Perhaps you already know from experience, but expect, 1) that you’ll be required to be present when your TV, phone, and Internet services are installed and, 2) that the installation could take up to four hours or more. Be advised also that you may have to wait roughly a week before an installer you’ve contacted can actually come to your home.

The Internet is not only useful in researching utility services but also can be a great tool for arranging installation and managing your account. Most utility companies have their own websites that make it easy for you to do this.

Note: It’s important that your utilities be connected in the right order. For example, you’ll need to have electricity in the house before your TV and Internet can be installed. The problem is, electric utilities generally respond quicker to installation requests than TV, Internet, and phone service installers. So you might consider calling your TV, Internet, and phone service installers first – at least two or three weeks in advance of when you want their services activated. Then, call the electric company and have them activate your electric service a few days before the same is done for your TV and Internet services. You should contact your other physical utility companies a week in advance – more than a week is better – to let them know the date on which you want their services connected and activated.

Getting Settled in Your New Home

Now that you’ve gotten your utilities activated and survived your first night or two in your new home, you’re ready to begin that slow, steady, and – one would hope – pleasant process of settling in. There are a few things, though, that you shouldn’t put off.

• Change your address. Just fill out a U.S. Postal Service Change of Address Order online or visit your nearest post office. This authorizes the post office to forward mail marked for your old address to your new address. Don’t forget also to notify your banks or other financial institutions and credit card companies of your address change. Then there’s the matter of your driver’s license. Remember to visit your local DMV and get it updated. Of course, you may be required to take another driving test before being issued a new license if you’ve moved to a new state.
• Change your locks. Keep in mind that previous owners of your new home, realtors, and possibly a few other people had keys allowing them entry. Do you really trust that they no longer have keys? See a locksmith! Or buy new locks and install them yourself. Your family’s safety may well depend on it.
• Finish Unpacking. We get it. You’re tired after all the drama and trauma of moving. But the longer you delay in unpacking your possessions and putting them away, the longer your house – and you! – will feel unsettled. You needn’t rush through it, though. Be systematic. Tackle one room at time, getting everything meant for that room unboxed, unwrapped, and placed where you want it before you move on to the next room.
• Get to know your new neighbors. Even if you’re not by nature the most outgoing of people, you’ll find it beneficial to establish good relationships with your neighbors. And, once again, the sooner, the better. Be bold but not aggressive; pleasant but not effusive. Just introduce yourself as soon as you get a chance and let whatever relationship develops take its course. Maybe you don’t become BFFs. But you’ll find living in close proximity a whole lot more congenial if you at least make an effort to be friendly and get along.
• Explore your new neighborhood. If you didn’t have an opportunity to do so before your move, get out and about the first week you arrive. Locate the nearest grocery stores, retailers, restaurants, parks, and other venues of interest to you and your family. Go for long walks, if you can. Otherwise, drive around and see what there is to see. Don’t always follow the beaten path, either. It’s often what’s hidden that best rewards your curiosity.

  Getting Familiar with Your New Community

As we indicated above, exploration is crucial in the first week or so of your arrival. But you should carry that spirit of exploration forward if you really want to get to know your new hometown.

Remember, there are all kinds of ways to explore. Some of the best ways? By foot. By car. And via the Internet or mobile apps on your smartphone.

Among the most preferred online sources of info about local activities and venues right now are Google Maps, Yelp, and Citysearch. They can clue you in to the best nearby movie theaters, eateries, nightclubs, and other popular gathering places – as well as all the best places to shop for all the things you generally shop for. It’s worth pointing out, though, that just because these services give a high rating to some place doesn’t mean you’ll find that place best for you. Take your time. Look around. And find the places that make you happy.

If you’re particularly Internet savvy, you might look into these exploration options as well:

Consider creating a Google Doc online. This is an excellent way to compile the advice you’ve gotten from acquaintances on where to go for this or that in your new community. Then, you can invite them and others to join in and add still more of their favorite places around town.

Also, think about crowd-sourcing responses to any queries you might make about local places and activities on Facebook or Twitter.

With either of these options, you’re not just getting random reviews of places and activities from the Internet at large. You’re communicating with real local people, exchanging information with them, and getting direct responses to your follow-up questions – on any topic you wish to pursue.

Not so Internet savvy? No problem!

You still can’t beat talking with people in person – on the street, in shops, at a local restaurant, or wherever. And, in that regard, you might want to consider (sooner rather than later) joining local clubs and organizations that reflect your interests and hobbies. This is a great way to meet new friends and get better established in your new hometown. Think too about involving yourself in some sort of community service. You’ll undoubtedly find that making yourself useful – in local government, in the school system, to the elderly and infirm, or to the homeless and those otherwise less fortunate than you – can go a long way toward making you feel more a part of the new community you call home.