Here are some things to consider to find your dream location:
* Proximity to where you plan to work will cut your commuting times and costs
* Accessibility...easy access to highways, public transportation and other ways of travel may allow you to live in cheaper areas whilst keeping your commute manageable and this will have a positive impact on you and your families’ quality of life.
* Basic everyday services should be readily accessible, like grocery stores, fast food chains if you have children, restaurants, post offices and drug stores.
* Good quality Doctors and Dentists should be local with Hospitals within a reasonable driving distance.
* Check out the standard of the local schools and colleges--and take time to visit them. Use MyDreamLocale.com to check out the student/teacher ratio, and other school statistics for local districts across the U.S.
Finally, get a feel of the neighborhood to get a sense of how you and your family feel in it...do you get a friendly feeling...do you think you could be happy there?
Try to visit the neighborhood at different times of the day and on different days of the week. For example, school time will look quite different than mid morning or evening. Drive your route to work at the time you would be doing it so that you can get a feel for the commute. Visit on the weekend and late at night to gauge the level of peace and quiet. Ask people what life is like there. If you have children, get them to do the same, as the whole family needs to be happy.
Utilities
Make sure that you have informed each utility company that you are moving and if possible, see if you can get the account simply changed over rather than having them cut off. This will save your buyers having to pay re-connection charges once they move in.
- Cable/Satellite TV
- Electricity
- Garbage (if private)
- Gas
- Telephone
- Water
There may be many other services that will need attention:
- Mail (change of address)
- Cleaner (make sure you've retrieved all your dry cleaning)
- Newspapers
- Landscaper
- Security
You might want to discuss these matters with the new owners as they may want to continue the services with your provider, who might also give you a discount for the referral on your final bill.
Send your change of address to the bank, DMV, the electoral registrar, your insurance company, any subscriptions, and credit cards you may have.
Planning the move
* Find a moving company who you can trust
* Before packing, take photos or video of your home and all valuable items--it will help if you have to file a claim for a damaged or missing item.
* Don't use second-hand boxes for anything you value--the box may not hold up.
* Don't buy new boxes from the moving company or U-Haul--that the most expensive source. Instead, buy them directly from: Uline.com.
* Start packing all things that you won’t need in the next few weeks and make sure you mark up the outside of each box clearly with a marker pen.
* Make a simple floor plan drawing of your new house. Color in each room in a different color. Make sure each box is labeled with the contents and room color that you want the box to end up in
* Don’t fill large boxes with heavy items such as books as it will become too heavy to lift. They can be filled with lighter, bulky items. Bed linen and duvets are best packed in wardrobe boxes.
* You can leave clothing items in dressers and you can pack clothes or bedding in any luggage you don't need when traveling to your new home.
* Don't pack large electronics--even in their original box. Remember to tape the remote control to the back of the TV.
* Clearly label all wires and make notes before disconnecting home entertainment or other electronic devices. Take a picture of the plugged-in cables to help you with set up when unpacking.
* Use a Cardboard Wardrobe for your wardrobe. This will keep your clothes clean and crease free during transit. In addition, the space at the bottom of the cardboard wardrobe is handy for storing shoes and handbags. Make sure that you pack the clothes that you need for the journey and a couple of days in suitcases.
* Use mattress covers to protect your mattresses. These thick, heavy duty plastic covers will prevent your mattresses getting scuffed or marked.
* If you are moving yourself, use Blankets for covering sofas and chairs particularly if the weather is wet on your moving day.
* Wrap china, crockery and glass in acid free tissue paper. This will help prevent the dulling of your china and once sealed safely in a cardboard box, will protect it during your move.
* Keep your best crystal separated during transit to prevent them banging together and breaking. Special bottle boxes designed specifically with this in mind are available and come with dividers that separate each item. Adding tissue paper or bubble wrap will give you extra peace of mind.
* Make sure you have plenty of tape and a couple of tape guns – absolutely essential for sealing cardboard boxes quickly and securely.
* If possible, clear a room out (or space in the garage) to store all the completed boxes ready for removal day. This does two things:
(1) it speeds up the loading of the moving van by getting the non essential items loaded first and
(2) allows you to focus on the remaining items which you need in the interim.
Before you leave (your old home)
Leaving a place clean and tidy with information about the services/area will help your buyers settle in a little easier. Below are some tips on how you can help them--and request the same for your new home.
* Leave your house as you would hope to find it.
* Remember to empty your trash and write down the times and days of refuse recycling collections so that your buyers know when to leave theirs out.
* Leave out all the keys that relate to your property. Keys for things such as outbuildings and more importantly, windows will need to be tagged so that your buyer knows which is which.
* Make sure that all of your utilities - Gas, Water, Electricity, are switched off (not cut off) and leave operating instructions for things such as the central heating, gas fires and boilers and locations for things such as Stop Cocks for Gas and Water and Mains Switches for Electricity.
* Also point out locations of utility meters and take meter readings, leaving copies for your new buyers so that there can be no dispute for any utility settlement.
* Do a final check of all cupboards, storage spaces, the garden shed and underneath the house before your final good-byes.
You may wish to leave a forwarding address if you have chosen not to have your mail forwarded directly by the Post Office.
When you leave your old house, consider leaving your buyers a welcoming note which orients them in their new neighborhood. You might want to suggest that the folks you are buying from do the same for you.
Welcome to your new home
I / We hope you are very happy here!
Your new neighbors are:
Xxxx next door to the left (at number #)
Yyyyy next door to the right (at number #)
Here is some information with you to help you settle in:
Bank...nearest is -
Cash machines...nearest is -
Garbage is collected on (day) -
Video rentals -
Restaurants -
Take out:
Mexican-
Chinese-
Pizza-
Nearest Mall:
Convenience store -
Supermarket -
Dry Cleaning-
When you arrive (at your new home)
No doubt you will be fairly weary yourself once you arrive at your new home. No one says that you have to do everything the same day, so pace yourself. These pointers may help you move comfortably into your new home.
* Always, always put the beds up first because the last thing you'll want to be doing on the day of moving is put up your bed at midnight when you are already tired.
* Switch on all of your utilities and pay special attention to the water heater so that you have hot water the next morning to refresh yourself.
* Familiarize yourself with the keys to your property and ALWAYS KEEP ONE WITH YOU to avoid getting locked out (it does happen). Better still, arrange for a lock smith to change all of the locks at your property to give yourself added security.
* Keep pets inside in one room if possible and leave some personal items with them. That way they can get used to the new environment without being underfoot, and having your scent around. Cats especially need to get used to their surroundings before they feel comfortable enough to venture outside.
* Find your utility meters and take readings. Send these off to the relevant company IMMEDIATELY so that you can start your new account and verify the readings that your sellers have potentially already given them
* Keep a 'de-stress kit' with you containing the kettle, mugs, and samples of tea, coffee and sugar for that well-earned first cup in your new place! It's also a good idea to have on hand soap, a towel, a sponge and a can opener
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