7 Moving Tips to Settle Into Your New Home

Moving to a new community and home, whether it’s 1,000 miles away or just across town; involves a lot of planning and attention to detail. Much attention goes into getting moved out, but getting moved in is just as important. Here are 7 moving tips to settle into your new home:

1: Unpack the essentials

With a little planning you can create an “open first” box that will have your essentials for the first few days. If you’re not moving everything yourself, plan for the possibility of arriving before your stuff does. Toiletries, medicine, a few changes of clothes, and basic kitchen items (such as a can opener, wooden spoon, cutting knife, one pot and one pan) are good examples of must-have items.

2: Help your pets acclimate

A move can leave pets excited and scared. If possible, do not leave them unattended in the yard. Staying in their presence will be calming and lessens the chance of runaways.

3: Get the kids settled

If your things have arrived, help each child set up their bed and unpack one box of toys. Otherwise, get them excited about “camping” in their new home. Make sure you have a bag with their few favorite toys, or for teens and pre-teens, some electronics and books or magazines.

4: Go to the grocery store

Consider eating out the first night, and buy essential groceries on the way home. Focus on easy-to-make foods and quick snack items. Buy any cleaning supplies that you need. If you have a pet, buy any food and supplies not already in your “essentials” box.

5: Cover the windows

If your home doesn’t yet have window coverings, hang sheets up to add privacy and security.

6: Set a finish line

Make a list specifying the order in which you will unpack and complete other moving-in tasks. Creating a list will help keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

7: Get the lay of the land

Walk through your new home to check the heating, air conditioning, and electricity, as well as all appliances. Take your family on a walk through the neighborhood to learn your surroundings, and if possible meet your neighbors.

Ready?

This is by no means everything you need to know about getting settled, but it’s a good place to start. Do you need to find a good plumber, a carpet layer, a painter and so on? Take a look at Wendy’s Resource List on wendycarson.com for her recommendations!

You are buying a home and/or have sold your home. Now it is time to prepare for the move. What are some things you need to keep in mind? This is just a partial list, but these are important items to ensure a smooth move. Two months may seem like plenty of time, but if you don’t start early, the time will pass by quickly and before you know it moving day will arrive.

One to two months out:

• Line up a moving company or moving truck
• If you need storage, find and reserve a storage facility
• Start sorting your stuff – maybe hold a garage sale or donate items to charity
• If you are moving yourself, start looking for boxes
• Start eating the grocery items you have on hand so you will have less to move or toss out

One month or less to move:

• Fill out address change form with the post office
• Arrange for new insurance and to transfer current policies
• Start packing items you won’t be needing before the move
• Set up final utility readings and set up new accounts for your new home

Rising interest rates can be a bad thing for several reasons:

• Low interest rates are more beneficial for buyers than low home prices as far as affordability.
• Rising interest rates mean higher home costs.  The higher interest rates mean higher monthly mortgage payments, which means people can’t afford as much home. Combine this with rising home prices and the homes people can afford to buy are now changing.
• Some people may no longer be able to afford to buy a home. With the increasing rates and home prices, some marginal buyers will be knocked out of the market.
• Less people will be able to refinance, so those homeowners that are still underwater, and have not refinanced will not be able to get the great low rates that may help them keep them in their homes.

Rising interest rates can be a good thing for several different reasons.

• Right now people have a false sense of a high mortgage rate. Just a few short years ago 6% was a good rate. We have been spoiled with historically low rates that could not last forever. Even though rates are rising, they are still low.
• If you are a seller, the rising rates and the rising home prices are getting buyers to finally start buying. Buyers realize that the time of the great deal is over and they need to buy now to still get a good deal.
• The loan back up will start ending. So many people were refinancing and that combined with new mortgages had the loan industry all backed up. The rising rates will keep most from refinancing allowing more time for new purchase mortgages.
• Rising rates are a sign that the economy is improving and is also a good sign then for the housing market.