Learn about your new home. To avoid feeling like a fish out of water, soak up as much information as possible about your new area. Talk to others who have lived there before, if possible. Visit official websites for the city on the Internet. Browse through local newspapers. If you can, go to some key points of interest in the area as well, such as a shopping center, major school, historical landmark or bustling town square. Get as acquainted as possible before you officially make your big move.
Plan your residence. The first few days of being in a new place can make you feel totally out of place because you're usually living out of boxes and absolutely nothing is organized. Before moving, establish an official floor plan for your home to avoid that confusion and chaos, from the location of the main sofa to your family bookshelves. The more planning you have done, the easier it will be for you to start unpacking and putting things away, taking a lot of the anxiety out of moving.
Manage your utilities. After you close an existing account or change its details (billing address, phone number, etc.), set everything up for your new address. To make a comfortable transition into your new home without days of waiting without Internet access and electricity, get all of your utilities in place beforehand, from telephone to water. If you are moving at a time other than the beginning of the month, speak to the company and ask if you can billed for a fraction of the month.
Change your address with the post office. After informing all of your closest friends and family members of your new address and home and cell phone numbers, notify the post office. Doing this enables the post office to forward you mail sent to your old address for up to six months. Log on to the United States Postal Office's official website to do this, or walk into the post office and do this by filling out a short "change of address" form.
Set up your moving arrangements. If you're moving in the area, perhaps enlist some of your closest pals to help you out on the big day. If you need a larger vehicle, consider renting a van or truck. For big moves (such as moving from New York City to Los Angeles), consider hiring a moving company like Allied, Mayflower or United Van Lines.
Start packing early. The last thing you want to do is begin packing at the last minute. Doing this can make you rush, causing you to forget or misplace important things. Try to start packing a minimum of one month before you leave.
Label your moving boxes with a marker. One big mistake that people often make when packing is leaving moving boxes unlabeled. When you are unpacking at a new home and have 40 different boxes to choose between, you will feel very thankful that you took the few extra minutes to mark everything. For example, label one box "silverware" and the other one "winter coats" to avoid confusion.
