October 6, 2018 - Noel Jones

When you move into your new home, there’s a long list of tedious ‘must do’ chores that often taint the excitement of unpacking and creating the spaces that you’ve been imagining since signing the papers for your new property. But it doesn’t have to be like this.

Whether you’ve moved a substantial distance, or just a suburb away, there is still going to be some level of change. Here are a few suggestions to help you settle in and feel at home in your new surrounds.

Meet the neighbours

Knowing who your neighbours are doesn’t mean you have to live in each other’s pockets, but it does create a sense of community being able to at least greet them with a smile and a wave when you see them. Having a level of familiarity also allows them to recognise if there are unusual occurrences at your property; strange cars or people loitering, escaped pets and the like. Consider going to meet them face-to-face, or alternatively drop them a card in the mail introducing yourself and your family. Who knows, you might just find a new friend or family with common interests. You’ve got nothing to lose.

Find local service providers

Whilst many people will travel to see their established service providers such as doctors, dentists and hairdressers, the distance between your old home and new home may not make that viable. Familiarise yourself with your surrounds and see what’s within a reasonable proximity, then do your research. The internet is a great place to start as many services have reviews attached to them. Alternatively, local Buy, Swap and Sell or community sites on Facebook allow you to ask for recommendations, and this can be a great place to gather intel too!

Introduce yourself to local shopkeepers

If you’re planning on shopping local and utilising the likes of butchers, greengrocers, deli’s and maybe the corner bottle shop for a cheeky bottle of wine, let them know you’re new to the area and that you’re looking forward to seeing them regularly. Shopping isn’t always the most enjoyable of tasks, so having a friendly rapport with the staff can at least make it tolerable!

Mark your arrival

It’s sometimes nice to symbolise the start of a fresh chapter with something that will remind you of that time in life. Consider planting something in the garden that you can watch grow over the years, reminding you of your first days in your home, how you felt moving in and how far you’ve come. Alternatively, maybe you could take a photo in the same place on your move-in date each year, so you can see the growth of you and your family.

Local eateries

There’s something unexplainably exciting about discovering a new place to enjoy a weekend breakfast, brunch or a long lunch, and if it’s in walking distance of home, all the better; you can combine the days exercise with a scrumptious meal or a good coffee at the very least. If you are lucky enough to have a range of cafes to try, put them on rotation until you find your favourite.

Fresh air and open green space

Moving house can be an exhausting process and one that can stretch out for weeks, if not months! It’s really easy to get bogged down and forget to take time out in the fresh air. Mark out your local parks, reserves and any other open green spaces and make a point of exploring a different one each weekend, even if it’s just for an hour. If you have kids or canine companions, they too will thank you for the change of scenery.

Set goals

Depending on the state of the home you’ve moved into, you may have some projects around the house that you’d like to complete, and these will require planning. Write a list for each room and prioritise by importance and viability. Whilst some may need to be completed in a timely manner, others may allow a longer timeline. Once complete, relish the satisfaction of crossing the project or task off your to-do list, and enjoy the fruits of your labour.