15 Tips for Settling Into Your New Home

Relocation, whether you are moving across town or across the country, is stressful. Here are several helpful strategies and reminders to make settling into your new home and community a bit smoother.

Identify a local physician, dentist, and eye doctor and schedule an appointment. Once established, contact your previous medical providers and request your files be transferred to your new doctors.

Be a recycling rockstar! Recycle your moving boxes at a local Williamson or Maury County Convenience Center. Go online to: williamsoncounty-tn.gov/1846/convenience-centers for a map of locations and accepted recyclables. In Maury County go to: maurycounty-tn.gov/317/solid-waste.

Visit the local library and get a library card for every family member. Ask about the library’s online media access to download books, music, and movies to your smart device. Register your children at their new school. If you have time, volunteer at your child’s school and get to know other parents.

Say hello! Meet your neighbors and build a good rapport with the folks who live on your street or in your apartment complex.

Got pets? Identify a local veterinarian and transfer your pet’s medical records to your pet’s new doctor. Learn more about caring for your pet in this region of the United States on page 36.

Check your home’s exterior, clearing all gutters and drains from debris to avoid water backing up when it rains.

Review your insurance policies including homeowner’s, renter’s, and vehicle insurance. Make sure you are adequately covered and your agent has your new contact information.

Complete a change of address with the post office as well as for your credit cards, investments, and insurance policies. Make certain your mail is being forwarded to your new home. Check all air filters throughout the home and change every 90 days, or if you have pets in the home, every 60 days. If you’re in an apartment, ask the management if you are responsible for air filter changes.

Read your new home’s inspection report and consider repairs as recommended by the home inspector.

Spend time in your new home locating the fuse box, water main, heating and cooling systems, and automatic sprinkler system controls and learn the basic operation of each. Also, check or install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Check that each has working batteries and is operational.

Contact the local parks and recreation department or sports leagues about camps and sports teams you and your children might join. Have your home’s exterior locks changed should the previous owner have shared keys with an outside party.

Relax and be a tourist for a day. Stop by the Williamson County Visitors Center located at 400 Main Street, #200 in downtown Franklin, or in Maury County the Visitors Center is located at 302 7th Street in Columbia. There you’ll find regional attraction information, a Tennessee Vacation Guide, and state map. Check out statewide travel options at tnvacation.com.