10 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 a get-acquainted appointment. Once established, contact your previous medical providers and request your files be transferred to your new doctors.

Contact the local parks and recreation department or sports leagues about camps and sports teams you and your children might join.

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

Be a recycling rockstar! Recycle your moving boxes at a local Williamson County Convenience Center. Go online to WilliamsonCounty-TN. gov/1846/Convenience-Centers for map of locations and a list of accepted recyclables.

Complete a change of address with the post office as well as with your credit cards, investments, and insurance policies. 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.

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

Register your children at their new school. If you have time, volunteer at your child’s school and get to know other parents.

Visit the local library and get a library card for every family member. Relax and be a tourist for a day. Stop by the Williamson County Visitors Center located at 400 Main Street, #200 in downtown Franklin. There you’ll find regional attraction information and a Tennessee Vacation Guide and state map.