When settling into a new place after a move, there are several local shops, services and facilities you might want to locate. Here are a dozen of those locations for you to put on your post-move checklist:
· Shopping center/ mall. This one is fairly obvious. You'll want to find a place that allows you to combine several errands at once, saving time, money, stress and energy consumption.
· Hospital/ emergency care center: This is one that most of us would prefer not to think about. However, it’s also one that you don’t want to scramble for in a crisis. Note that in recent years a number of emergency care centers have opened. These centers aren't usually part of a hospital, but can handle many emergency situations and send you to a hospital if the situation requires that.
· School: If you have school-age children and aren't home schooling, make sure you know where the school is, where the closest bus stop is, and what type of safe routes exist between your new place and the school. Try to arrange a tour for your kids.
· Day care center: If your kids will be in day care, now is a good time to investigate local centers. Be sure to find out what the hours and late policies are, and determine what driving times will be like from both your home and work.
· Library: Take advantage of both central libraries and branches close by. Not only can you save on the cost of books and magazines, you may also be able to borrow movies and music, get free internet access, make photocopies, pick up local postings, find community groups to join and more.
· Post office: If you haven't filed your change of address with the post office, now would be a good time for that. You may also want to choose to have a post office box for certain categories of mail. Check out their hours as well as finding your closest mailbox and its pick-up times.
· Grocery store: Unless you're in a rural area, you may find you have several options for purchasing your local groceries. As you visit a few, sign up for any discount card programs they have. Also make a note of their prices, coupon policies (double coupons, for example), selection, specialties that may interest you (bakery, pharmacy, flower shop, coffee bar, etc.), how busy they are, and their days and hours of operation.
· Pharmacy: Finding your closest pharmacy is obviously important, but you may also want to check into factors such as where the closest 24 hour pharmacy (especially important if you have small children or chronic medical conditions), cheap programs for generics (such as the WalMart $4 promotion), and pharmacies as part of other stores where you'll be shopping regularly (like the grocery).
· Convenience store: For most people, the selection of a convenience store will be based on location alone. Whenever you run out of a staple, like milk, it's good to know what's nearby until you can make it until the grocery store next.
· Hardware store: Whether you're moving into a studio apartment or a mansion on the hill, there always seems to be a need for a hardware store. Lowes and Home Depot are the two most common "big box" retailers of hardware (check online for coupons or stop by the customer service desk and ask for one), but you might want to check for neighborhood retailers. If that doesn't work, keep in mind that many large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Sears carry most of the basics.
· Dry cleaner: You may or may not have regular dry cleaning needs; however, many local dry cleaners offer other valuable services such as alterations, shoe repair, and cleaning and storage of bulky items like comforters. Finding out what's available is usually worth the trip.
· Car repair center: One thing you want to avoid at your new place is being stranded without a car if that's your primary means of transportation. You'll probably want to have locations for two different kinds of repair shops: one dealership for your make of vehicle to take care of the complex repairs, and a general repair shop for the day-to-day tasks. This combination should take care of the most likely car issues.
And there you have it: one dozen places to locate near your new home. For more, free moving tips and advice, please check out the following resources:
· Moving checklist: The Ultimate Moving Checklist
· Tips for moving: 101 Best Moving Tips
Good luck on your upcoming move!
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