Be a Tourist in Your New Town Before Moving

This year my family and I had the opportunity to travel quite a bit, and we obviously did some sightseeing in the cities and countries that we visited. It made us think... "Why don't we take some time to check out our own hometown, but as TOURISTS?" We did that and it helped us to appreciate the great things about where WE live. We also realized that it would be wise for those moving to a new area to do the same. Living in a new place where you’re unfamiliar with the roads and the people can take some time to get used to. But, whether you’re moving for work or just for a change of scenery, moving to a new part of the state or country can be exciting. 

One way to make things easier is to become a tourist for a week or two in your new town before moving. In today’s post, I’m going to fill you in on some ways to become an expert in your new town so that you’ll feel more at home when moving day arrives.

Start your research online

With the use of Google and Google Maps, you can quickly learn the basics of your new town. Look for things like grocery stores, schools, gyms, parks, restaurants and whatever else you might be using on a daily basis. Knowing where these amenities are will help set your mind at ease should you need them in your first few days in your new home. This is also a good opportunity to read some reviews and avoid making poor choices when it comes to eating out or shopping.

Jump on a sightseeing tour bus

Many major cities around the world have buses that you can hop on and hop off at certain designated stops along a route that will take you to the most popular sites and attractions. Some tour buses have a tour guide, and others offer headphones so that you can listen to a pre-recorded narration of a tour guide describing interesting facts and history of the sights that you see along the route.

Drive or walk like a local

If you’re moving to a new city with public transportation, it will pay off to know how the trains and buses work before moving. Learning how to navigate transportation can save you time in the event of a delay, or cancellation.

If you’re moving to a suburban or rural area, it can still pay off to get to know the roads and have some familiarity with the area. You never know when your phone might die or you’ll lose service, no longer being able to depend on your GPS to get you where you need to go and back home again.

Make friends with your neighbors

It’s often a good idea to say hello and introduce yourself to your soon-to-be neighbors when visiting the area you’ll be moving to. They’ll be able to fill you in on things like traffic and commute times, problems in the neighborhood, and anything else that you’d want to be savvy to before moving in.

They’ll also be able to keep an eye on your home prior to you moving in, as well as when you decide to leave for vacation in the coming years.

Make arrangements for your move

If you’ll need to hire any professionals in the first week of your move, now might be a good time to shop around. Find out who the cable or internet providers are and give them a date of when you would like service installed. The same goes for garbage removal and any other services you’ll need right away.

Keep these tips in mind when touring your new neighborhood so you’ll have less to worry about on moving day and the coming weeks.