What to Do After Your Move

You've finally finished moving into your new home, welcome to Chicago! Before you go out to catch a ballgame at one of the city's many sporting arenas, there are a few things you may want to do first—get yourself a bit comfortable before heading out that door.

Post-Move Organization. Just like before your move to Chicago, now you should create a new to-do list and make a schedule. This way, you'll have an action plan that will get you feeling cozy in your new home sooner than later. So, with that, you might have piles of boxes sitting all over the house. Let's get on those! Hopefully, they're labeled and sitting in the right rooms. If they're not sitting in the right rooms, now's a good time to get them situated in their proper spots.

Unpacking. Now that you've got everything organized, you can begin placing your furniture where it should be—if you've got rugs, of course you'll want to lay those out first! Rebuild what needs to be put together, especially if you bought new furniture that still needs some assembly. After all the furniture is taken care of, you can start unpacking all the other items—TVs, gaming consoles, computers, lamps, countertop appliances, knick-knacks, and all that good stuff! Make your bed, hang-up your clothes, put up art and other decorations, and put on all the finishing touches.

Adventure Through Your New Home. Learn what you haven't learned about your home already. Sure, you know how many bedrooms and bathrooms it has, you know the color of the walls—that's the easy stuff! Take a walk through your new home, make sure you know where the fuse box is, the emergency water shut-off valve, take notice of possible pest entrance points, make sure your house is adequately secured (doors and windows close and lock properly, have other lines of defense like a door chain, security system, etc.), if you have small children, make sure you have the proper childproofing, and so on.

Switch Everything Over. You've moved to a new city—possibly a whole new state. If you haven't already had your nonessential services taken care of (internet, cable, phone, etc.), now's the time! Call up your service providers, let them know about your recent move to Chicago, and have everything set-up for your new home. If you moved to Illinois from a different state, you'll want to transfer your previous ID/Driver's License or register for a new one. On top of that, you'll have to register your vehicle in-state! Don't forget to inform your insurance providers (auto, property, healthcare, etc.) about the move as well!

Acclimate.If you've moved from, say Florida, you're likely not used to the climate in Chicago. Before moving to Chicago, you may have been used to a subtropical setting, where it's constantly humid and warm year-round. Illinois, being far north of the equator in comparison to Florida, experiences all four seasons, and winters can get cold! Do yourself a favor, have a stroll through the park or through your neighborhood a few times a week, take it all in, and get yourself used to the climate. This is much easier for humans than for pets, though. So, if you've got a non-human pal or two, you'll want to help acclimatize them. Make sure that they're well, make sure they see a veterinarian—perhaps it would be wise to get a little advice from the vet, too! But you can take your pets for walks, let them explore the house, the yard, and get used to both the new home and the new weather.

Get Out There! It's a new place. If you're here for work, fraternize with your co-workers, ask any questions you may have about the nuances of the city—where's the best pizza? What bar serves the best drinks? What should I look out for to keep myself safe? Where can I bring my kids to enjoy themselves? Socialize with people, make a few new friends and not just colleagues or acquaintances-in-passing. Just like your first day of grade school, maybe it's not going to be super easy and you're not going to know everything and everyone there is to know immediately, but don't be afraid to take the time to get yourself familiar with your new home!

Go Places, Do Things! Chicago's a big, populous city, there's always something to do. Go see a Bulls game, maybe the Cubs or the White Sox if baseball's more your style, perhaps the Bears during football season, or the Blackhawks during hockey season! Check out Chicago-Theatre's site to see what plays and musicals are in town, or Timeout's list of the best museums in the city. For even more, have a look at ChooseChicago.com for the latest happenings and everything you'll want to know!

Need a helping hand to finish up your move and get you settled in? CALL ALL MY SONS MOVING & STORAGE OF CHICAGO NOW!(630)-489-6874!