Unpacking your moving boxes is only one part of settling into your new place. There’s new territory to be explored and tasks that need to be taken care of.  It will take some time before you and your family feel completely at home, but here are some tips for settling in:

Take a walk around your neighborhood, and introduce yourself to your immediate neighbors. They can be a great source of information.

Drive around your new town, and note where the important places are. Find the post office, hospital, school, grocery stores, police and fire stations.

Be safe and secure: change the locks and codes on your new home. Make sure the alarms in your home (burglar, smoke, carbon monoxide) are hooked up and have batteries where needed. Locate fire extinguishers, water shutoffs and circuit breaker. Post new emergency numbers on your refrigerator or bulletin board.

Take care of connecting your utilities and cable.

Visit the Department of Motor Vehicles to register your vehicles and get a new license.

Help kids feel at home by involving them in setting up their room. Re-establish family routines like bedtime and family meals as soon as possible after the move. Explore the neighborhood to find places that interest them: the library, the local park, the ice cream shop.

Buy or subscribe to the local newspaper so you can read about what’s going on around town. Check out the free Pennysaver or local magazines that are distributed at local businesses.

Sign up everyone in the family for a library card. Take advantage of free programs at the library as a way to meet new people. Check out local community centers as well to identify sports teams and clubs.

Contact your local sanitation department to find out when there is garbage pickup, and what kind of recycling program exists.

Register to vote, and locate your polling station.

It may take some time, but you won’t always feel so “new” in your new home and your new town. Try to balance the unpacking and getting organized with getting out and exploring and meeting new people. Slowly but surely you will feel like natives!