Relocation Guide

It’s easy to say "Let’s cooperate," but can you get that to work?
The key to making a family project out of the move is good communication. Strong feelings may surface. Keep talking, and, mostly, keep listening.
Hold short family meetings about once a week. Around mealtime is best, when everyone’s home. Meetings serve three purposes:
1. To exchange information.
2. To let off steam.
3. To uncover real feelings.
Give everybody a chance to air problems, but focus on finding solutions. You might say: "It you can give me a hand on Friday, I’ll take over for you Saturday so you can go to your ball game."
Frequent meetings—through all stages of the move-go a long way toward getting family members working together. They’re also good for handling stress. Some key subjects to cover:
• How to arrange a school transfer.
• How to keep in touch with old friends.
• What to pack, what to toss.
• How to stop feeling sorry for oneself. Focus on the positives:
• Remind children of their past triumphs coping with disappointments.
• If your move is a step upward, say: "Moving may mean more family income, a better house, nicer clothes, more chances to travel."
• If you’re making a lateral move, focus on the different things to look forward to. Remind the young that their old wardrobes will be new to the new people they meet.
• If "loss of friendships" is uppermost, say: "Think of all the friends you’ve made in the past. Who knows who’s in store,"
• If "loss of activities" is the crusher, find a parallel:
"Remember, you thought you’d die when you broke your foot and couldn’t play basketball? That’s when you discovered the guitar!"
• If "leaving home" is the trouble, illustrate that the more one moves, the better basis of comparison one has to discover and enjoy your favorites in life. It’s "like wearing different clothes."

TIP: Remember, children are generally more adaptable than parents often give them credit for. Many experts recommend moves during the school year to help children get acquainted with new schoolmates faster, rather than moving during vacation and risking long, lonely months until school starts again. Often, "new kids" are a popular novelty during the year, and few things beat the bus for making new friends.

What’s the best way to go about finding a home in our new area?

Naturally, one of your first concerns after you’ve decided to move is: "Where are we going to live?"
Before you sell your present home, get in touch with relocation specialists in your new area. Perhaps that contact will come through the relocation manager of your company. Or you can ask the real estate agent who lists your present home. Many brokers maintain
close ties with affiliated brokers across the country who specialize in helping out-of-town home buyers. You want to supply the relocation
specialist with all the information needed to make your search for a neighborhood and a home efficient and comfortable. Your self-profile should include:
• The makeup of your family (how many people, children’s ages, needs of elderly members, etc.).
• Your interests (such as gardening, volunteering, golf, boating, art, religious activities).
• Special family needs (like school requirements, proximity to public transportation, limits to commuting time or distance to work).
• Your new employer(s) and work location(s).
• Target dates for house-hunting visits and moving in. Your list of housing needs should cover:
• A local real estate broker’s Opinion of Value on your present home.
• How much equity you have to reinvest.
• The price range for your new home.
• Your home style preferences.
• Your room requirements (family room, fireplace, separate and formal dining room, office space or den, in-law quarters, garage space, etc.).
When you reach your new area, if not before, the relocation specialist will match a sales agent to work with you. The agent, already familiar with your needs, will be able to guide you efficiently through the house-hunting steps to your final choice.
One thing to keep uppermost as you choose a new home is: ‘How easily can I sell this home when I move again?" Although you may find yourself "at home" for years, you want to buy with resale in mind—just in case.
Your agent will help you consider the following questions as you look for a home that’s suitable and a good investment:
• Are area home values increasing? That’s one indicator of a promising resale, although no one can guarantee future values will go up or down.
• Is the vacant land (or unfinished subdivision) opposite this property to be built on? If so, will the homes be of the same caliber as others in the neighborhood?

• How does the price of the home we’re interested in compare to others in the neighborhood?
• Are there any easements or encroachments on the property that might make it difficult to sell?
• Are rooms of the number, kind and arrangement that will appeal to most other buyers? Is the kitchen fully equipped? Are there enough bedrooms and baths? Are the room-to-room traffic patterns appropriate?
These and other questions can be readily answered by your relocation specialist and your agent— experts on your new community and its housing.

One of us will be temporarily out of work when we move. Will we be able to qualify for a mortgage?

Two-income couples, moving to a new area, sometimes find the "second income" problem can be solved by making a larger-than- planned down payment, bringing the monthly payment in line with the primary wage earner’s income. It may be feasible to do this because of the equity in the former home.
If that doesn’t work, there are other possibilities. Some lenders "count" a portion of the second income temporarily lost through a transfer—perhaps 75% to 100% when a 25% down payment is made—and some corporations have developed mortgage assistance programs. If these avenues are closed, one alternative is to rent a home or apartment until the second income starts flowing again—though this means moving twice.
TIP: Some lenders will be satisfied to use your prior year’s income tax statement as the basis for determining your loan qualifications. Try shopping for such terms. Ask your relocation specialist for names of lenders to discuss financing options.

What’s the story on finding a rental home or apartment?

Finding the right rental is similar to locating a home to buy.
• Check your employer’s policy on rentals. Will the company pay the deposit? If you are asked to relocate before your old lease expires, will the company pay for terminating the lease?
• Real estate firms generally have specialists—sometimes whole departments—that handle rentals. In some cities, apartment locating services are available. Property management firms may also help. Newspaper classifieds tend to be hit-or-miss if you don’t know the territory.
• Your co-workers in the new area may also furnish leads to desirable areas and good buildings.
As in home buying, be specific about your needs. What kind of place (i.e., a single-family home, townhouse, apartment, condo) are you interested in? How many rooms will you need? Storage? What commuting time is acceptable? Do you need to be close to public transportation? How much rent are you prepared to pay? What services! Amenities are important to you? Then go see the areas. Get to know what the neighborhoods near the rentals are like.

We won’t be moving into our new home right away. Is temporary housing worth considering for the meanwhile?

Naturally, you want as much comfort and convenience as you can find. You may not have all the conveniences of a permanent home, but you can come close. For instance, look for pleasant surroundings and sufficient space. You don’t want the family to feel inconvenienced, or cramped, or depressed by the decor—even temporarily. Many short-term rental properties come equipped with china, linen and even a maid service. You may be surprised at the growth of temporary housing facilities in recent years. Also, "bed and breakfast" places may make "homelike" stopovers for singles and some families.
Relocation specialists can be particularly helpful when it comes to finding temporary housing. They keep tabs on homes and apartments that will be available for rent, If school-age children are part of the family, the specialist will counsel on how to locate an appropriate school district.

Ready To Blast Into Action

Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse of the overall relocation pattern, it’s time to get started. You’re ready to take the first real steps toward getting your family and belongings on the move.

Getting Going

Setting things in motion will be a snap. Here’s where you find out how well one step follows the other:
through establishing a timetable, hiring a mover, packing it all up and hitting the road. Start the engines!

Moving Day looks like a Mission Impossible. Are There ways to beat it?

Absolutely. Every family’s schedule will be different, of course. But you can take much of the hassle out of Moving Day by telescoping our proven timetable to fit the time available to you.
M-Day (Moving Day) Minus Six Weeks
• Change address at post office (effective on moving day). Keep a list of needed address changes; check off as you notify. Change magazines and other computer- addressed mail now.
• Start a file of vital papers and reminders (an accordion file or three-ring binder with pocket dividers keeps them in their proper categories).
• Get estimates from moving companies. Plan ahead if moving in peak season of June through September.
M-Day Minus Five Weeks
• Select moving company, confirm moving date and
decide who will pack: professionals or yourself. Paid packers typically come the day before M-day.
• Start sorting. Decide what to move, what to sell, give away, discard, Take cuttings or give away extra house plants. Trim down as much as possible before take-off. Be ruthless.
• Sketch floor plan of new home, decide furniture placement.
• Inventory your possessions, with value and year of purchase if possible. Photo or video records are ideal.
• Start do-it-yourself packing: seldom-used dishes, glassware, books, off-season clothes, workshop, garage, garden tools, hobby equipment. Establish staging area for packed cartons in extra room or garage.
M-Day Minus Four Weeks
• Take care of legal contracts (on your own or with the help of an attorney, insurance agent, accountant and/or a relocation advisor). Include:
• credit cards, bank accounts, charge accounts
• utilities and telephone services
• memberships in social, athletic and religious organizations; m<e arrangements to move membership
• insurance: homeowners, automobile, medical, life and disability
• employment agreements
• wills, trusts and other legal or financial mailers; safe deposit box
• leased products and services
• Get W-2 forms from previous employer and make sure employer has your new address. Get letters of reference for potential employers and to establish credit in new city.
• Talk with veterinarian about moving pets; get records. Allow extra time if needed shots require a waiting period in between. Check airplane restrictions.

M-Day Minus Three Weeks
• Arrange for children’s medical/
dental records, birth certificates and school transcripts. Ask doctors,
dentists to recommend colleagues in the new city.
• Fill prescriptions and get copies from doctor for new pharmacist or optometrist.
Drop off dry cleaning (remember to pick it up!).
• Pick up anything being repaired, serviced or on
M-Day Minus Two Weeks
• Check your address-change list. Everyone notified?
• Make reservations, have car serviced for the trip. Earlier ticketing can save money, but risks partial loss if changes are needed. Best to give yourself breathing room.
• Collect children’s games, activities for the trip.
-Arrange to have major appliances serviced for move, if needed. Check your owner’s manual.
• Start packing often-used belongings (do-it-yourselfers).
• Plan farewell parties and visits for this week.
M-Day Minus One Week
• Return borrowed items, library books; collect anything borrowed from you.
• Cancel newspaper delivery, effective on M-Day.
• Plan meals and snacks, to minimize shopping and use up on-hand food. Have quick-fix" foods ready for M-Day, or plan to eat out/carry in.
•Consider having kids go to friends/baby sitter for M-Day.
• Plan to secure pets or have them go to friends/kennel for M-Day.
• Arrange to have utilities turned on in the new location on estimated move-in date.
• Empty oil and gas from lawnmower and other equipment.
• Pack everything in kitchen you can do without until you unpack at new home.
M-Day Minus One Day
• Empty, defrost and clean refrigerator. Leave door open to dry well.
• Get travelers checks. Empty safe deposit box. Consider cashier’s check for opening checking account in new town and certified check for house closing. Make arrangements to pay movers (personal checks may not be accepted).
• Finish packing suitcase with personal belongings to use until van arrives at new home.
• Finish packing kitchen things.
• Pack "CARE" carton of essentials (coffee pot, toiletries, canned and dry food, can opener, light bulbs, trash bags, sauce pan, etc.) to be loaded last and unloaded first.
• Load the car, if you are driving to new home. Pack favorite picnic food to save money.

M-Day

• Strip beds.
• Load last-minute items in car.
• Be available to movers for questions/suggestions, but don’t try to supervise the van packing. Mark boxes (colored stickers are ideal) for room placement in new home. Check inventory carefully. Be sure movers know how to contact you en route and in the new town before their arrival. Give them map to new home.
• Check rooms, cupboards, closets, drawers, dishwasher, washer, dryer. Empty garbage.
• Sweep or vacuum (borrow neighbor’s vacuum!).
• Leave appliance manuals, warranties, neighbors’ names, service companies, drawing of things in yard that don’t show now, like bulbs. Give new owner your new address so stray mail can be forwarded,
• Say goodbye to the home with a final check. Lock up. Leave keys and garage-door opener in designated place. Take off?
Moving In
• Be at new home a day ahead of van to be sure utilities are connected and to plan for placement of furnishings.
• When movers arrive, open the "CARE" package and start feeling "at home."
• As movers unload, direct the placement of furnishings. Give them your floor plan sketch. Check each item off inventory sheet.
• Check exterior of cartons for damage before signing the receipt.
• Celebrate! Go out or carry in for dinner. You’ve earned it.

With all those moving companies to select from, how do we choose?

If your employer hasn’t suggested a mover, your best recommendations may come from your real estate agent, friends or neighbors, whatever the source, investigate the firm’s reputation for yourself. When comparing firms, look for competitive cost estimates and competitive services.
Here are some areas to explore:
• Performance records: Ask each carrier for a written record of how well it has handled previous moves.
• Service reputation: Consult the Better Business Bureau. It will tell you how many claims have been filed against which companies for what kinds of damages – and how responsibly each company has handled the claims.

• Claims: Find out what you’d have to do to file a claim for any damage. Determine the company’s policy for settling claims. Does the company participate in any approved arbitration program?
• Place of business: Visit the company’s offices. Is it run professionally? Are its trucks and warehouse clean and tidy? Is the company only local or will it take your things all the way?

It’s How do you Compare Movers’ estimates?

The cost of a move from one state to another is usually based on the weight of the goods to be shipped and the distance, plus packing and other services, some movers use a different method basing their estimate on the amount of space your belongings take up in the van.
In estimating costs, the movers will want to inspect everything to be moved. For an accurate estimate, show every item you can think of. Don’t forget to go into the attic, basement, garage, closets and under beds.
Discuss the purchase of cartons, packing and other services you may need. Anything omitted from the estimate but later included in the shipment will boost the cost,
The mover may give you a ‘non-binding estimate." That means it’s the probable cost of the move. After the van is loaded, it will be driven onto a scale. (If you wish, you may arrange to view this official weighing.) if the actual moving cost exceeds the estimate, you will be required to pay no more than an additional 10% at the time of delivery. You are given 30 days after delivery to pay any balance still due.
"Binding estimates," as the name implies, are a fixed quote and protect you against underestimates, but you often pay a premium for a binding estimate. Also, you add extra items on moving day (say, those that didn’t sell at the yard sale), it might delay you while the driver goes to the company office for a revised price.

How Much moving insurance is enough?

If it’s a corporate move, your company may provide blanket moving insurance. Find out the extent of the coverage.
If you’re paying on your own, there are choices to be made. For no extra charge (but you must sign for "released value" coverage), you’ll receive 60 cents per pound per item if you want the amount for each article lost or damaged. Remember, that’s really minimal; if a cherished table is ruined, you’ll be paid only a few cents per pound for it.

TIP: Your furniture and boxes have been dropped in every room. Now what? Unpack one room at a time, starting with the kitchen. Next: bathrooms, kids’ bedrooms, then your office area (at least a desk), Get to secondary rooms as you can later.

Two other types of coverage are available:
Added value protection. This insurance covers your belongings for a certain dollar amount (e.g., $1.25) per pound times the weight of the shipment. The cost will be a dollar amount (e.g., $7) per $1,000 of coverage. Loss and damage are paid minus depreciation.
Full-value protection. Your belongings are covered at whatever value you place on them. You pay so much per $100 of coverage, the higher the deductible, the lower the cost. Reimbursement for loss or damage is based on current market value; depreciation is not applied. In either case, the amount of protection you want should be noted on the bill of lading (the contract) before it is signed.
If you are moving pieces of fine art or valuable antiques, arrange with your insurance broker for specific coverage to protect these items while you move. Also, check your homeowner’s insurance policy; it may include coverage of your possessions in transit.

TIP: Take a photo or videotape inventory of items to be shipped by the moving van. The evidence will help in the event you must make a claim for loss or damage.

I’ve heard there are certain items movers won’t move; can you tell me what they are?

Moving firms will not move plants, pets, frozen food, open food containers or certain hazardous materials. Temperature extremes in the moving van can be ruinous for plants, and pets require special handling. Movers won’t load these hazardous items:
• Paints, thinners, oils, varnishes
• Motor fuels and oils
• Aerosol cans
• Candles
• Explosives
• Corrosives
• Bottled goods or food in glass jars
• Potentially harmful liquids, such as nail polish remover, bleach and perfume
It’s a good idea to check with state and local authorities on regulations governing the transportation of firearms and ammunition. The moving company representative can also help you.
Small articles of high value are best taken personally with you:
• Jewelry and furs
• Stamp and coin collections, notes, securities
• Unused tickets, precious stones
• other rare or irreplaceable objects

Moving is so expensive! What are some insiders’ secrets on cutting costs?

The biggest money saver is to move yourself. You can save on the cost of a van-line move by renting a vehicle and doing the packing, loading and moving.
Short of moving yourself, however, there are numerous ways to cut the cost of the mover’s bill:
• Do your own packing. You can gauge the cost of professional packing by asking for estimates that include and exclude packing. Get free cartons from supermarkets and liquor stores. Or buy used cartons from moving companies. Check with mover to make sure your packing is covered under the liability policy.
• Cut down on weight. Since the van-line charge is based partly on weight, you can cut your bill by getting rid of heavy items (pool table, swing set, appliances, piano, work bench, lawn tractor, for example) that you may not really need at your new location.
• Get a floor plan of your future residence. Get rid of items that won’t fit. If your furniture won’t really suit your new residence, don’t move it. It may be cheaper to replace furniture and appliances than to reupholster or refurbish and move them.
• Donate items to charity. Unwanted items can be sold at a garage or yard sale, or given to charity. If you donate the item, be sure to ask for a receipt. This may benefit you at tax time.
• Move off-season. If you can pick your own time to move, a simple way to cut costs is to avoid the summer premium that most movers charge for a move between June 1 and September 30.
• Don’t overtip. Movers are well paid and it’s not absolutely necessary to tip. But if you feel the movers have been unusually helpful, $10 to $20 per mover is adequate.
TIP: Do you have a lot of books? You can sometimes save money mailing these rather than shipping them by van. Remember to take your old phone books for
reference, and get new town directories ASAP.

Will it pay to hold a yard or garage sale?

Not only will shedding some belongings lighten your load and lessen your costs, it will also provide a wonderful way for the whole family to work together in a profitable effort.
Here are the steps to follow:
• Check with your local authorities for any restrictions in your area on such sales. Chances are, if your neighbors have held yard sales, there won’t be any problem.
• Price your items with the cool eye of a used-car buyer. It’s easy to think that once-cherished items are worth more than they really are.

• Advertise your sale in the local papers. Don’t worry about the size of your ad—there are yard sale regulars who study the smallest classifieds. Have the kids tack up a few posters on poles around the neighborhood—be sure to include date and hours. Float helium balloons from your mailbox for a couple of days before the sale.
• On the day of the sale, be ready for early-bird shoppers.
• Have plenty of change on hand.
• If someone asks you to hold an item, ask for a down payment to encourage them to come back.
• Try not to accept personal checks, unless, of course, you’re acquainted with the buyer.
• Be flexible with your prices, especially the later it gets. Many shoppers enjoy wheeling and dealing. So should you!
• Serve coffee, tea, and/or lemonade to keep browsers around long enough to become buyers.

Since Pets & Plants Can’t Go On the Van, What’s the best way to move them?

Moving pets and plants requires some forethought, so don’t leave preparations until the last minute.
To move a pet:
Check your destination state’s pet entry regulations. (Nearly every state has laws applicable to the entry of dogs, cats, horses, birds of the parrot family and other pets —virtually all except tropicalfish.) Take your pet to a veterinarian for a checkup and health documents; apply for an entry permit, if one is needed; ask about sedation for a traveling pet; obtain your pet’s health record; ask the vet to recommend a colleague in your new area. If shots are required, be sure to find out how much time must elapse between shots; two or more appointments may be necessary.
• Obtain a travel identification tag.
• If your pet is traveling by air, note any regulations, such as direct non-stop flights for unaccompanied pets. Some airlines permit pets to travel with you— if they are in a carrier no larger than 21x18x8 inches, small enough to be kept under a passenger seat. Tropical fish, hamsters, gerbils and unaccompanied dogs and cats should be shipped via air freight.

To move plants:

• Decide whether to take every plant, or only favorites, or cuttings for starting new plants.
• Determine how you’re going to move them. Some van lines will move plants if the distance isn’t more than 150 miles and the move doesn’t take more than 24 hours. Moving plants yourself is better, because you can control the temperature and take care of the plants. Wrap them in a plastic bag with holes for air and pack in a sturdy box.
• Arrange for any necessary state inspections. A few states require house plants be certified ‘pest free" before they can be moved across their borders. Call the county office of your state Department of Agriculture and set a date to have your plants inspected. The inspection certificate must accompany the house plants to their destination.

We’re Traveling by air, what so we do about our car?

Cars come under the heading of "special’ items, along with boats, trailers, tractors and the like. The car can be taken in the van along with your other possessions, but that is obviously going to add a lot of weight to your shipment. You can also have it shipped on an auto transport carrier, similar to the ones that deliver new cars to the showroom. Sometimes the moving company can get an estimate of costs and make the arrangements. You have a choice between door-to-door service, lower cost terminal-to-terminal service (you drop off and pick up) or a combination of the two. Check rates, timetable, insurance, authority and attitude of transporters. Still another option is to have a driving service drive your car to the new location. Such services are generally found in the classified ads of newspapers and in the yellow pages of your phone book.

TIP: If you ship your car, be sure to:

Can you give us some tips on how to make a long road trip go smoothly?

Chances are, you’re already familiar with the potential problems of family
travel. Many of the same problems may be amplified on your trip to a new home. Emotions may
be running high. Small setbacks and disappointments may loom as disasters.

Here are some steps for smoothing the way:

• Travel as lightly as possible. Tempers tend to grow short when passengers feel hemmed in.
• No mailer what the distance, give your car a pre-trip checkup. Have car tuned; change oil and filters; check all fluid levels, air pressure in spare. Most breakdowns are due to simple causes like overheating.
• If possible, plan to take side trips to points of interest— particularly it you’re traveling with children. Be familiar with your route and try to time travel to avoid local traffic problems.
• With children of any age, try to give them something to look forward to: the next stop, the next city, the next monument.
• If your child is young, consider traveling at night or in the early morning, taking advantage of the child’s sleep time.
• Bring out toys and goodies one at a time. That way, every day brings something new. Ray games. A few family favorites:
Alphabet. The first person to spot an "A" in a sign (no license plates allowed) starts the game. Everyone tries to be the first to spot the next letter in the alphabet. Whoever spots the most letters wins.
License plates. Find license plates from different states, until all states have been spotted. (Counting variation: Spot numbers in order from top the end of the trip. No saving numbers. Parked plates count.)
Game boards. Chess, checkers or backgammon, for instance, with pieces that have pegs or magnets to keep them on the board.
Stories, songs and books-on-tape. If one tape doesn’t suit everyone aboard, you can trade the personal cassette player around (or have a couple of headsets on hand). (Alternative: Bring a song book or take turns telling stories.)

Launching Into a New Life

Nice takeoff! You’ve gone through the most difficult part of the routine. With perhaps only one or two uncertain moments, you’ve moved your family and belongings to your new home. Now here comes the best part.

Getting Settled

Time to make a comfortable landing. That means more than getting settled into your new place; it means gliding into a whole new family life. The pointers in this finale will help you do this—- with higher enjoyment and lower taxes.

My Spouse was transferred, and I must find a new job. What’s the best way to go about it in a new area?

Job-finding can seem confusing when you’re new to a place and haven’t yet established a network of friends who may know about openings. You may have the added pressure to acquire a second income in a hurry. Even so, the big plus is an opportunity to begin a new career or give an old one new direction.
Here are some ways to make the job-hunting process go more smoothly:
• Have a clear idea of your job objective. Decide what kind of work you want to do and what you’re qualified to do, and state your objective on your resume.
• Create an effective resume. There are some excellent books and computer software available on writing resumes. Most include sample resumes that you may use as a pattern for your own. If you are re-entering the job market after a long hiatus, prepare a "functional"
resume—one that describes your skills and responsibilities in prior jobs rather than a conventional resume that lists your prior jobs chronologically.
• Start a new network for job support. Your relocation specialist may have leads. Also, your family, new friends, neighbors will want to help. National organizations to which you belong and your spouse’s employer also make excellent beginnings of a network. Since two-income couples make up nearly three-quarters of employee transfers, many companies are offering help in finding the spouse a job.
• Make a list of the potential employers in your new area. Do some research on different companies for which you might like to work. Look up articles about the companies. Get their annual reports. Call to find out the name, address and title of the person who starts the hiring process— usually the personnel or human resources director. Send your resume and cover letter to these people. Follow up with a telephone call to try to get an interview appointment.
• Contact employment agencies and executive recruiters to seek out those who specialize in your field. Word-of-mouth will multiply these contacts into more.

Are there quick ways to turn our house into a home?

Start making yourself feel at home while you’re moving in. The kitchen comes first. Open the "CARE" package that was loaded last on the van. Put the coffee pot on. Start organizing cabinets as boxes are unpacked. Make sure the bathrooms are equipped with soap, towels and tissue. Then set up beds and hook up lamps in each bedroom. Meanwhile, the movers will be placing the furniture in the proper rooms, locating it according to your floor plan. You’re in business!

Here are a few decorating tips to help you use your time and dollars efficiently:
• Plan the whole-house decor. include the tastes and needs of each member of the family. Rule out "impulse shopping."
• Make a decorating budget. Can you afford to change everything at once, or will you need to make changes gradually? If you’re a frequent mover, you may prefer to redecorate—to whatever degree is economically possible right away, so that you can enjoy your efforts for as long as you’re there.
• Settle on your priorities. What projects are most urgent? Can you live without some of the improvements? Refurbishing walls and floors are two basics ideally completed before you move in.
• Consider what increases your home’s value. Ask yourself: Will we be in this location long enough to enjoy a whirlpool spa? A skylight? Will our changes be appealing to future buyers? (The surest investments: kitchen and bathrooms.)
As the first days speed past, try to keep family routines as normal as you can: honor the family mealtime, rent your customary Friday-night video, have your regular Saturday stew, go on the usual Sunday outing, take a shopping trip to the local mall. There’s more to getting settled than unpacking boxes.

Are there any tried-and-true ways to make friends in a new place?

As you no doubt know, it often takes time for acquaintances to become good friends. Experience shows, however, if you join people who have interests similar to yours, you’re almost guaranteed to find kindred souls, Starting fresh in a new community is a rare opportunity to do it your own way.
Join. No matter how large a town or city, communities are made up of small groups. It’s not hard to break into new circles. Look into membership in religious groups, school PTAs, women’s clubs, men’s service organizations, friends of the environment, lift le theater groups, Little League, political groups, cultural groups or any of the hundreds of other gatherings; they’re often looking for new members.
Participate. Don’t neglect branches of your alumni organization, sorority and fraternity connections, homeowners association or chapters of any organization you’ve previously belonged to. Many communities have a Newcomers Club" to help you get your bearings in new surroundings.
Volunteer. Another sure-fire way to meet people and make new friends is through volunteering. Dozens of organizations need help. The more you put into a community, the more you get out of it—including good friends.
Work. Few things are as good to get you involved with people as working with them. If your schedule allows, consider a paid position in an organization that brings you in contact with new friends.

How can we help the kids make friends and get off to a good start at school?

Children who have moved before have usually acquired some wisdom in handling a change of community. But children who have never moved and have deep roots in their present homes may find leaving and resettling a more traumatic experience.
Been happy in their previous schools or social circles may see a move as a chance to make a brand new start.
No matter what the age and experience of your children, consider these suggestions to help them adapt:
• Make contact with parents who have children in the same age bracket as your children. As you become involved in social and sports activities with the parents, you may find opportunities for the children to meet and get acquainted.
• At family meetings, get your children to share their settling-in experiences.
• Getting the children off to a good start at school is important. Keep in touch with school personnel and check school work. Periodically talk with your children about their feelings regarding school — looking for ways to turn any negatives into positives. Help them to see the advantages of puffing a little extra effort into schoolwork, especially at the outset (since first impressions last): paying close attention in class, getting assignments in on time, getting extra help wherever needed.
• Be especially ready to help your child through the first weeks: as a listener and encourager, as a consultant on homework and, if possible, as a willing driver to events and to friends’ homes. (Soon enough they’ll find ways to get around on their own.)
• If they’re slow at making friends at school, help the children find friends outside school: at the "Y" or tennis courts or within arts or volunteer groups. Somewhere there are people who share your kid’s interests. Remember the first major holiday in a new home can be trying. Head off these blues with new activities and traditions.

Planning ahead, what effect does the move have on our taxes?

Most moving expenses are tax-deductible if you meet the following tests: