by Barbara Brady

Congratulations on deciding to move to the WNC area!  Since moving is listed as one of life's major stress factors, doing your homework and planning ahead can dramatically help take the edge off feelings of anxiety, overwhelm and the "deer in the headlights" paralysis that often arises.

The following 10 steps are deisgned to help you keep your sanity before, during and after your move, and to ensure that your move and relocation will be smooth.

1.  Create a timeline to get things done now!

Include steps for closure in your current place.  Examples include selling or renting out your house, getting medical records from your physician and dentist, ending your gym membership, changing your address, and ending your newspaper subscription.  Its very important to get closure on the emotional level also.  Take time for that party to say goodbye to work friends and neighbors and spend time with family you may be moving away from.  It is natural to start feeling separation anxiety before you move.  What happens to many people is they become so busy with the logistics of the move, they don't feel the sadness or loneliness until weeks or months after they've arrived in their new destination.  To help ease this, get out your calendar and schedule future visits with loves ones before you leave.  Discuss expectations for staying in touch and come up with a plan.

Decide on housing for your new place.  Do you want to buy a home right away or rent?  If you want to buy a home, do you want to stay in a short-term residential hotel for a month while looking, or make a couple of trips from your current home before moving?

List everything you need to learn about in your new location.  This includes: housing (including getting pre-qualified for a mortgage and choosing a realtor if you're buying a home), shopping, healthcare and emergencies, banking, post offices, schools, DMV locations, child care, pet care, veterminarians, safety and security, car care, place of religious/spiritual worship, and public transportation.

2. Weed out, weed out, and weed out!  

Get rid of anyting you are not going to use in your new home.  Sell it in a garage sale, give it to a friend, or a charity.  Moving companies charge you on the basis of weight and distance. That's why it's important to bring only what you really want and are going to use to your new home.  Another reason to weed out before you move is to free up emotional and mental energy and create physical space, which will greatly reduce any feelings of stress and overwhelm.

3.  Hire a reputable realtor you LIKE.

4. Get clear on what you want in a new home if you are buying.

Realtors are not mind readers.  Communicate honestly and openly with your realtor so that you establish a good working partnership with them.  Do research on the town and where you wan to live.  Do you want a new house in a new development, or a 1920's fixer-upper?  Do you want to live in the hip condo downtown and not drive your car, or live in a suburb near the public middle school?  Be clear on the type and size of new home and neighborhood you want to live in, and how this may be affected by difference in cost of living between your current and new location.

5.  Hire a professional mover or move manager.

A good mover can be found through friends, family, acquaintances and your realtor.  You can also check with the Better Business Bureau or local Chamber of Commerce where you're moving.  GET REFERENCES!  Another option is to hire a move management company such as Consumers Relocation Services.  Go online to visit them online at www.consumersrelocation.com to find out more about their services.

6.  Get covered!

Every mover should offer a type of coverage called "full value replacement coverage."  This is the one to get.  Standard mover's liability is 60 centers per pound per article.  This means that if something is worth $3000 and weighs 100 lbs and gets damaged, you get $60 to repair the piece.  This is why replacement coverage is important.  Also the moving company is only as good as the mover, and the best mover can have a bad day.  Check with your own homeowner's insurance.

7.  Pack Smart.

Weed out and hire a professional packer if you can afford it.  If money is an issue, hire a moving company to do a partial pack.  Take the things that can't be replaced with you.  Move furniture and breakables carefully.

8.  Prepare your pets.

9.  Calm your kids.

10. Handle your stress.  Keep your sense of humor and focus on how wonderful it will feel to be settled in your new home, exploring your new area and creating new friendships and memories.  Isn't that what life is about?