If you are used to warmer weather and are relocating to the cold, you may have to budget to purchase some additional gear.  In addition to these purchases, you will learn to modify your behavior.  First, you want to start with doing some research.  Find out the average temperatures in your new area.  This is important because it will give you a temperature range to focus on when you buy clothing.  Winter gear will have temperature ratings noted on the tags of the items, which will serve you well in helping you determine what will work best in your new climate conditions.  You want to make sure that the temperature noted on the clothing fits within the average temperatures for the area.  Of all the gear you purchase, you want to make sure you get a good coat, gloves and snow boots.  If it seems overwhelming, ask someone, who is familiar with the area to help you.  

After you kit yourself out in your new gear, you want to focus on your car.  Keep in mind that depending on your new location, you will have to consider winterizing your vehicle.  You will have to do it before the snow flies. Some auto shops will winterize your vehicle for you and if this is your first time experiencing the winter, you may want to seriously consider using a shop to do this for you.  They will make sure your vehicle has the ample anti-freeze it needs and they will make sure that you have special window-wiper fluid that will not freeze in the cold temperatures like water will.  Further, if you own a diesel vehicle, it is important to know that in some extreme cold temperatures, diesel fuel will gel, which will prevent the vehicle from going any where until it warms up enough to liquify again.  There are block heaters that you can purchase to prevent this.  However, before you even consider such a purchase, ask an auto shop if it is even necessary.  

Over and beyond winterizing your vehicle you may have to consider your tires.  Depending on the average snow fall, you will have to see if you need to change your tires to all weather or snow tires.  In some cases, you may have to purchase chains.  Check with your local auto service to see if they are necessary.

A four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is not necessary in cold climates.  However, it does make it easier to drive in the snow.  Front-wheel drive will work well if you have the adequate tires to give you traction in the snow.  Rear-wheel drive vehicles can pose a problem.  Make sure to leave some kitty litter in your car to help give you traction in the snow.  It will help you get out, if you are stuck.

Another tip if you are moving to colder climates is that you do not want to leave soda in your car for an extended period of time.  It may explode and make a mess in your car.  Further, make sure to dress appropriately in the cold.  If you are not careful, you can suffer frost bite.  Therefore, take the time to dress in layers to help you regulate your body temperature.  

Moving to the cold will offer you the opportunity to enjoy a plethora of winter sports.  So get the right gear, so you can enjoy the cold and what it has to offer.

Moving to a hot climate?  Check out this post from Highland Moving.

The most important moving tip to remember is to take care of the loose ends, before you move.  It is very easy to overlook things in the midst of the busy whirl wind of it all.  Therefore, when you are completing your list of tasks, identify the things that require your attention.  You want to brainstorm and make sure to list everything.  These items include, but are not limited to items like:

Post Office Boxes:  You want to make sure to address this before the date of your move.  Go to the post office and discuss your options with the attendant.  Make sure you take the appropriate steps to forward or open up a post office box in your new location.

Safety Deposit Boxes:  Take the time to go to your bank and speak to the teller.  You will have to empty out your box and turn in your key.  Don’t forget to ask for any remaining balance owed to you.  Often times you pay ahead of time for a rental period, so you want to make sure to clear that up before you leave.

Bank Accounts:  Go through all of your financial documents and make sure to address all of your banking institutions.  If they are local, take the steps to close out your accounts.  If they are national, find out about your local branch in your new area and your banks policies and procedures for transferring your money.  At the very least, make sure to give them your forwarding address.

Dry Cleaning:  Go to your local dry cleaner and make sure you have picked up all of your clothes.  Have them double check your account to make sure that you have not left anything behind.  It would be a shame, if you left without your favorite sweater. 

Tailor:  Double check with your tailor if you have left any shoes for repair.  Make sure that you make arrangements to pick them up. 

Health Records: Before leaving, you want to visit your doctor.  Make sure he or she knows that you are moving and that you need prescriptions refilled and forms signed.  This will help ensure that your new doctor will have access to your new medical records.

Prescriptions:  When you see your doctor, ask for prescription refills.  Mention to your doctor that you are moving and that you need to have enough of your medicine to make your move and get a new doctor.  This is really important to continue your standard of care during your move.

Vet Records:  Whether or not you are having your pet professionally transported or not, you still want to take them to see the vet.  Discuss with your vet the impending move and make sure to obtain copies of vaccinations and health records.  You also want to make sure you refill any prescriptions need to help your pet.

School Records:  Before you leave, make sure that you have copies of school records.  If your child has any special needs or accommodations required, make sure to have these with you.  This will help you tremendously as you meet with your new school administrators.

Birth Certificates:  If you are leaving your or your child’s place of birth, make sure to get certified copies of birth certificates.  This is important because a certified copy is important to have for various reasons.  You want to make sure to get at least two copies.  This way if one is lost you still have a back up copy to use.

Taking the time to identify these items on your list will help prevent you forgetting to address them before you leave.  It is very busy before you move, so take the time to note things whenever you think of them in order to help you monitor the progress and ensure they are addressed.

Offered an international assignment?  Congratulations!  It is an opportunity of a lifetime.  However, before you leave on your international assignment, visit your doctor.  This is critical to ensure your health and safety prior to your arrival.  It is important to get the necessary health clearance you may need to enter your new country.  Depending on where you are moving and your corporate policies, there will be different protocols.  Take the time to educate yourself on what is required.  You will have to make sure you have all of your vaccinations current and you may need additional ones for extra protection.  It is also worth your time to do some research about communicable diseases in your new country and discuss measures of protection with your doctor ahead of time.  If you are moving to a third world country, you may need to take some extra precautions.  

When you meet with your doctor, ask him or her about standard of care and health issues and any infectious diseases of concern in your new location.  Education and knowledge is the best form of prevention.  Therefore, in order to best enjoy the opportunity of an international assignment, you want to do your due diligence ahead to be prepared.  This extra effort will allow you to enjoy your time abroad and give you some peace of mind.

1. What are the specials offered?  This helps you understand what other classes and activities are offered beyond the core curriculum.  This will help you get a feel of the school offerings and if coincides with what you want for your children.
2. How involved is the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) or PTA (Parent Teacher Association)?  This may not seem important but it is.  This will give you a barometer of the parental involvement of the school.  If you have a very active PTO, chances are the school is an integral part of the community.  Further, fundraising and community activities are a successful part of the school because of this support. Get the contact details of the PTO or PTA president and ask them about their school.  He or she should be able to give you ongoing plans for projects that they are working on for the school.  
3. What is their standing amongst their peers and academic performance of their students?  Do your online research ahead of time before you go to the school to meet with administration.  With this information in hand, ask for specifics and what is the school planning to focus on based on their results.
4. What are the special services offered?  This is important to know so that you are able to understand what services are offered for students, who need extra academic support.  Even though this may not apply to your child, you still want to understand what is available in terms of gifted and talented programs, as well as other support systems for students, who need extra help.  This will help you understand how the administration prioritizes its needs.
5. What type of curriculum do they follow and why?  This is very important to understand.  Schools follow all types of curriculum and you need to understand what it means for your child and his or her academic success.  Ask the school what is followed and why it has been chosen.  Ask how it relates to the overall academic success of the school.

Moving your child and starting a new school offers both a challenge and opportunity.  Taking the time to get answers to your questions will make the difference in helping you find just the right school for your child.

Most of you have moved sometime in your lives before you hire a professional mover.  Moving with a professional mover is a different experience than moving yourself.  Therefore, preparing yourself ahead of time will allow you to take full advantage of the experience.  Whether or not you are on a corporate relocation, you want to take the time to understand what your needs are, what encompasses your expectations and what is your budget.  Clarifying this will make a big difference in the direction of your move and help to manage expectations.  

Moving with professionals makes your life easier.  Instead of trash bags, you will have boxes designed for your items.  You will be assigned a crew and a crew leader, who will act as your point of contact during the move.  If you have any questions, ask your crew leader.  Your crew will work diligently to get things done.  Therefore, if you have any questions, let them know right away before something is packed and in the truck.  

Keep in mind, even though you have professionals handling your move, you are still needed at your house to give guidance and direction.  It is important that someone be there.  This will ensure that your wishes are carried out and that your crew is not waiting for you to give them information.  

Your professionals here at Starline will do their best to make your experience as easy as possible.  Starline offers a variety of services from packing and unpacking, crating, storage and transport.  Understanding your budget and if applicable, your corporate relocation policies will help you make important decisions that will have an impact on your move.

Moving with professionals like Starline will make your move tremendously easier.  We are here to help you.  Please feel free to contact us anytime with questions or concerns.   

Closing can be stressful for anyone, especially for the first-time home buyer.  Therefore, take the time to learn about the process as much as possible so that you are keenly aware of what will happen.  There are steps that you can take ahead of time to prepare yourself to make closing as smooth as possible.  This includes making sure your finances are in order.  Beyond being pre-approved, you need to have the earnest money for the transaction. Further, you need to communicate with your lender what steps you need to be in place for closing.  Once you get your closing instructions from your realtor, follow them in a timely manner.  You want to make sure everything is ready on the day of close.  This includes having your earnest money, your homeowners insurance and identification and any other forms of documentation noted in the closing instructions.  A delay in closing is a nightmare that everyone involved wants to avoid because it has cascading affects from your move date to the transfer of money.  Therefore, all of the professionals involved will do their best to make that closing date.  Keep in mind that once you have agreed to the terms of the sale, a realistic closing date is approximately a month later.  There are cases where you will be able to close earlier and there will be situations where you will close later.  Be patient and flexible and do your best to meet your responsibilities and hope that your counter part in the transaction will do the same.  If so, chances are closing will happen without any trouble.  Often times this is the case.  However, there are times where problems can arise that can derail the process and delay closing.  Keep in mind that a conventional sale of property is the easiest of the transactions.  However, a short sale or bank-owned property can be tricky.  Therefore, if you are purchasing a short sale or bank-owned property, be patient and listen to your realtor.  You may be getting a fantastic deal on the home but it will cost you time and some patience, so be prepared.  

In the end, the better prepared you are by having all of your documents and financing in order, closing should be an hour at best with you leaving with your keys in hand.

Moving out of an apartment takes some planning and forethought.  It is important to do your due diligence to ensure that you have everything ready for the day you move.  Take the time to understand your apartment complex’s regulations about moving.  Find out from your leasing or management office or landlord what is expected.  There may be scheduling requirements that you need to consider.  Therefore, you want to contact them as soon as you know you are moving.  This is especially important if parking is limited and/or you have a freight elevator to reserve.  These steps are critical and you do not want to overlook them, especially as you work with your professionals here at Starline.  You need to coordinate schedules between access to your apartment facilities with the date of your move in order to prevent any trouble on that day. Your professionals here at Starline will do their best to be flexible.  If there are any changes, keep in mind to notify your Starline representative as soon as possible.

Don’t forget to coordinate stopping service with your utilities along with your move out date.  Clarify with your utility company what you need to do and give them your forwarding address for your closing statement. 

 Most of you will move your computer as a part of your moving experience.  Even if your personal computer is mobile and you will be taking it with you, you still want to take the time to prepare for the move.  You want to make sure that you back up all of your files on a separate device from your computer.  This is very important in case your computer is lost, damaged or stolen, while you are in transit.  You want to make sure that you have any flash drives, power cords and other accessories that you may need if you plan to take them with you as well.

On the day of the move, mention to your professionals from Starline that you want your wireless equipment packed last.  This will enable you to conduct your business without interruption on the day of the move.  

Another important thing to consider is whether or not you are moving to another country.  Take the time to research whether or not the country has the same type of electrical circuitry.  If not, it will significantly impact the use of your machine.  If you are not careful, it could even harm it.  Therefore, you want to take the time to find out what is available in your new location and how it will impact you and your equipment.  Follow up with a phone call to your computer company to get answers to any questions you may have.

As you prepare for your relocation, taking the time to find the right corporate housing is an important part of your move.  The key to finding the right corporate housing for you and your family is to identify your needs ahead of time.  Start with your length of stay, budget and you and your family’s needs.  This will help you assess the type of facility you will need.

There are all types of accommodation on offer to make life easier while you are on relocation.  If you are going to be in transition for an extended period time, you may want to consider a place that has convenience items like linens, dishes, laundry and kitchen facilities.  This is especially important if you have a family with you.  It will save you money and keep some sense of normalcy during the process because you will be able to eat in and do laundry.  There are places that will accommodate young children.  They have special bunk beds, themed rooms and gaming equipment.  This will help keep your children entertained and give them an opportunity to participate in choosing where to stay.

Taking some time early on will pay dividends in the future.  If you find just the right place, you and your family will have the comforts of home before you move to your new home.

Moving to a small town can be an adjustment, especially if you have grown up in a large city.  A small town will have a quaint feel and a small community.  The lack of the ‘city buzz’ will be the first thing you will notice.  No traffic.  No rush.  No noise.  People you don’t know will greet you without reason.  Their cordialness may surprise you and take you back.  

The one blinking traffic light in the center of town will clue you in to the fact that you are in a small town.  The one main street in town will be the hub of activity.  People will recognize you as the ‘new’ person in town.  As long as you are seen as making an effort, folks will warm up and get to know you. 

It will take some time for you and your family to adjust to the pace and environment of a small town.  From the smell to the noise and the way folks interact, everything will be different.  Even though folks may take some time to fully embrace you within their community, keep in mind that they will be friendly and cordial.  You will have to make the effort to make these connections in order to make the transition.  Take the time to find out about the social activities and events in town.  It may just be a small bar where everyone meets one day a week to socialize.  Once you know what folks have on offer, take full advantage.  It is important to realize that even if you have found yourself in a place that is outside your comfort zone, making the effort to assimilate will make all the difference in the world.