Then there’s the reality. But before you start panicking, take a deep breath and relax. Moving with children doesn’t have to be a waking nightmare. You know as well as we do that your kids can handle change, provided they are prepared for it properly. During the last few days, we’ve shared some useful tips for moving house easily with your kids. You’ll find part 1 here, and part 2 here. Keep reading for the third installment.

• When you’re in the process of moving, stuff will get forgotten, and that’s okay. You may think you need the preparedness level of a Navy SEAL, but you really don’t. If things like diapers, wipes, sippy cups, or other necessities get overlooked or accidentally packed, no worries. Just head over to your local drugstore or supermarket and get what you need.
• After you’ve made it into the new house, undoubtedly a few things will change. While change is okay, recognize the routines that your kids value and stick with them to maintain a sense of consistency. Familiar bedtime events or waffles on Sunday mornings will help to ease them into a new place.
• Speaking of change, a move can be a big source of insecurity, especially for younger children. They have to deal with stepping away from everything they have ever known and they may worry about losing other important things. Reassure them that, no matter where you move to, you’re always a constant in their lives.  
• A new home equals new opportunities. Let your kids know that numerous adventures await with exploring new parks, trying restaurants they haven’t visited before, or visiting different attractions if you’re moving to a new area. Your new home will certainly have its share of novelties as well.
• If your move has taken you across the state or country, encourage your kids to share their experiences with friends and family “back home.” Regular postcards can be a fun way to stay connected, and social media allows them to share pictures of the new home and surrounding area.
• When you’re unpacking, be sure to do it carefully and deliberately. By unpacking everything in a rush, you end up knee-deep in clutter. All this will do is pile on stress to an already stressful situation.
• With unpacking, however, try to unpack and display important personal items sooner rather than later. Showing off familiar keepsakes or family pictures can transform a house into a home much faster.
• Lastly, after you’ve managed the herculean task of unpacking, you might be tempted to recycle all of your moving boxes. Hang onto a few of them. Unless you’re never planning to move again, you’ll need boxes in the future. Better yet, cardboard boxes make for excellent hiding spots, forts, and tunnels for your kids!

The post Moving Smoothly With Your Kids-Part 3 appeared first on CarrHomes.

On the one hand, children are creatures of habit. As long as they have a routine and clear expectations, they’ll do well, and if something disrupts that routine, things can become difficult for them. On the other hand, children are also amazingly resilient. They can handle far more than we give them credit for. The trick is, kids will survive and thrive as long as they are prepared. Yesterday, we discussed a few things you can do to make a move a little easier for kiddos, and we’ll continue that discussion today.

• When you’re packing up, the worst thing you can do is to pack up toys first. Why? Right up until you load the last box and turn in the keys to your old home, the kids will need something to do. Try to pace them, and leave one box of toys to be packed for the last day.
• Speaking of boxes, be sure to label the stuff for your kids extremely clearly. It’s virtually a guarantee that they’ll want a particular toy or stuffed animal within a day or two of moving. Looking for that toy in a box labeled, “TOYS,” will drive you nuts. Include lots of detail about what is in which box.
• If you have access to a friend, family member, or babysitter during the packing process, use them. Kids have a much lower tolerance for boredom and repetition than we adults do, and they will slow you down. If nobody can watch them, give the kids a break from packing for a few hours with a movie, sculpting clay, or crayons and paints.
• Remember when we talked about kids being creatures of habit? A great way to help them ride out the chaos of moving is to turn the whole thing into an adventure. If you don’t ordinarily take them out for fast food, or you have a hard and fast bedtime schedule, change it up. Let them stay up a little later, and the occasional treat won’t hurt.
• Every parent knows that kids can get messy from time to time. A wise move is to keep spare clothing close by during the move to take care of unforeseen messes. Along with extra clothes, include your favorite stain removal spray and a few Ziploc bags. It may be a little while before you have access to a washing machine.
• Odds are that, before you make the move, you’ll need to unplug the refrigerator and empty it out. Keep a cooler with you and fill it with drinks, fruits, veggies, cheese, and other snacks. Your child’s appetite may be unpredictable, and they will pick the moment where you’re trying to get a mattress down a flight of stairs to tell you that they’re hungry.

The post Moving Smoothly With Your Kids-Part 2 appeared first on CarrHomes.

But adults often forget just how resilient kids truly are. By taking a little time preparing them for what to expect, and treating the experience as an adventure, the odds are excellent that your kids will make it through just fine and settle in quickly to their new home. Keep reading for a few tips to make your move easier for your kids.

• Very young children may have some difficulty grasping the concept of moving. Be sure to explain exactly what’s going to happen, but reassure them that you’ll be there with them every step of the way. A little research will turn up some age-appropriate books on moving.
• If they’re old enough, get your kids involved in packing. Younger kids can still help to wrap toys in bubble wrap and put books in boxes. If you’re planning to put things in storage for a lengthy period of time, make sure to ask the kids what they need to hang onto and what they can part with for a while.
• Most, if not all kids, love parties. Budget some time to not only say goodbyes but to have a goodbye party. A celebration can take a potentially sad celebration and turn it into a happy memory.
• For a long-distance move, it may be a long time before you see certain friends or family members again. Help your kids to make a memory board with photographs and drawings of their favorite people and places. Once you arrive at the new home, your kids can pick out a special place to hang it up.
• Every parent knows that it’s difficult to get things done quickly when kids are underfoot. Plan extra time for packing, the move itself, and unpacking.
• While you might be comfortable with a move and know the ins and outs of the process, your children may feel differently. They’re going to have lots of questions, some of them being a little goofy. Even if some questions are silly, the feelings behind them are deadly serious, so be sure to take their questions seriously and respectfully.
• Sometimes we can’t always pick the right time to move. If possible, however, try to time your move during a relatively calm period for your child. Try to avoid a move during periods of potty training, sleep transitions, and take school schedules into account.
• Get an overnight bag and fill it with toys and activities that are special to your child. Make sure it stays with him or her for the duration of the move. It gives them a sense of consistency to have a well-loved doll or stuffed animal along for the ride, plus it will give them something to do.

The post Moving Smoothly With Your Kids appeared first on CarrHomes.

Well, not so much. As a matter of fact, moving homes can be one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through. It can be difficult to uproot your family, leave your comfort zone, and start over somewhere new. But as tough as the move can be, unpacking can be a therapeutic and productive experience, providing it’s done correctly. Read on for a few tips to make unpacking at your new home easier.

• The first thing to do is to make sure you have clothing and toiletries ready to go. Ideally, pack 2 days worth of clothing prior to the move, and 2 days for after the move.
• After you’ve unloaded the moving van, set your sights on the bedrooms and set up your sleeping areas. Move beds into their respective rooms, and make them with fresh sheets, blankets, and pillows. It’s a fact that the first day of unpacking is exhausting, and by the end of that day, you’ll be very motivated for a good night’s sleep.
• After bedrooms are squared away, move onto the kitchen. Unless you’re planning on eating takeout for the next month, you’re going to need to eat. Kitchens also seem to have the highest amounts of stuff that needs to be packed, so if you can knock out all of those boxes early on, you’re in good shape.
• Next, hit the bathrooms. Fill up medicine cabinets, hang shower curtains and towels, and throw down bathmats. This will make your life easier if you have a place for medications, toiletries, and shower accessories. There’s also something very comforting about seeing your toothbrush in its place of honor.
• Next on the list is unpacking your clothing. You’ll feel more at home when you’ve gotten your duds out of boxes and suitcases and put them in closets and dressers. This is also a good time to figure out what you need to add to your wardrobe. You might wonder why you bothered to pack certain items in the first place. This is a great time to set those aside for donation.
• During all of this, you may be tempted to push some boxes off to the side and get to them later. You’re better off unpacking every box initially. When you pull out stuff you need, you can find a home for it. If there are things you’re on the fence about keeping, you can always consolidate those items into empty boxes, which will reduce the amount of stuff you’ll end up storing.
• Speaking of unpacking boxes, you’ll probably come across items that need to go into a basement, attic, or a storage space or unit. If you have a few boxes that are specifically dedicated to storage, you’ll gain the perfect opportunity to reorganize as you unpack.
• Lastly, wait to set up your TV and entertainment system after you’ve done the lion’s share of unpacking. We all think we can watch our favorite show while we unpack, but we know we’ll end up binge watching and not getting anything done.

The post Unpacking 101 appeared first on CarrHomes.

Now what?

There’s an old saying that war is basically long periods of boredom broken up by moments of intense terror. To a much lesser degree, buying a home is similar. It can be a roller coaster of adrenaline and emotion, and by the end, you just want it all to be over. But after those keys fall into your hand, there are still a few things to do before you can truly relax. Read on for a few tips to help you settle in.

• First and foremost, either visit your local post office or go online to the United States Postal Service website and change your address. Make sure to contact your bank with your new address, and do the same with credit card companies and any other financial institutions you’re involved with.
• Your great new home won’t be so great if the lights are out and there’s no hot water. Before moving in, contact all of your utilities and schedule the switch. You’ll need electricity, water, internet service, gas, and cable/satellite service. If you’re still using a landline, call your local telephone company to make the switch. Otherwise, contact your cell phone provider and change your address with them.
• Remember those keys in your hands? Make sure they all work. Check spare keys to the front door, as well as side and back doors if they have exterior locks. Make sure all garage door openers are functional as well.
• Safety first! Make sure that carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors all have batteries and are functional. If you have fire extinguishers, take a look at their expiration dates. If your home has a security system, be sure it works, and if you have a security company monitoring your home, make sure coverage with them is all set up.
• Take the time to get to know the components that power your home. It’s important to know not just where the main circuit breaker is located, but also which breaker powers which area. Take a minute to label breakers for quick reference. Also, find all of the water shutoffs in your home.
• Now that you have a new neighborhood, you need to know where everything is. Take a drive, bike ride, or walk with the dog and find out where supermarkets, hospitals, gas stations, banks, and post offices are located. You’re also sure to find interesting shops and restaurants to check out.
• Reviewing the homeowner’s association policies is a wise move. Many HOA’s have very definite rules about what you can and cannot do with your property. If you know what’s expected ahead of time, you can avoid annoying fines. During this time, also find out what the pickup schedule is for trash and recycling.
• Take a few moments to introduce yourself to your neighbors. It’s not just the polite thing to do, but they can keep an eye on your home when you’re gone, and they can develop into friends.

The post I Bought a New Home! Now What? appeared first on CarrHomes.

The obvious attractions of a new home are the visible ones – the layout  the finishes,  amenities,  appliances and technologies – any or all of which can be  tailored to your family’s needs and tastes There are the undeniable sensory appeals  of  a new home feel, and that one-of-a-kind new home smell.  Finally, and maybe most  significantly,  are the energy systems and energy savings you can only enjoy in a new home.

From the ground up,  new homes  include multiple layers of protection from the elements –  moisture and air vapor barriers, air infiltration packages, house wraps,  band board and slab insulation,  plus high efficiency heating and cooling systems.  So whether it is 9 degrees or 90 degrees outside, mother nature stays outside, while your new home keeps you dry and comfortable, inside.  And odds are most older homes include few, if any, of these energy savers.

What’s more, the efficiencies of new home energy-saving systems translate to real energy cost savings, year after year. Whereas, in an older home, the old roofs, old windows, old HVAC systems translate to… well,  you know.

Learn more at: https://www.carrhomes.com/pdf/CarrHomes_Green.pdf .  And, enjoy every season.

The post The more cold, heat, rain, ice and/or snow, the bigger the difference a new home makes appeared first on CarrHomes.