Moving to North Texas? Let us extend a Texas-sized welcome to the neighborhood and your new home! We know that you and your family are just going to love it here at Sandbrock Ranch!
After all, this part of the Lone Star state has just about anything you might want, from big city life to small-town charm and from the bright lights of theme parks to the most beautiful sunsets you’ve ever seen. Plus, it’s true that the people here are as friendly as they are proud.
The weather is amazing, especially in the winter, so don’t bother packing snow shovels. And everything around is really booming, from housing to commercial construction to retail and restaurants. That all adds up to lots of great neighbors and incredible schools, too.
But before you can enjoy all of that, you have to actually make the move, right?
Moving yourself and your family to a new place can be a challenge, but all it takes is some careful planning and a little time getting organized. With a little help from your friends at the Sandbrock Ranch master-planned community in Aubrey, Texas, your move can be stress-free and maybe even a bit of a fun adventure.
Don’t believe us? Read on! Our lifestyle management team has thought of everything that you need to consider before, during, and after your move. We’ve created the ultimate moving to Texas checklist, including great tips that we think you’ll find invaluable along with a handy relocation guide to help you get settled in your new home! Let’s get started!
Preparing the Family
Moving to North Texas (or anywhere else) can be a big change for every member of your family—even your pets! That’s why it’s important to take the time to prepare everyone well in advance, and hopefully get them excited about the move.
- Tell children about the move as far in advance as possible. They probably didn’t have a lot of say in the move, so get them on board by telling them about the great things that are waiting for them in their new home and new city.
- Children may be sad about friends they’re leaving behind. Help them make an address book so they can keep in touch!
- Get children involved by encouraging them to help you pack up their things. (TIP: Suggest that they set aside their favorite toys, stuffed animals or anything they might want on the journey itself.)
- Don’t forget to pack food, a water bowl and supplies for your pets too. (TIP: Moving can be hard on pets, so let them keep a special toy or their favorite bed right up until it’s time to go.)
Getting Ready
We begin at the beginning. Before we can actually start moving, or even packing, we need to know what’s going and what isn’t. There’s no point in moving stuff that you don’t want to keep, after all.
- Return anything thing that needs returning. Drop off books at the library and those DVDs to Redbox.
- Pick up anything that needs to be picked up. Grab the dry cleaning, empty school lockers and gather up anything that you’ve got at the office or at the gym.
- Start the process of decluttering at home. Now’s the time to identify and pack up things that you can donate, sell, give away, or toss before you leave.
- Have a garage sale or, if there’s not time for that, take everything to a local non-profit that can use the items you are leaving behind.
- Sort items before it’s time to pack. Once you begin packing, keep like objects together and label boxes as you go so things are easy to find when you get where you’re going. (TIP: Mark boxes that you will need to unpack first so they can be loaded last, e.g., bedding for the first night in your new home.)
Decisions
A lot of decisions go into a move. Besides picking out your new home in North Texas, you’ve got to decide what’s going and what’s staying, how you’re going to move your stuff, and lots more. For a successful and stress-free move, it’s important to do your due diligence and plan things out in advance.
- Find a moving company and make sure that they’re insured. Read reviews and ask questions to be sure that you’re comfortable with the movers you’ve hired.
- How are you going to move your pets? Will they ride with you? In a carrier? Do they need special accommodations while you are packing or unpacking? (TIP: Doors and gates will often be open as you are taking boxes out and then in. Keep pets safe with leashes, temporary pens or crates.)
- How are all your vehicles going to get to your new home? Do you have somebody to drive each one or a trailer to haul them if needed?
- Will you be able to set up your new house enough to stay in it the first night? Or should you make hotel reservations? If needed, make sure hotel takes pets.
Calls and Online Tasks
Now we’re really into the process. Change of address forms are just the beginning. There are lots of important changes that have to be made before you’re ready to move to your new home. Fortunately, most of these can be done over the phone or online.
- Change your address. Once you know where you’re going, you can pick up a change of address forms at the local post office or fill one out at www.usps.com. If you use address labels, now’s the time to order new ones.
- Cancel any local memberships, like your gym, or services. If you’re not sure, check to see if we have them in North Texas. If they’re part of a chain, chances are we do!
- You’ll probably need to open up a new bank account. Go ahead and order new checks.
- Call your credit card companies and let them know that you’re moving.
- Ask your family doctor for references and have your medical records transferred to your new doctor. (TIP: Medical records cannot be emailed due to privacy laws. Either pick them up to take with you or give the doctor’s office enough time to mail them to your new doctor.)
- Transfer prescriptions to a pharmacy near your new home. We have plenty of chain pharmacies, such as Walgreens and CVS, so you may be able to transfer your family’s prescriptions without changing pharmacies at all. (TIP: Most insurance carriers cover extra medication for travel. Ask your current pharmacist so you have extra doses of prescriptions on hand, just in case.)
- Transfer your utilities to your new home if possible. If not, cancel current utilities and establish service with new local providers.
- Register your children at their new schools and set up childcare in your new neighborhood.
- Get the phone, internet, and cable turned off at your current home and hooked up at your new home.
- Cancel your daily newspaper if you receive one. (TIP: New subscriptions are usually offered at a discount and a daily local paper is a great way to get to know your new home.)
- Don’t forget to register to vote and establish residency if you’re moving to a new state!
Moving Day
It’s finally time to hit the road! Once you’ve picked your moving company, packed everything, changed your address, and checked everything else off the list, it’s time to actually travel to your new house and start setting up your new home! Here are a few things to keep in mind on the day of the big move.
- Have some cash on hand as a gratuity for your movers and for anything else that you might need.
- Plan for meals, snacks and drinks on the day of the move. It’s neighborly to offer food and drinks to your movers, too, especially if you’re getting friends and family to help. Don’t forget the pets! (TIP: Have some paper plates and disposable cups and silverware available so everyone can eat without having to find, unpack, and then wash dishes.)
- DON’T put any of the following items on the moving truck: phones, chargers, laptops, mobile devices, medications, toiletries, a change of clothes, basic cleaning supplies, refrigerated or frozen items, and pet supplies. These are all things you may need the day of the move, so they’re good to have with you in the car or plane.
When You Get There
Welcome y’all! Once you get settled in, there are a few things to do to help make get settled in like a local.
- You’ll need to pick new service providers, from landscapers to dry cleaners to anything else you might use on a regular basis. New neighbors might have good suggestions.
- Visit the Department of Motor Vehicles. You can check in online and get a list of what you need to bring and/or do regarding your driver’s licenses and vehicle registration.
- Enroll your kids in after-school activities, such as music lessons, sports and more. (TIP: Ask teachers or contact a representative of the school parent’s association for ideas.)
- Ask around about a new church for you and the family.
- Buy a Dallas Cowboys hat or shirt. No true Texan is complete without one.
- Learn the difference between unsweet and sweet tea. Even if you think you already know, if you’re coming from someplace other than the South, you might be surprised!
- Salt or no salt? Find a Tex-Mex restaurant you like! We have lots of them around Sandbrock Ranch, and we’re always happy to tell you our favorites. Everyone has an opinion on who has the best salsa and margarita.
- If it’s fall, head to Braswell High School for Friday Night Lights and football fun.
If you’re moving to North Texas, our moving to Texas checklist is filled with fast facts about the area and what you’ll find here, not to mention information about amenities, homes for sale, and lots more! And if you need any help planning for your relocation, fill out the form to be contacted by one of the friendly and knowledgeable lifestyle management team members at the Sandbrock Ranch master-planned community in Aubrey. We’re here to help and anxious to meet with you and the family when you arrive in our neck of the woods!
At Sandbrock Ranch, we love our North Texas home. The people are friendly, the food is incredible, and the landscape has to be seen to be believed! We can’t wait to meet you and your whole family! Whether you’re joining our master planned community in Aubrey or just want a friendly face to help make your move to North Texas as smooth as possible, we hope to hear from you soon!
