the military family’s guide to moving...• have power of attorney documents prepared. this...

Springs Apartments are owned and managed by Continental Properties Company, Inc. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved, Continental Properties Company, Inc.

The Military Family’s Guide To Moving

Springs Apartments are owned and managed by Continental Properties Company, Inc. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved, Continental Properties Company, Inc. 2

If you’re part of a military family, you’re probably very familiar with the process (and pains) of moving. While you’ve mastered some of the activities that are part and parcel of pulling up roots, each move seems to involve new challenges. The goal of “The Military Family’s Guide To Moving” is to give you practical tips that can save you time and effort, help you adjust to your new home, and minimize the stress that’s common during the process of moving and establishing a new home.

Once you learn the military will be transferring your family to a new location, you can reduce much of the anxiety associated with the move by coming up with a plan that includes actions in two categories: those to take prior to leaving, and those to take in order to hit the ground running.

ACTIONS TO TAKE PRIOR TO LEAVING 1. Gather all your important personal information and keep it handy. It’s easy to forget these items, yet they’re critical to the smooth transition from one home to another.

• Contact all your health care providers (doctor, dentist, allergist, chiropractor, physical therapist, etc.) and request copies of your records. If you’ve already identified providers in your new location, records might be able to be sent electronically; if not the provider should mail you a copy via certified mail

• Get a print-out from your pharmacy of all past and current medications. This information will be part of your medical records, too, but having a summarized itemization from your pharmacy could speed transfer of your prescriptions

The Military Family’s Guide To Moving


• Secure all school records. Like some medical records, your children’s school records might be able to be transferred to a new school electronically, but if you’ve not yet enrolled the kids in a new school you’ll likely have to get printed copies

• Alert your insurance company. A move to a new city can affect your car insurance rate and your renter’s insurance rate, too. If you plan to keep the same company as your provider, contact them prior to arriving at your new location to establish your new policies so they’re in effect as soon as you reach your destination

• Have power of attorney documents prepared. This enables a trailing spouse or partner to sign documents and/or make decision in their spouse’s absence

2. Smooth the transition with ‘stay connected’ tricks. Moving is tough on both adults and kids leaving friends and family, but it doesn’t mean you can’t keep those ties alive.

• Skype has been great for people moving from one home to another, allowing them to “virtually visit” one another via computer. The service is free and easy to use. Make sure you load your Skype account with the account names of the friends and family you might be leaving behind; both of you need to have a Skype account in order to connect


• If your kids have cell phones, make sure their friends’ numbers are in their directories so they can text. Set limits on the number of texts so that their loneliness doesn’t get too expensive for you!

3. Get kids involved in the move.

• Give the kids a small role in the move to occupy their time and feel like they’re part of the process. Maybe they can be put in charge of counting boxes as they leave the house or checking to make sure each box has its final destination written on it (e.g., Hall Closet)

• Get out a map and show your kids where they’ll be living; mark it with a pushpin. This can help kids see, in a more tangible way, where they’re going. Remember that a new city is just a concept to them, so the more “real” you can make it, the more comfortable they’ll be

• Do research to find family-friendly attractions you’ll take the kids to when you get to your new city. Use a calendar to pencil in tentative dates when you’ll visit

• Ask kids to create a scrapbook. Find pictures of the new city and its attractions on the Internet; print the pictures and use them to start a scrapbook to which they can add images, thoughts and ideas. Include a page titled “What I’m Most Excited About” where they can list activities they’re looking forward to

• If you already have a home picked out, identify which bedroom will be your child’s, then let him or her help you determine where furniture will be placed, how you’ll decorate the room, and create a list of new items you may want or need to add


STEPS TO TAKE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

• Find your “everyday” service providers. The minute you land in your new location you’ll probably feel like a fish out of water; you won’t know where to go to get the supplies and services you need. Before you arrive, use Google Maps to pinpoint your new apartment home, if you’ve found one, and locate the services nearby: grocery stores, a pharmacy, pizza places, a dry cleaner, the library, shopping areas, nightclubs, etc. Each Springs Apartment community also provides much of this information on its website so newcomers can quickly get adjusted to their new surroundings

• Familiarize yourself with city or county services and their regulations. Knowing whether or not local parks allow dogs, for example, might be important to you (maybe not if you choose a Springs Apartment: our communities allow pets – even large breed dogs – and have on-site fenced leash-free areas for them to play). You might also want to know where to vote and how/where to license your pet, for instance, so check out the city’s website

• Learn more about neighborhoods and their schools. One reason many families choose Springs Apartments is because we’ve intentionally built our communities in areas with good access to shopping, entertainment, nightlife, cultural activities, sports, transportation – yet in attractive, secluded-feeling areas with plenty of outdoor space that give communities a home-like feel. Do your research to find the right location for everyone in your family and focus your apartment search in those areas

• Check your new state’s driver’s license requirements. Many states allow active duty military members and their dependents to drive with a valid license issued by their home state. However, be sure to check your new


state’s laws regarding changing an out-of-state license, including how they determine residency, as some have stricter laws than others

• Do your research. Take some time to learn everything you can about attractions in your new city. One way to do this is find what travelers have said about the city and their favorite places (tripadvisor.com is a great resource for this). Putting some effort into getting a full picture of the city will help you see all the positives and identify some of the activities you’ll

want to take part in

TIPS FOR GETTING ACCLIMATED

Once you’ve moved you still have some acclimating to do in order to feel comfortable calling this new place “home.” Here are a few tips to help you

feel less like an outsider:

• Talk to your neighbors. Take advantage of the experience other residents have with the city and ask the questions that are most on your mind, like, “What’s a good casual restaurant that’s locally owned?” or “Can you recommend a nightclub that’s somewhat on the quiet side?” This will give you answers you need and help you become a little more familiar with your neighbors, a first-step in establishing bonds in your new city


• Ask your apartment management staff. A great residential community like Springs will have an on-site team with answers to all of your questions about the city. Rely on them to make recommendations and point out features of the city you may have missed

ONCE YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CITY, MAKE THE MOST OF IT BY:

• Trying at least one new restaurant a month – pick the one within your budget that has the best reviews (or try one that serves a type of food you’ve never eaten)

• Doing one thing each month you’ve never done, like visiting an art gallery, walking a nature path or volunteering at an animal shelter

• Take a class to learn how to do something new. Many small local businesses offer classes in photography, cooking, art, music and dozens of other interests, any of which could become a new passion!

• Don’t miss a chance to meet people. Springs communities offer multiple opportunities throughout the year to get together with neighbors for fun planned activities, like beer tastings and cookouts. Take advantage of these

and pretty soon strangers could become friends


MAKE YOUR NEW PLACE FEEL LIKE HOME

• As much as you can, keep things where you had them in “the old place.” This is especially important for kids’ transition. If you kept your plates and glasses in a cupboard above the dishwasher in your last home, do the same in your new home

• Don’t use this opportunity to make a clean slate – not just yet, anyway. Kids will take comfort in having the same bedding, the same pictures on the walls, and the same furniture in similar configurations. Once it’s clear they’re content, you can start switching things up a little, if you want to

• Stay busy. Boredom gives you too much time to think about all the things you’re missing. If you’re not quite ready to fully engage with others, use free time to drive around the city (with a map or your smart phone’s GPS handy, of course!) to get to know your new home

• Get involved. The best way to immerse yourself in a new city is by getting involved. There are dozens of volunteer opportunities at schools, libraries, cultural centers, hospitals and more. It’s a great way to meet people, get to know the city, and keep you occupied

• Get your kids involved. Whether through your apartment community, school, or park & recreation department, there are plenty of ways for kids to get involved with others their age. This will definitely help them

acclimate to their new surroundings


VALUABLE MILITARY RESOURCES

The military provides a number of move-related resources to

transferring service people and their families. Two websites you’ll

find helpful are MilitaryInstallations.dod.mil and Plan My Move, part of

militaryonesource.mil.

Use these two Department of Defense-sponsored online tools to find

information specific to your installation, and to plan and manage your move.

These resources have a variety of tools to help you estimate moving

expenses, the forms necessary for housing and household goods, and an

outline of all the actions you’ll need to take in order for your move to go

smoothly.

1. MilitaryInstallations.dod.mil

The official Department of Defense source for installation and state resources available to active duty, guard and reserve service and family members.

http://www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil/MOS/f?p=MI:ENTRY:0

http://apps.militaryonesource.mil/MOS/f?p=PMM:ENTRY:0

http://www.militaryonesource.mil/


2. Plan My Move

This site provides you with a three-month calendar of steps you need to take to insure a smooth move for you and your family. If you have fewer than three months until your move, complete the steps you’ve missed. Don’t panic, but DO swing into action. The tasks are grouped by week and day so you can follow a daily schedule that works for you. Keep in mind, each of these steps may take differing amounts of time.

ADDITIONAL TIPS & GUIDANCE

• A wealth of moving tips are available on the main militaryonesource.com. The military’s Relocation Assistance Program is detailed here, with tools for getting organized, making smart financial decisions, helping a spouse find employment, understanding allowances, and tools for managing

stress

• Helpful workshops and briefings. Most installations offer workshops or briefings on smart home buying, selling and renting, budgeting and money matters, moving with children, general moving prep tips and other

related topics

• Your installation’s relocation support offices. Your moving experience

begins when you receive permanent change of station (PCS) orders.

When that time comes, keep the resources on this website to help you

know what to expect, who to contact and what kinds of relocation

assistance are available


• PCS Checklists for Your Move. As you prepare for your move, it’s easy to

get overwhelmed with tasks, to-dos and timelines. Military.com can help

you stay on top of it all with handy checklists that cover everything from

packing to setting up in your new location

We hope “The Military Family’s Guide To Moving” has given you

some useful information that will help make your upcoming move a

well-planned, easily executed one, and helps you settle into your new home

quickly and with the least amount of stress and strain. Using the tips

provided can contribute to a positive experience and, hopefully, one that

leads to a pleasant stay – however long that stay might be.

If there’s any way the Springs leasing teams can help make your transition

smoother, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We have a number of

communities popular with military families because each features a range of


services and amenities not commonly found at other properties, like outdoor

access entries, complimentary Breakfast On The Go, resort-style pools, free

car care areas, beautiful grounds and spacious, contemporary apartments,

a calendar of community activities for residents to participate in, and many

more. If you’d like to see for yourself why so many military families choose

Springs, call us at the number below!

p: 262-532-9344 e: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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