Tips on Acclimating to Your New Home in Houston
The moving truck doors close, the engine revs as they drive away, and you find yourself excited but nervous surrounded by a mountain range of boxes. Anticipation equally mixed with a strong dose of being overwhelmed engulfs you. Now what?
Because you hired Armstrong for your move, you can now relax knowing that your items are carefully packed and organized according to category and room destination. They have handled the difficult part and your task is exciting in recreating your ideal space in your new home and new city. Here’s a few things to get you started.
Start with the Necessities
If you’re looking for a room to start unpacking, it is best to start with necessities like your kitchen. Take an inventory of your cabinets, their location to appliances as well as drawer and storage space. Then decide how you want to lay out your kitchenware based on the ultimate functionality of the space. Once you have a general layout idea, then begin unpacking those specific boxes. If you have multiple people helping unpack, perhaps label the designated layout for each item with post its, so everyone has a clear plan to follow. An easy room to follow with, once the kitchen is conquered, is the bathroom. Again, if multiple people are helping unpack, it may prove useful to label where you want your items for simplicity. Make sure you have located your bedding and assembled your bedframe. After a long day of unpacking and decorating, you will be thankful to have that ready to fall into at bedtime. Take your time while you are unpacking. If an item doesn’t fit your new space, decide if it is best to donate or sell it. As you begin to unpack the fundamental necessities, your new home will begin to take shape. Every decoration added thereafter, just adds a finished touch.
Immerse Yourself
The fastest way to acclimate to a new city is total immersion. Get out of your home. Walk around your neighborhood and talk with whoever happens to be outside. Enjoy Houston’s sunshine and get outdoors with a surplus of parks and green belts for hiking and a few games of Frisbee golf. Drive around town locating your local grocery stores, parks, shops, etc. Forgo using your GPS until you have driven so far out that you need it to return home. Research local community groups on social media where you can ask for recommendations on doctors, salons, churches, gyms, plumbers, daycares, etc. Hit the local restaurants in your community. Get to know the staff. The community’s residents will be your best tour guides. An ocean breeze puts the mind at ease, as well. Leave behind the hustle of Houston, grab your new found friends and neighbors and drive only fifty miles south to Galveston Island.
Explore What the City Has to Offer
Houston is no sleepy town and offers endless entertainment and fun for every age. Wherever your interests fall, Houston offers museums of every genre, including: Houston Museum of Natural Science, NASA’s Space Center, Houston Museum District, Museum of Fine Arts, Children’s Museum of Houston, Lone Star Flight Museum, Holocaust Museum Houston, 1940 Air Terminal Museum, The Health Museum, Color Factory, and the Art Car Museum. After an adventurous day of sight-seeing, relax and take in a memorable concert at the Houston Symphony, Alley Theatre, Miller Outdoor Theatre, House of Blues, Houston Grand Opera, or the Theatre Under the Stars. Additionally, if you hope to make friends and get along with your neighbors, you should invest in some Astro baseball and Texans football merchandise. Texans take their sports and their loyalty to their teams quite seriously.
Our last word of advice would be to invest in a large calendar, because your social calendar will soon be full, as a well as a new ball cap. Every Houstonian knows, it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.
Ready to book you move to H-town? Give us a call today at 281.897.1118 or request a move quote here.