Just moved into a new home? Here are 5 top tips to adjust to your surroundings
There’s a difference between moving in and settling in. When you’re moved in, you’ve relocated your belongings from one place to another. When you’re settled in, you know which tram to take during peak hour – and which little café serves the best latte. You know the names of your neighbour-to-the-left’s two dogs (and that the one to the right is more of a cat person!)
But sometimes, the jump between ‘moved in’ and ‘settled in’ feels pretty big.
So to make the process a bit easier, the team at Gary Peer have put together our 5 top tips to help you adjust to your new surroundings.
1. Jump online
After a long day of unpacking, we’re sure that all you want to do is sit down and relax with some takeaway and a glass of wine.
But you can still start to get settled – even while you’re settling into an armchair.
Because with all the information you could possibly need at your fingertips, it’s the perfect time to pull out your phone and do some suburb sleuthing.
What’s available on Uber Eats? Are there any local Facebook groups? How about articles, such as our Suburb Spy of St Kilda, recommending things to do in the area?
Keep searching; keep scrolling. Where are the best local parks and pubs? And where are your area’s most mouth-watering, enjoyable eateries? (New Carnegie residents, Elsternwick dwellers and Bentleigh tenants – we’ve got your foodery-finding covered.)
Once you’ve gathered a few more details about your new suburb, you can start planning the places to go – and people to see!
2. Take to the streets
Alright – it’s time to dig up your walking shoes, fill up your drink bottle and lock up your place.
Why? Because you’re off on an adventure!
Exploring your suburb is an essential part of settling into your new area. And after your study session, you’ll already have a pretty good idea of which local hotspots to check out.
But where’s the fun in relying on someone else’s recommendations alone? Suburbs are, after all, like coffee – everyone enjoys them differently.
So let your mind wander, let your feet move, and go find the places you’re drawn to.
While you’re out and about, be sure to keep an eye out for:
- Retail stores that stock your style
- Cafés, bars and restaurants (particularly the ones with healthy-looking queues!)
- Popular walking tracks
- Tram stops, bus stops and train stations
- Supermarkets, hairdressers, dentists, hospitals and GPs
The more you explore your local area, the more at home you’ll feel!
3. Find your niche
What better time to try new things – or renew old hobbies – than when everything is new?
When you’ve just moved to a new area, the sky’s the limit. It’s exciting – and freeing!
So ask yourself: what have I always wanted to do?
Maybe you’re interested in pilates. So find your local gym and jump into a class.
Maybe you’re an avid reader. So head down to the library and sign yourself up to a book club.
Or maybe ever since you watched Ghost, you’ve wanted to learn pottery à la Patrick Swayze. So go suss out a studio!
Doing something you love just for fun is enriching, of course. But it’s also a great way to meet people with similar interests as you – not to mention similar postcodes!
4. Know thy neighbour
The best way to get to know your new neighbourhood? Getting to know your new neighbours!
Whether it be through the social media groups you scoped out earlier or the people you see out and about, introducing yourself to the people in your area will make you feel more comfortable and empowered.
So strike up a conversation with the person who lives down the road. Chat with the attendant at your favourite shop. Say hello to people over the fence, or while you’re taking out the bins – there’s no such thing as a bad time. (Well…maybe wait until after you’ve thrown out the rubbish!)
Once you’ve started to develop a network, you can even take it a step further: Potluck party, anyone?
Inviting a bunch of people over for dinner where each guest brings a dish is the perfect icebreaker. As they say, those who feast together are friends forever – or something like that.
5. Give it time
Last – but certainly not least – have patience.
It’s going to take some time for your new area to feel like home, and everyone adjusts at different rates. So don’t get down on yourself if it’s taking you longer than expected to acclimatise.
Truth be told, it takes an average of about a year to feel fully comfortable in your new space.
Why? Because a lot of our mood – what we’re able to do, the places we’re able to go – depends on the weather. So if you haven’t yet experienced the full rotation of the seasons in your new suburb, how can you truly say you know what to expect?
So trust the process! And rest assured that in due time, you’ll be feeling settled and secure within your new surroundings.
New to southeast Melbourne? Check out The Peer Blog for the lowdown on all the local hotspots.