Moving to a new city can be either a hassle or a breeze, depending on how well you plan. If you’re moving to Philly, there are a few things you can do after you purchase a home to help make your new house a home.
1. Plan for Unpacking
When you’re moving, you have a few options for getting your stuff from your old home to your new one. One option is to do it all yourself. Another is to recruit friends and family. A third is to hire a moving company to handle everything. You can also hire people to handle the heavy lifting, while you take care of the truck rental and return. One company in the Philadelphia area, Bellhops, hires college students to load and unload the truck for you during your move. You can book the company with as little as 48 hours notice.
If you’re going to pull up in front of your new Philadelphia home in a moving van, you might want to invest in a moving permit, first. A permit gives you 40 feet of space in front of your place, which is about the size of two parking spaces, and a few “No Parking” signs to keep people out of the way. Each permit is $25 and needs to be reserved no later than four days before your move.
2. Change Your Address and ID
You’re going to want to let a variety of people know that you’ve got a new address. Along with changing your address with your banks, credit card companies, magazine subscriptions, and cell phone provider, you might also want to have the postal service forward your mail, so that you don’t miss anything.
If you’re moving to Philly from a different state, you’ll need to apply for a new driver’s license within 60 days of your move or for a new photo ID card, if you don’t have a driver’s license. When you get a PA license, you need to hand in your old state license and take a vision test.
3. Set Up Utilities
A home isn’t much of a home without power or gas. If your new home has a gas line for the stove or heating system, you’ll need to contact Philadelphia Gas Works for an account. PECO provides electricity while water and sewage is handled by the city’s water department.
While you can live without cable, Internet, or a home phone line, they can also be nice things to have in your new home. In Philadelphia, both Comcast Xfinity and Verizon offer cable, Internet, and home phone service. Which one works for you depends in part on the neighborhood your home is in and what your preferences are for Internet speed and channel selection.
4. Figure Out Trash and Recycling Pickup
The city handles both garbage pickup and recycling collection, so you don’t have to worry about hiring a sanitation company when you move. You do want to know when your home’s pickup day is, so that you don’t set your garbage and recycling out at the wrong time and risk a fine. It also helps to understand what the city will take for recycling. Most types of plastic, metal, glass, and paper can be recycled, although the city doesn’t recycle plastic bags.
When you move to a new place, there’s always a period of adjustment. The sooner you take care of the small details of moving to a new city, the sooner you can start to enjoy it.
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