It is common for many military families to put their summer plans on hold as they prepare for moving. About 65 percent of military moves occur during the warm summer months, just as kids are out of school. In order to help military families cope with their next Permanent Change of Station (PCS), here are five tips for a stress-free, successful move.
Research the New Duty Station
Unfortunately, there’s not much that military spouses and families can control when it comes to a PCS. However, you have control over how knowledgeable you are about your new community and home before you even plan for the move. As soon as the new orders come in, carry out research into every aspect of your new base.
Ensure that you pay particular attention to things that have a direct impact on the overall quality of life of your family. Such items include neighborhood amenities, commute times, proximity to essential stores, and schools.
Start Looking for a Home Immediately
Once you have a good idea of what life in the new duty station is like, it’s critical that you start the process of purchasing a new home as well as selling your old home at once. Looking for a new home for renting or purchase, whether on or off base, is likely to take weeks. If you are selling your current home, it will take even longer.
Before you make the final purchase or rent decision, make sure that you visit potential properties ahead of time. If logistics make it difficult to visit the premises, you can always hire the services of a third party who is objective, and they report back to you. Unlike real estate agents, the third party does the job and doesn’t care whether you purchase, or rent, the home or not.
Have a PCS Budget
Moving is expensive, and even if the military will reimburse families, it’s important that you have a strict PCS budget – and understand specific benefits for service members. Without a realistic budget, costs such as meals out, hotels, and other expenses are likely to add up fast. The extra costs can bring in unneeded financial stress to an already difficult period.
Avoid Attachment to Belongings
When the time for packing for your move arrives, adopt a tough love approach as you choose what to carry and leave behind. If you have a broken item, or it has not been used for more than one year, consider throwing it away or donating it. However, you don’t have to purge fully and leverage on professional services like those provided by Executive Auto Shippers to carry even items you use seasonally.
Embrace the New Base
At one time or another, militaries will find themselves in less-than-stellar stations at some time their military service life. The key to making life bearable in your new station is finding a single positive about it. For some military families, it may be a new favorite restaurant, store, or new salon.
Other military families find positivity in an area’s lower cost of living, easy access to nature, or even easy access to a metropolitan area. Any small positive you find in your new station helps ease the pain of moving to a less-than-desirable duty station.
Conclusion
The key to having a relatively stress-free and successful move is learning to accept and let go of some of the move aspects that you have no control over. For instance, you can’t control what time movers show up or how they are supposed to treat your property when out of sight. However, you have control over your knowledge of your new station, where you live, and where your kids end up schooling.