(NAPSA)—While the thought of moving to a new neighborhood, city or even new state can be exciting, a move can quickly become an overwhelming task. So why do we do it? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans list upgrading to a larger residence or better neighborhood and new employment or job search as the top reasons forrelocating. While moving to a new home maybefor positive reasons, it can also cause high levels of stress for the unprepared. After finding the perfect neighborhood and home, the logical next steps are arranging basic services like power, water and phone but then come the bigger questions. What are the best local schools? Where is the closest supermarket? How can you find a doctor nearby? Tools and free resources abound on the Internet that can greatly reduce the stress and hassle involved in making a home move. Following below are some helpful hints to consider when planninga relocation: Click through the Yellow Pages Do your local business research before you move. Sites like Yahoo! Yellow Pages (http://yp.yahoo.com) offer comprehensive business information on virtually any neighborhood across the country. You can search for a new doctor, dry cleaner and pizza delivery service before you load the moving van, instead of after you arrive. “When I relocated from a small town to Dallas last year, I was overwhelmed byall of the unknowns I faced,” said Beth Sutherland, of Dallas, Texas. “Using Yahoo! Yellow Pages helped me locate ahead of time all of the businesses I would need once I arrived—like my grocery store and my dry cleaners.” Won’t you be myneighbor? To get a better feel for your future digs, research the demographic makeup of your area. Internet resources like Yahoo! Real Estate (http://realestate.yahoo.com) offer comprehensive demographics for thousands of neighborhoodsin every state—from a culture index to crime rates, average annualutility costs, and local temperatures. Use tools on the Internet for an easy move across town—or acrossthe country. Real estate agent Nancy Scherberth, of Pasadena, Calif., offers her clients tips on making therelocation process a smooth one. “When relocating, always do your homework—Websites like Yahoo! Real Estate provide localized information about schools, neighborhoods, and even local child care services. You can also get free quotes from movers whospecialize in local, outof-state and international moves as well as companies that will handle transferring your car across the country.” Make a “moving checklist” Use an online checklist to manage your move from start to finish. Yahoo! Real Estate provides online tools for tracking local and even international moves with detailed tips and reminders, including when to hire a mover, when to hold a garage sale, and how to comfortably move yourpets. Local schools—how to know which makethe grade Sites like The School Report (http://www.homefair.com) provide comprehensive data on school rankings, curriculum, test scores, and other K-12 school information. Not only are good schools important for your own family, but they help to sustain homevalues in the area. Relocating—whether just a few blocks or several thousand miles—can be an arduous process without precise planning and research. Thanks to resources found on the Internet, movers can actually be excited about their transition to a new home, rather than overwhelmed by the details of moving.
