Six Important Considerations When You're Moving As A Military Family
If you've received PCS (permanent change of station) orders, you might feel a little overwhelmed at the prospect of starting life over in a completely unfamiliar area. However, a military move can turn into a great adventure for you and your family.
Of course, there are numerous considerations you'll have to work into your planning for your move. The following are six important considerations when you're moving as a military family.
Your vital documents
One of the most important things you're going to need to do to make your move go as smoothly as possible is to separate out all the vital documents you'll need to have ready throughout the moving process.
Some examples of vital documents you'll want to have readily available are your military orders, driver's licenses, passports, social security cards, marriage certificates, birth certificates, and medical information/prescriptions.
Your children
For many military families, dealing with PCS orders is especially hard because it means uprooting the children. Depending on the age of your children, they may be struggling to cope with the move.
You need to communicate clearly with your children about the move and listen to any of their concerns. Explain the necessity of the move to them and make sure you're answering all their questions about the situation.
An inventory of your possessions
Another big consideration is what items you'll be moving. You need to set some time aside to inventory everything you have. Then, you need to decide what you'll take and what you'll get rid of.
Getting rid of unnecessary items and moving with as little as possible can help simplify the moving process and minimize the expense.
Your timeline
You should receive your PCS orders well in advance of your move date so that you have plenty of time to prepare. However, the sooner you get started taking care of your moving tasks, the better off you'll be.
Create a timeline for when you need to be ready and what you want to have accomplished by what date. Military moves include a lot of details that you need to plan for to make sure that you're completely ready when moving day comes.
The location of your new home
The area where you're being sent to in your PCS orders is an important consideration. Obviously, being stationed overseas is more complicated than simply moving to another base within the country.
If you are going to be stationed overseas, you are going to need to acquire the appropriate passport and visa before your moving date. Therefore, you need to track down any documents that are required of you to get a visa to live overseas.
Your next housing situation
The type of housing you'll be moving into is an important consideration. Consider whether you'll be living in a larger or smaller home. Also, consider what furnishings the property will already have to determine what you need to bring to the new property in the move.
To learn more, contact a military home relocation company.