Moving Your Family to a New Area? Do You Know Who to Call in Case of Emergencies?
Posted on: 29 July 2016
So you're moving your family to a new home in a new area -- the list of things you have to do is huge. Between packing, moving and unpacking, you're likely to be run off your feet for weeks. When you're finally over the actual move, your time is likely to be spent getting your house ready, finding new schools and jobs, and getting to know your neighbours and neighbourhood. Amongst all the chaos of moving, you may not remember to create an all-important emergency contact list of people you'll need in case something goes wrong. This guide will give you a list of the people who should be on the list. Do some research by using the web and asking new neighbours for recommendations. You'll want to have several possibilities under each category so that you can be assured of getting help when you need it.
Dentists
You'll be looking to find a dentist anyway, and if you're lucky, your local dental practice will provide weekend dentists and out of hours services too. If they don't, you'll want to find an additional dental practice that does. If you're going to be starting a new job, it may be prudent to find a practice that provides evening dentists. Ideally, you don't want to have to take time off for appointments when you're in your new post.
Doctors
When you sign up for a local doctor's surgery, check what out of hours services they provide. They will usually have a protocol in place for problems that come up out of hours. If you have a choice of GP practices in your area, you may be able to find one that offers evening and weekend appointments, which is preferable.
Child Minders
A trusted childminding service will be necessary if you have no family or friends on hand to watch your children in case of an emergency. Outside of emergencies, you may simply need a night off after dealing with the stress of moving home.
Gas Repairs
Your local gas supplier will provide you with emergency contacts in the event of a loss of supply to your property or any fault to your system. Make sure you add these contact details to your emergency contact list.
Plumbers
Whether you have ordinary mains plumbing or a wastewater system, you'll need somebody on hand in case of an emergency. An emergency plumber should be able to deal with all crises. However, if you have a water tank or septic system, it's good to check that your selected plumbers can fix those systems. If they can't, you should add some specialists to your list who can.
Electricians
A couple of general emergency electricians should be on your list. If you generate your electricity using the wind or the sun, then make sure you have electricians on the list who can fix these systems too.
Appliance Repairs
You'll need to check all appliances after you relocate to ensure that none were damaged during the move. Even if they're fine, you'll still want to have a list of appliance repairs people to hand should something break down.
Auto Repairs
Find your nearest affordable auto repair shops and add them to the list. You probably have car breakdown insurance; if you don't, it's worth taking some out. If your car breaks down, you don't want to be stranded in a new area where you don't know your way around. Check with your local auto repair shops to see if they offer breakdown recovery and emergency roadside services too. They may be cheaper and more convenient than one of the large companies.
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