Settling into a new neighbourhood

When you move somewhere new, you often bring a mixed bag of emotions. Excitement for what’s ahead, sadness about what you’ve left, and possibly some fear of the unknown. While it can be tough to leave loved ones, familiar routines, and your favourite mechanic behind, there’s also a lot to look forward to, like discovering places to eat and explore, as well as becoming part of a new community. Settling into an unfamiliar neighbourhood takes time, but there's a few simple things you can do to shake off that newbie feeling sooner.

The people who live next door are your first allies, so you’ll want to get off on the right foot. Now they say good fences make good neighbours, but a friendly introduction is all it really takes. Try and break the ice as soon as the opportunity arises. You might even cross paths during final building inspections, which is a good time to give them the heads up about when to expect trucks and other moving day mayhem.

Although some people like to keep to themselves, being a considerate and approachable neighbour makes life better for everyone. Let them know if you’re planning any noisy renovation work, or throwing a party that might end late. Offer to feed their cat, water the plants or collect mail when they’re away from home, and more often than not they’ll be happy to return the favour.

We know even the most well-planned moving day can be long and exhausting, but the sooner you unpack and organise all your stuff, the easier it’ll be to get into the groove of new routines. Give yourself a day or two after moving to unpack at a relaxed pace. The process can help you feel calmer and more in control during this big change, and it’s always a nice feeling to step into an organised home at the end of a long day.

Getting everything put away will also make it easier to plan for interior upgrades and decorate your space.  After all it’s the accessories and personal touches that’ll create warmth and make your space feel like home. Be sure to search Facebook marketplace, Gumtree or the side of the road for pre-loved treasures. Not only does buying, swapping and selling locally connect you with the neighbourhood, it’s better for the planet and your bank balance.

Your home looks awesome, great job. So why not have a housewarming party to show it off and celebrate the new chapter of your life? When loved ones visit, they bring feelings of home and fill your house with good vibes – and sometimes gifts too. It’s also a good opportunity to get to know the neighbours.

If your friends and family are too far away to celebrate in person, you can still give everyone a virtual home tour. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how to party on Zoom. Keeping in touch with your support network will also help keep homesickness at bay.

With Google maps in your pocket on your mobile, it’s never been easier to find your way around your new neighbourhood. You could drive, cycle, tram, or bus it, but to see as much as possible and potentially meet people, it’s better to get out there on foot.

Thinking about welcoming a dog to the family? Your fur-friend is the ultimate urban explorer. He’ll have you hitting the pavement daily and chatting with other local dog-lovers in no time. Your new suburb won’t always have that special new shine, so follow pup’s lead, take it slow and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells for the first time.

You might also want to prepare for an unfamiliar commute by taking a trip to the bus stop or train station and noting timetables in advance. This’ll give you an idea of the best route to take, which busy intersections to avoid, and how much time you need to walk there or find parking.

We know shopping online is convenient, and while you’re settling in, you might like to take some of the pressure off by having groceries delivered or subscribing to a meal kit.

But don’t bypass the local shops all the time, or you’ll miss out on a golden opportunity to become closer to your community. Whether it’s the barber, fruit shop or cafe, small independent stores always appreciate your business and if you pop in often enough you’ll likely end up on a first name basis with the owner. Markets are another great way to mingle with small business owners and learn what’s being grown, brewed, and crafted in the region.

If you want to just hang out with locals, you’re bound to find some at the pub – especially if it hosts weekly trivia night, live music or has a pet-friendly beer garden where you can win hearts with your adorable pup.

Going to craft breweries is a fun way to spend a sunny Saturday too. The atmosphere is always social, and you’ll often find a food truck on site for a casual lunch. Get inspired by the microbrewery boom in Sydney’s inner-west – locals love them.

Most suburbs have a community Facebook group for locals to ask questions and share relevant news. You can even join before you’ve moved so you can get advice about schools, daycare, transport, rental availability, and best streets to live on from the people who know the area better than anyone.

These groups are invaluable when you want to reach lots of people at a local level quickly. Raise the alarm if your pet has wandered off, or if your parcel was left on the wrong porch. You might want recommendations for tradies, or to get your hands on some kombucha starter tea to give your batch a boost.

Sure, you might get the occasional oddball pushing a problematic agenda and causing grief for the moderators, but hey, it’s good to know which locals to avoid, too.

Some suburbs might use a neighbourhood networking app instead, such as Nextdoor. But if your community doesn’t seem to be online at all, you can always start a community Facebook group yourself.

When you have kids, you’ll naturally meet people through school, play groups, sport, and classes. For everyone else, you have to put yourself out there.

The good news is it’s easy to hit it off with new people when you have a shared interest in birding or pottery or Latin dance. Plus, continuing to do the activities you’ve always enjoyed will give you a sense of stability while you settle into the area, and of course hobbies are an important part of self-care.

If you play a popular sport like soccer or tennis you should have no trouble finding social competitions nearby to sign up for. And if there isn’t a local ultimate frisbee league to join? Why not put your name down for pickleball instead?

Volunteer opportunities are everywhere, too, from animal rescues to land care groups. If you’ve made a tree or sea-change, one of the best things you can do for the rural community is join the volunteer firefighters or surf life savers.  

Find out what the community gets excited about and join in. It could be any of the big festivals throughout the year such as NAIDOC week, Mardi Gras, Lunar New Year and Diwali to name just a few. And if you’re in regional Australia, embrace the quirkiness! For example, there’s the hilarious Dunny Derby in outback Queensland where teams race to manoeuvre their toilet-mounted “jockey” through a 200m course, and the Beanie Festival in Alice Springs which originated as an event to sell textiles crafted by Aboriginal women from remote communities and has now expanded to include all kinds of knitted creations.

Halloween is becoming more popular across Australia and always brings a bit of fun to the streets as kids in costumes head out for trick or treating. If you’re happy to have Halloween doorknockers, put some spooky decorations up. Come December it’s all about strolling around to see Christmas lights and gathering for your local carols by candlelight.

As a sporting nation, there’s a good chance there are fans around you to celebrate (or commiserate) with, whether it’s the tennis, cricket or footy finals. For many people finals season is a reason to get together, and get a little rowdy, either at the game, the pub or at home with friends, family, and of course neighbours.

Moving to Australia from another country might mean facing language and cultural differences on top of everything else, but it can be comforting to know that Australia’s cultural diversity grows every year. More than 50% of the population was born overseas or has at least one parent who was born overseas, and more than 20% of the population speaks a language other than English at home according to Census data.

Of course, stats alone don’t help with settling in. That’s what Community Hubs are for. This not-for-profit service operates within Australian public schools to support families from diverse backgrounds. They are welcoming places for migrant and refugee families to connect, make friends, learn, and settle into the community. Through community hubs you have access to playgroups, workshops and activities designed to help prepare for school and work, while providing opportunities to learn and practice having English conversations. Hubs also connect families with other support services they might need. Find out more about a community hub near you.

Big change can be stressful so it’s more important than ever to check in with yourself and anyone you’ve made the move with. Self-care doesn’t have to mean indulgent spa days – it's the small recurring rituals that promote better physical and emotional health that you’ll want to maintain as you settle in. It could be 10 minutes of yoga or meditation, preparing a healthy meal, sleeping more, getting a haircut, reading a good book, or watching a movie. Why not watch one about the lighter side of moving with Funny Farm (1988) or The Money Pit (1985) both rated PG and available to rent or buy on Prime Video via Optus Subhub?

If you notice any of your usual self-care habits slipping, it’s time to take a few moments for yourself.

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