Relocating families who don't plan ahead often find themselves without phone service for first couple of days or more after their arrival. You wouldn't dream of forgetting to arrange for your utilities to connected, so don't forget phone - unless you plan to rely on a cell phone for a couple of days. If you're particularly organized, you can arrange for "perks" such as newspaper delivery and cable television prior to your arrival. Many cities and metropolitan areas have local Web sites on Internet that inform newcomers about local service providers.

Another chore you'll have to complete immediately upon your arrival is transition of your driver's license and auto registration, which will change if you're moving to a different state. While you're at it, change your voter's registration, as well; depending upon your city, you may be able to modify your voter's registration at local department of motor vehicles, enabling you to kill three birds with one stone, so to speak.

For security reasons more than aesthetic ones, find adequate window coverings immediately upon your arrival. They don't have to look as if they belong in pages of House Beautiful; you just need something temporary that will give you privacy and prevent a prospective burglar from checking out what your home has to offer. Speaking of security, have locks throughout your home changed immediately. You have no idea if previous owners distributed copies of your house key.

You'll also want to organize all paperwork related to your new home. In event of any unforeseen problems with your home, you may need to consult your insurance information or warranty documents. And when tax time comes, you'll be glad you kept an organized file of your paperwork.

Unless you're expecting guests soon upon your arrival, don't sweat decorative details of your new digs until you've taken care of such critical responsibilities as these. You'll have as much time as you want to arrange furniture and accessorize your home, but checklist items such as registration, change of address and most important, safety, can't wait.

Commercial customers are offered connection of services at their new locations, disconnection of services at their old locations, transfer of service, and change of address for electricity, telephone, water/sewer, gas, garbage/waste removal, cable/satellite, change of postal address, voter's registration, driver's license, auto tags, and vehicle registration. These services, too, are packaged in bundles and are priced accordingly.

Commercial customers also receive comprehensive information packages on their new cities -- including names, addresses, and phone numbers of local government officials, and locations of key points of interest, such as museums, playhouses, and performing arts theaters and centers, as well as parks and recreational facilities. And because moving a corporation means moving employees filled with trepidation, Utility Connections includes for its commercial customers a new neighbor information package with names, phone numbers, and addresses of company's nearest "neighbors"; a local map of their new neighborhood, including major points of interest; and printed directions from new office to nearest points of interest. A complete information package on new state, when applicable for relocating corporate customer, includes contact information for government officials, government agencies, and detailed information on new state. And package includes information about obtaining required local, county, and state licensing; and assistance in obtaining liquor licensing for restaurants, clubs, bars, and pubs.

Utility Connection also includes links to its "Preferred Partners" -- contact information for selected title services.

The advantages of using this one-stop service are obvious for Realtors, who are always on lookout for more value-added services to provide their clients. The Utility Connections site includes a Realtor Q&A that describes "pros" of offering these change-of-address services to home buyers and sellers. Besides convenience, Realtors have advantage of being able to advertise this service in all of their promotions, given them a leg up on competition. In addition, service claims that information it provides utility companies on behalf of its clients is 100 percent accurate, and that its coordinated connections and disconnections ensure that its customers won't pay for someone else's utility service -- only their own. And as everyone knows, Realtors who sell not only homes but peace of mind are always appreciated. That's one constant in a market known for its fluctuations.