Moving is something that happens every day. Somewhere across the country, someone is packing up the moving truck and heading to a new destination to start a new chapter in life. Sometimes it has to do with a job transfer; other times it is for personal reasons. It doesn’t make a difference what the reason is. People move all the time. What most of these moves have in common is the fact that they can all be very stressful.
Whether you are hiring a mover or doing it yourself, moving is hardly ever easy. Roughly one out of every six Americans move every year. For many, their jobs require relocation for any number of reasons. Maybe they are opening a new office in a different city or have been promoted to a job in a new location. Maybe people who are moving are putting their things temporarily in storage units until they return from their temporary stay or they are moving for good, taking everything with them. No matter what the occasion, here are three tips to keep in mind for your next move.
1.) Give yourself plenty of time.
There are many steps involved in planning a move. Sorting through your things, deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, can take more time than you might think. The average home has somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 items in it. That’s a lot of stuff!
We get attached to our stuff, and it isn’t easy to decide what will stay and what will go. For a long distance move, try to allow yourself two to three months to fully organize and make your plans. The more complicated your move, the more time you’ll need.
2.) Determine your budget as soon as you can.
The sooner you can determine your budget, the sooner you can book your movers and the travel plans you will need. When you can book ahead, you will often be able to get the best deals. This is true with most things and moving is no exception. Long distance moves will obviously be more costly than moving across town, but you need to take into account whether or not you will need a storage unit or some sort of rental facility until you can get into your new place.
3.) Decide on the best way to move your things.
Some things are just too precious for you to handle on your own in a move. You might only be moving across town but what if you and your friends drop your $80,000 Steinway piano? You are not bonded and licensed as movers and that would be a tragedy. Find movers that you know are licensed and bonded and have them at least move the things that are expensive and very important to you.
Throw your couch in the back of your friend’s pickup if you want to, but make sure grandmother’s antique vase and your paintings are in the hands of the professionals.
One out of every ten people have some sort of off-site storage units that they use for things they don’t want or need in their homes. You might be downsizing, moving into an apartment from a bigger house. Whatever the case may be, make your plans ahead of time and save yourself the headaches that often come with a big move.