Moving is one of the most stressful events in life, and some of us move often. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead of time to make your move as easy and seamless as possible. You have many options when moving, such as hiring movers to help or enlisting the help of friends and family.
Whether you’re moving to a larger home, you’re moving across town, or you’re moving to another country, being organized and strategic will help lessen the stress of a move. Here are five tips for an easy home move.
Pricing Estimates
Moving is stressful enough between packing your belongings and finding a new home. Don’t allow yourself to be surprised by how much a move is going to cost. Create a list of all the services and items you anticipate you need to make the move and find price estimates so you have an accurate picture. If you hire movers or help to pack your belongings, compare prices between local services in your area to see how much you need to spend. If you need packing materials such as boxes, tape, or a dolly, add those prices to your estimate. The more detailed your estimate, the better you can financially prepare.
Saving Money
After determining how much money you need to move, next is saving for it. If you happen to have savings already lined up to cover the estimated cost of moving, then you can skip this step. If you don’t already have the cash in hand to cover the estimated price, then create a plan to save enough money. Saving money to have cash ready is always the ideal option versus charging to a credit card and accumulating the debt. If you have enough time to save money for your move, then determine if you can cut down on your current expenses or pick up extra work to have enough savings by the time you need to move.
Hire Help
If you have a considerably large amount of belongings or large furniture, hiring movers to help can lessen the stress of moving instead of relying on friends and family to help you. If your budget allows, consider hiring movers who are insured and have a truck large enough for your belongings. If you have a large amount of items that need to be packed, also consider hiring people to help you pack. Hiring packing help can greatly reduce the stress of moving, especially if you’re in a situation where you’ve lived at your current residence for some time and accumulated a large amount of belongings.
Pack Strategically
Whether you hire help to pack or you’re packing your belongings by yourself, it’s important to pack strategically. First, consider decluttering your current belongings. Ask yourself which items can be donated or thrown away to reduce the overall number of your belongings. Then pack strategically by packing one room at a time and labeling the boxes according to the room. Then if you decide to hire movers, instruct them to place the boxes into the appropriate rooms of your new home to stay organized with unpacking.
Moving Mistakes to Avoid
There are many mistakes that can happen during a move, but all can be avoided with proper planning. There are two common mistakes that can be easily overlooked when planning a move. The first common mistake is to buy brand-new boxes for your move. It’s easy to buy new boxes at a local office supply or hardware store but the cost per box is usually high and most people don’t reuse their moving boxes. Consider collecting used boxes from stores that give boxes away for free in your area. The second common mistake in moving is forgetting to buy insurance for high-ticket valuable items. If you have to move high-cost items such as paintings and artwork, instruments like a piano, or expensive furniture, consider buying moving insurance in the event these items get damaged in transit to your new home.
With thoughtful planning and preparation, a move can be exciting and something you look forward to as you close one chapter of your life and start a new one in your new home. Moving is a stressful process but the more preparation you can do beforehand, the lower your risk and stress will be.
