There’s little doubt that moving is one of life’s more stressful experiences.
It tests your will and skills in financial planning, organization, and cleaning.
Here are five quick pointers that can help you power through and make your big move as smooth as possible:
1. Get Cranking Early
One thing is for sure about moving. If you leave too many things for the last minute, the process gets downright dreadful. Fast.
Keep your cool and stay ahead of the tsunami by starting to chip away at your tasks at least four to six weeks before your moving date.
One thing to get an early jump on is your change of address.
- You’ll soon need essential documents like bank statements, driver’s licenses, and school and employee IDs to reflect your new address.
- The process is relatively simple. Fill out the USPS Change of Address form online, and the change will be reflected within 7-10 business days.
- Consider a virtual mailbox, particularly if you have a home-based business.
With a virtual mailbox, you’ll have:
- A mailing address with a real street address to direct your postal mail and packages.
- It relieves the inconveniences and pressure of having to watch for mail at your old place. Your mail will be delivered to a staffed, secure location.
- The ability to manage your postal mail and packages via your phone or laptop.
- The freedom to make multiple future moves without having to go through the change of address process each time.
Make sure to plan well in advance by strategically timing the cancellation of utilities at your old place with the activation of utilities in the new digs.
2. Watch Your Wallet
According to the American Moving and Storage Association, the average cost of a move across a distance of 1,225 miles is $4,300. And this doesn’t even consider additional expenses like packing and shipping.
If you’re not careful, before you even realize it, you’re looking at a whopping moving bill.
Here are a couple of ways to keep costs from spiraling:
- Consider moving your belongings gradually over a few weeks instead of moving everything all in one day or weekend. Prioritize light materials and leave the real heavy stuff for last or for movers, if necessary.
- Instead of dropping cash on new packing materials, collect boxes from friends and grocery stores, or use the leftover ones from your big online purchases.
- Don’t be shy to hit up friends or family. Having friends help with the move might make the process less arduous and more bearable. Maybe even fun? Let’s not push it.
3. When in Doubt, Throw it Out
…or at least donate or sell it.
Some of us can be profoundly and often overly sentimental about our stuff. As painful as it may be, though, a move is a prime opportunity to skim and purge your clutter.
Here’s a mini-pep talk to provide you some encouragement to lighten your load:
- Your new home deserves a fresh start and new energy and doesn’t deserve to be burdened with old clutter. New beginnings abound!
- Decluttering makes packing and moving so much easier. No more wasting time cramming things you’ll never use into boxes you won’t be able to find. Enough is enough.
- And don’t forget the yard sale to monetize the decluttering. The ducats you earn could fund pizza for your friends during moving days or trinkets for your new home (on second thought, no more clutter).
4. CYA: Read and Re-read the Terms
Moving often involves contracts, mortgages, leases, and insurance, so it’s vital that you double and triple-check the terms on those.
Staying organized is vital, and keep the following in mind:
- Carefully reviewing contracts and leases with your agent or landlord can help you determine the extent of repairs or renovations you can do in your old and new places.
- If you’re moving to a strict condo, you can process visitor lists for hired movers in advance or review perks like parking allotments and the use of public spaces.
- Double-check your insurance benefits to clarify what is and isn’t covered.
- If you’re moving for an employer, review the expenses your company will and will not cover in detail.
- On moving day, secure copies of important documents and IDs to make sure they don’t get lost in the shuffle. Keep an extra close eye on your passport, driver’s license, inventory sheet, moving bill, and legal contracts.
5. Pack a First-day Bag
Congrats, you’ve arrived!
Since it’ll take a little time to get settled into your new abode fully, a first-day bag can help.
Pack toiletries, toilet paper, batteries, reusable dinnerware, trash bags, and extension cords in your MacGyver bag. A toolbox is also a great idea for those little repairs that always pop up out of the blue.
Lastly, don’t forget to enjoy this new chapter in your life! Moving to a new place is difficult, and you deserve to have some fun after finally conquering it.
Maybe a housewarming party?
Or even better, do yourself a solid and pack a bottle of wine in your first-day bag.
Ah, the comforts of home…
