Moving into a different state or country can be an exciting step in your life. But it also means endless days of taking inventory, sorting, purging, and packing. All of the work involved and the countless decisions you need to make for a smooth relocation can be overwhelming.
This is especially true if you’re uprooting your life without enough preparation.
Determine What You Can Afford
Start by figuring out your moving expenses early on. If you’re currently renting a place, chances are you’d have to thoroughly clean your space before you can claim your security deposit and leave. Sometimes, doing it yourself will be enough. But deep cleaning an entire home will likely require the help of professionals, costing you some money. Additionally, moving house means carrying some of your belongings with you. So, make sure that you factor in packing and supply costs. Also, ask yourself whether you need to hire professional movers and a reliable carrier like Montway Auto Transport to ship your vehicle. The rates largely vary, depending on multiple factors. These include the contractors’ brand names and experience in the industry. The delivery time, distance, time of year, and volume of items will also affect their quotes.
Moving and car shipping companies will be in charge of moving your goods. But what about your family members and pets? You’d have to prepare for your own transportation during the moving day. This may not be much if you’re moving close to your current residence. But fuel costs can quickly add up if you’re moving farther away. Not to mention the cost of traveling by flight, particularly in an international relocation. Finally, are you going to rent or buy a house in your new neighborhood? Either way, you need to prepare for the necessary application fees, deposits, or down payments. If your new home is not furnished, you will also have to factor in the cost of purchasing furniture and appliances.
Prepare a Moving Checklist
Besides finding ways to work within your moving budget, one way to make the process less stressful is having a clear plan. Preparing a moving checklist will help you in staying organized before moving day.
- 8-10 Weeks. Since there’s so much to keep up with, you must scheme out at least a couple of months before your move. You can save money by picking a good day to move. The best times to move are during mornings, weekdays, and non-peak seasons (between late September and April). It’s also highly recommended that you keep track of everything you own by taking an inventory of your belongings. Soon, your receipts and moving or shipping estimates will start to pile up. Use a binder to keep all of this paperwork organized.
- 6-8 Weeks. Before you begin throwing stuff in boxes, make sure that you go through your things first. Decluttering will help you decide which items to keep, donate, sell, or dispose of. Check your bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen, and garage for any items that are worth keeping.
- 3-6 Weeks. At this point, you’d be ready to start packing. You may not know how many cardboard boxes you’d need at first. But get as many as you can from businesses that often hand out sturdy boxes like grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants. As soon as you have secured enough boxes and containers, it’s time to label them. Make sure that the labels are clear and can be read easily. An effective way to organize the boxes is to color-code them according to the rooms they came from like the bedroom, bathroom, etc. Also, don’t forget to separate important documents and other valuables.
- 2-3 Weeks. This may be tedious, but you mustn’t forget to notify your current utility service companies about your move. Then schedule installation appointments with your new providers for electricity, cable, gas, water, internet, and water collection. Remind them to turn on your utilities upon your arrival. Just as important is to inform government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Motor Vehicles, Postal Service, and many others that you’re changing your address.
Before embarking on anything, your priority should be to get ready for your move. Coming up with a moving budget and a plan will help ensure everything’s on track. You’d want this milestone moment to be fun and rewarding.
