Things to Consider Before You Move
Published by Chris Townsend
Moving your family, business, or both to another place isn't easy. The stress (and sometimes even panic) begins to build as soon as you learn that you will be moving. Even just thinking about what has to be done and how much time and energy it will take can be intimidating. This is completely natural; nevertheless, we advise people to get past the worry by putting up a strong strategy as soon as possible.
Therefore, whether you've set your heart on moving to the big city or you've been offered your ideal job a thousand miles away, there are a few things to consider before relocating to a new location.
Highlighted below are the most important things to think about before relocating:
Start By Estimating the Costs
For those who have never relocated before or have minimal relocation experience, the home moving procedure can be somewhat perplexing. With so many things to accomplish before moving out, it's easy to become confused about where to begin the preparation process.
When the house move is confirmed, the first thing you should do is figure out how much it will cost you. Keep in mind that how you approach the entire relocation will be determined by the cost of the move.
Request free cost estimates from a reputable licensed moving company to learn the cost of your move.
Create a Packing Schedule
What you should know before relocating is that packing as a moving chore will have a significant impact on how efficiently and affordably your relocation proceeds. This is because packing for a move is the most crucial task on your moving calendar, and how you approach it will determine whether everything goes well or not.
While weeks or months before your move may seem like a long time, you'll be astonished at how quickly time passes, and before you know it, you'll be counting down the days before you move. This is precisely the type of circumstance you can prevent by just creating a packing schedule to keep you organized.
The most effective and useful approach to do this is to create a timeline on which you can note how much of your belongings you want to be packed by a specific date. If you have three months until your move, for example, you should have at least half of your possessions packed by the end of the first month. This will save you from having to pack at the last minute.
Check the State of Your Finances
The health of your finances is one of the most crucial things to consider before relocating to a new city. Take a look at your income, spending, and budget before you move to ensure that the often costly process of moving won't stretch you too thin.
When moving between two residences, you should start looking for various ways to save money. Money doesn't grow on trees, and you know that unless you do everything you can to cut moving costs, your savings will run out. Here are some steps to take:
- Using the services of a low-cost moving company can help you save a lot of money on your move. Keep in mind that a low-cost mover does not always imply lower service quality.
- Moving lesser stuff will save you a lot of money. One of the things to consider before relocating is what you intend to bring with you.
- Choosing to pack your belongings without the help of a professional can save you money. However, special items, such as an antique vase, paintings, or a pool table, should be left to the professionals.
Create and Follow a Moving Checklist
Although it may appear to be more work, making a moving checklist is quite beneficial. This is where you'll make a list of everything you need to accomplish for the relocation, large and small. Don't stress about creating a comprehensive moving checklist the first time; simply add tasks as you think of them to avoid forgetting them later.
A good moving checklist will not only identify the most critical tasks to complete when moving, but it will also tell you when to complete them and how much time you have. To achieve this, create two columns on the checklist to differentiate high- and low-priority tasks. Instead of staring at a huge list of things that overwhelm you, you'll know what you need to complete first. Furthermore, crossing tasks off your list as they are finished would give you an immense amount of satisfaction.
Declutter Before Moving
When we consider moving, we prefer to concentrate on the location we will be going to rather than the one we will be leaving. However, you still have a lot of work to accomplish before you depart. Getting rid of everything you don't need is one approach to make the move a little easier.
Surprisingly, decluttering your home is simple; it's deciding why you should do it that may prove to be more difficult. The following are the top reasons to get rid of unwanted goods and relocate with as few belongings as possible:
- The cost of transportation. More items will result in heavier cargo, which will result in higher transportation expenses.
- Packing Time. When you've calculated the number of items you'll need ahead of time, you'll be able to pack them considerably faster.
- Storage Unit. Consider this: bringing additional household stuff into your new home could be a poor decision if you don't have enough storage space.
- Extra cash. When moving out, it's crucial to remember that selling items you won't use again will provide additional funds for your moving budget, making your move much easier to handle financially.
You Need Assistance
The truth is that moving to a new location is an impossibility for a single person. Therefore, when the time comes to begin the preparatory stages, you must know who will assist you. You can ask your friends and family members to help you with the packing and moving of your items. However, you should inform them ahead of time to avoid ruining their plans or facing some late disappointments.
Furthermore, hiring a reliable moving company will make things much easier for you, especially if you add professional packing services to the mix. With top-rated movers on your side, you can use the extra time to take care of other important things, such as saying goodbye to friends.
Learn the Transportation Options
You should decide whether you'll travel by automobile or by public transportation. Find out what your parking and storage alternatives are if you plan on keeping a car in the city. If you'll be using public transit, familiarize yourself with the areas that provide the best service.
Prepare a Box (or Two) with Essential Items
As the days pass and more and more of your belongings are boxed and sealed, you realize what you need to get by day-to-day until you can finally relocate. Imagine arriving at your new home and having to search for these essential items by unpacking your belongings; no doubt it must be frustrating, difficult, and time-consuming.
To avoid this situation, make a list of the essentials you'll need as soon as you move in, and be sure to put them all together in one or more boxes. To make it easier to find the boxes, mark the box with an alphabet in large letters on all four sides.
Set Up Utility Services at Your New Home
When you eventually get to your new house, there will be a lot of unpacking and other things to take care of, leaving little time to get your telephone line, Wi-Fi connection, and cable TV up and running. Furthermore, for those who work from home or need to access the internet for school projects or other purposes, Wi-Fi will become a requirement soon.
Book a Moving Company Ahead of Time
Some folks wait until the last week or so before their relocation to hire a moving company. However, this can be a highly risky thing to do for a variety of reasons. On the one hand, hiring movers is contingent on their availability, and on the other side, you may not have enough time to study and compare moving companies.
Aside from that, it's vital to get to know your movers and conduct a background check on their company to guarantee that they are reputable and trustworthy. This will give you peace of mind in knowing that your belongings are safe and will arrive on time.
Safety Matters
When relocating to a new location, safety is a crucial consideration. Check the crime statistics for the area and do some research into the surrounding neighborhood. Moreover, if you plan to move with your family, safety is extremely crucial. No one wants to make a move that will endanger their family and make them feel unsafe.
Starting over in a new location will undoubtedly be a struggle that will test your character, but it might also be the best decision you ever make. Before you get ahead of yourself, make sure you do your homework and think about the logistics. When you've laid the groundwork and are ready to move forward, hiring a reputable moving company like Three Movers can make the process go more smoothly.