In the real estate world, it’s all about “location, location, location.” When it comes to your office or household move, the emphasis is on “prepare, prepare, prepare.” Might sound a tad over-exaggerated, but the more prepared you are before a move, the smoother, faster and more efficiently it will go. Whether you’re moving across the country, state, or just across town, planning will streamline the entire project. In short, if you want to save time and money on your move, plan ahead!
Here are a few tips to get you started, courtesy of Starving Students, a company that’s been helping people move since 1973:
1. Find a professional moving company and schedule your move.
Do the research. Call and ask questions. Tell them what you have, how many rooms, etc. Get some quotes and go with the company your trust most to move your precious belongings. You can also check with family and friends for recommendations of companies they might have used in the past. Evaluate the experience they have with moves and the number of customers they have served in the past. Particularly, check for the experience they have with a household move.
2. Collect enough packing supplies.
Getting all your stuff from point A to point B during the household move needs careful packing. That’s how you’ll make sure they arrive at their destination intact. For starters, you’ll need a bunch of materials like boxes, bubble wrap, lots of scotch tape, and stretch plastic wrap. You’ll purchase multiple rolls in different widths to cover the furniture and protect it from dust. Or unexpected weather like a sudden downpour.
Also, plan for a bunch of dollies to move heavy pieces, bubble cushions, moving blankets, and foam sheets. Depending on the type of items you’ll pack, getting honeycomb packing paper might come in handy. And don’t forget heavy-duty scissors and strong rope for typing up things. Borrow all the supplies you can and visit your neighborhood grocery store to ask for any spare boxes you can use.
3. Create a budget for the actual move.
Few homeowners are aware that a household move can cost you more than just the moving crew’s fee. While these incidentals are not a part of the actual household move, planning for them is always advisable. For instance, once your kitchen is packed away, you’ll need to have a budget for takeout meals. That is until you can get the kitchen organized and ready for cooking.
If you’re moving cross country, you might choose to drive the family in the car. After all, the car has to go with you to your new home. Budget for the gas you’ll buy and perhaps, food and an overnight hotel stay if the distance is long. Also, add in the cost of tolls and other overheads you might incur on the road. If you own pets, you might have to get them registered in your new home state. Ask around for the licensing fee payable to the municipal authorities.
4. Start getting rid of things. Let’s face it, “stuff happens.”
The longer you’ve lived in a place, chances are you’ve accumulated way more stuff. The question is, do you really need some of it, and more importantly, do you want to take it with you to your new, uncluttered place? Yeah, it might be hard to part with sweatpants you wore in college or those magazines that are gathering dust. Maybe you can sell some of it on eBay? In any case, moving gives you a great chance to lighten the load. Look at the bright side? A garage sale might even earn some spare cash to spend on the essentials you actually need. It’s a win-win all the way. Then again, why would you want to spend the time and effort organizing, packing, and loading up stuff that you don’t really need anyway?
5. Packing time!
Once you’ve figured out what you want to take, now it’s time to get a bunch of boxes and start to pack. It will make the moving job go so much faster if everything is packed. Also, this is a good time to take special precautions when packing fragile and/or items very valuable to you. If you can’t pack things, let your movers know well in advance so they can bring boxes and packing materials, as well as carve out the extra time to help you.
6. Take a few items over to the new place if you can.
This tip can come in handy if you’re moving across town saving you some time on your household move. Every weekend, holiday, or free time you get, start taking over some of the things you don’t use regularly. Items to consider taking over are things that are extra fragile and valuable, like computers, monitors, etc. Maybe take over a few boxes of off-season clothes and shoes. Boxes of tools like gardening, home repairs, lawnmowers, and other non-essentials can go to the new place and get put away. Books, artwork, lighter pieces of furniture, and special-occasion china are other things you can load into the car and bring over.
7. Segregate the stuff that needs to be put in storage.
Depending on your life situation, it’s possible that your new place cannot accommodate all your stuff. If you don’t want to get rid of it for now or intend to use the items sometime in the future, you might want to look for storage units. Scout around places where the rent is affordable and storage is secure. You’ll also want to figure out if you want to store your belongings close to where you now live or your new home.
These tips will help with your household move, but be sure to discuss them with your movers. Since they have extensive experience with navigating moves, they might be able to offer more practical advice you can use. A good first step is to contact the people at Starving Students. Call this number (888) 931-6683 and request a free quote today.