Moving can be one of life’s great stressors, and it happens more than you might realize. According to FiveThirtyEight.com, a person moves an average of 11.4 times in a lifetime. Leaving the comfort of the familiar and heading out into the great unknown. What you may not realize is how much easier the whole process can be with a few tricks and a lot of planning. Here are five ways to make your next move easier than the last.
Find Strong Backs Early
Whether your plan is to hire professional movers or beg a group of sturdy friends for help, get commitments locked in at least a few weeks ahead of time. Remember to reserve short-term storage or a moving truck if needed. The point is you’re going to have so much going on in the last few days that you don’t want to be scrambling for the basics. If you live in an apartment community, don’t forget to check with the manager about possible discounts for using a certain moving company. Remember – longer lead time is almost always better. Also, donuts and coffee can create an amazing amount of good will.
Sell or Donate Things
The honest truth is that we tend to accumulate stuff that we don’t want or need. If that’s the case, why move it? Take to Craigslist, Ebay, or any of a myriad of local online websites to sell what you can. Not only will you reduce your pile of “junk” but can offset moving expenses to at least a small extent. Depending upon your personal preference, you may decide to donate stuff instead. Call around to local non-profit charities. Many will come pick your items up AND you get a tax deduction for your generosity.
Take Pictures of Your Electronics
When the moment arrives to reassemble your electronics in your new humble abode, you have no idea which cables plug into which ports. Here’s an easy way to short circuit that stress. Before tearing down in your old place, use your cell phone to take pictures of the back of any electronic equipment you suspect might be difficult to reconstruct on the other end. Brilliant, if we do say so ourselves.
An Educated Realtor
Whether you decide to rent or own, one of the first things you should do when moving to a new area is get in touch with an educated realtor to help narrow the housing options. Some realtors find education resources to help them do their jobs. Looking at reviews about realtor education can help your realtor learn more about their profession. For instance, reviews for Success Path helps realtors learn more about their profession. Don’t waste your time trying to canvas a strange area from afar when it’s so easy and inexpensive to put a professional to work for you. Seriously. If they don’t know the local market, they don’t eat. Think about it.
First-Night Box
Unfortunately, you may know the drill all too well. At the end of the day you’re standing in your new home surrounded by a pile of boxes that stretches almost to the ceiling. The problem? Where are toiletries, pajamas, coffee maker, clothes for the next day, hair dryer, dishes, etc? To get at them you’re going to have to start digging. Or you could create a special box packed with the stuff you’re going to need right before you leave the old place and put it somewhere easy to reach.
Taken together, each idea mentioned above should work collectively to make your next move a lot easier. The bottom line is to never go into this process without a plan. There is plenty of room for messing up along the way, and if there’s something you can do to stack the odds in your favor, why not do it? Now get out there and move yourself halfway across the country like a grizzled veteran.