Making a big move can be a stressful and frustrating experience if you don’t do enough advanced planning. This is especially true for families with young children or pets. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to make this process easier and more cost-effective. Here are a few things you can do to save on your relocation budget, while also saving you time in moving to your new home.
Will You Rent a Van or Hire Movers?
While this is a personal choice, there are several factors to consider in making this decision. Renting a moving van is generally cheaper than hiring professional movers, but it can actually become more expensive in the long run. This is because you won’t have the same level of insurance coverage in renting a truck, and you won’t be sharing the fuel costs with other customers. A professional moving company does provide those savings along with assuring you of an accurate estimate for the move. Hiring professional movers leaves far less to chance.
Will You Drive or Ship Your Car?
Another important factor to consider is how you’ll get your vehicle to your new home. This will largely depend on the distance of your move. If you’ll have to travel far, it may make more sense to travel by plane or bus rather than facing the costs of driving. You should estimate what driving will cost you in terms of gas, vehicle wear, and service. Compare that total to the average car shipping cost to determine which is the most economically feasible option.
Start Selling Unnecessary Items
Before you start packing, try to eliminate as much as you can from what you’ll have to pack. You’ll save time on packing and you’ll save on costs associated with the move when you can reduce what you’ll take with you. Clothes and other items that you haven’t used within a year should be sold or thrown away. Additionally, many people use the $10 rule that suggests throwing away anything that can be replaced for $10 or less. That will help you take up less space in the moving truck, and give you fewer boxes to unpack in your new home.
Save on Packing Supplies
You should start packing things up at least two months in advance, although this will depend on the size of your household. When packing, look for things you can use instead of buying boxes, plastic wrap, and shipping popcorn. For example, some things can be packed into mop buckets and plastic baking bowls. You can also use clothing to protect fragile or antique items from breakage. Cardboard can also be used to separate items that could be damaged in transit. When taking furniture apart for the move, store screws and nuts in plastic food containers and be sure to label each container. Charging cables and computer cords can also be stored in this manner.
Create a Detailed Inventory
Making a running inventory of your belongings will make the move easier for you and for your movers. Each box should be labeled and should contain a list of its contents. Some people use a different color marker to label each box with the color corresponding to a room in their new home. You can adopt this strategy as a way to help your movers get everything into the correct room. In addition to labeling the contents of each box directly on the box, you should create a separate inventory sheet. This will make it easy for you to locate specific items. It will also help you file a claim for lost or damaged items.
Prepare For Your Move Date
Each person should pack an overnight bag that contains at least one change of clothing and their personal hygiene items. You should also bring along a package that contains any important documents you’ll need during the move and upon reaching your destination.
This may include pet vaccination records, identification for everyone in the family, lease agreements, medications, and other essentials. Keeping these items separate will save you from having to hunt for them upon getting to your new home. In planning travel, be sure to pack some bottled water and a few healthy snacks to save you from having to stop for lunches along the way.
You’ll find that your relocation goes more smoothly when you have a detailed plan for every aspect of the move. While you might overlook a few things, you’ll generally feel less stressed or anxious when you address the bigger issues ahead of time. Additionally, making use of professional services can alleviate some of the biggest moving headaches and let you concentrate on getting your family safely relocated to your new home.
