There is no perfect formula to moving and it is true (speaking from my own experience!) that relocating can be one of the most stressful life experiences you encounter. After all, you are not just moving your stuff…you are moving your life! If you go into the relocation well planned, there are many ways to ease the potential stress of the move. Here are some tips that will help you breeze through a relocation:Do your homework. Taking the time to research the area you are moving to will save you a lot of hassle and headache down the road. Take advantage of many free resources you can tap into such as local realtors, churches and a myriad of websites that will practically do your research for you (www.move.com, www.moving.com, http://www.usps.com/receive/changeaddress/movingtips.htm. The best resource is tapping into the people that you have met during your interview process, as these folks obviously already live in the city you are moving to and can be an instant wealth of knowledge for you to benefit from.
Get a floor plan. If possible, get a floor plan of your future residence or draw one yourself to scale on graph paper. This will help you map out your furniture to fit. If it won’t fit on paper, it won’t fit when it arrives. This rule holds true whether you are renting or buying a home.
Make the most of what you have. Whether it is buying groceries, dog food, etc.…heed caution when replenishing your pantry if you are nearing the date of your move. Frozen foods cannot be shipped and the last thing you want to do is pack boxes full of canned foods…so eat up!
If in doubt…throw it out! Get rid of anything prior to your move that you are in doubt of needing. Chances are you won’t need that riding lawnmower if you are planning in renting an apartment for a year or so. If you don’t need it or haven’t used it for a long time…get rid of it! Moving costs are typically calculated on weight so why not lose some dead weight and save some money! Not sure what to do with all your old treasures? Have a garage sale and earn a profit from your old treasures versus paying the moving truck to haul what may be a ton of junk that will just collect dust in a storage garage or attic in your new place. There are also many companies that will handle your sale or people that will ebay your items for a small percentage of the profit. An easy alternative is also to donate your things to a local charity and get a tax deduction.
Get quotes. It is always recommended to get at least 3 quotes from professional movers prior to selecting the one who will move your belongings. Get a referral for a reputable mover from friends, family…or you can call us as we are partnered with a free relocation services that can provide that as well.
Allow time for packing. Moving requires lots of organization and patience. Decide if you want to put the effort into packing yourself or paying a bit extra to have a reputable moving company pack for you. If you have the extra cash to do so, it is highly recommended to pay the movers to pack for you as it can be a big stress reliever with all else you have going on in coordinating your big move.
Make a list and check it twice. There are many free checklists out there for you to better organize your move to ensure you are not forgetting a vital task of your move. The post office has a list included in their change of address packet that is quite helpful as well. There are so many obvious tasks that you will seemingly have to tackle…so having a list may help keep you organized and a bit more stress free throughout the relocation.
Breathe! Bottom line is to take a deep breathe and tackle one task at a time. While it is always exciting to think about a new home, a new city, new friends, new surroundings and environment, relocation does come with its fair share of hassles. Staying organized and on task throughout the process will help make the move and transition into your new city and hopefully dream job much more enjoyable!
