Whether you recently bought your new house or found a cool new rental, you’ve already went through the agony of searching. But packing up and moving into your new place isn’t going to be a breeze if don’ prepare. While packing isn’t exciting, it’s important to make moving preparations. Don’t fall into the traps of last-minute packing, your friends standing you up, or hidden costs from an unreliable moving company.
It’s easy to put off moving preparations, so to help you make this process simple and stress-free, we are sharing our best moving tips.
Moving preparations tip #1: Hire a moving company
A moving company moves every day, unlike your friends. Hiring a professional moving company means giving the heavy lifting to experienced people. Professional moving companies like movingbuddiesaz.com know how to properly wrap furniture, how to move furniture in tight elevators, and how to properly load a truck to save the most space. They guarantee to keep your furniture safe during transportation.
Moving is a very stressful process, therefore hiring a moving company will help relieve stress and save you time. And time is money. One of the most important moving preparations for you is to leave everything you can to the pros. Minimize your effort, maximize efficiency, and move to a new home as easy as possible.
Moving preparations tip #2: Do Your Research
Do your research. Take time to do your homework before hiring movers, and don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions. If your next dream home happens to be in Arizona, the best way to make a seamless relocation is to get informed before you move to Phoenix. This will ensure you’re protected, and having the right movers can make all the difference.
Book early! To guarantee you have professional movers on the day most convenient to you, we recommend booking them two to four weeks in advance.
Find out what your movers cannot transport ahead of time. Federal laws forbid transporting any hazardous materials, including paint, ammunition, and propane, etc. Consequently, items that contain gas, such as grills and lawn mowers, are prohibited and must be moved by the client. Other items may even include food or living things such as plants. Ask ahead of time, so you won’t be surprised on a moving day.
Moving preparations #3: Calculate Your Moving Costs
It is smart to calculate what you are willing to spend during your move. Hopefully, the calculation will help you abide by it and not overspend. Just having everything listed and all the costs written down could save you money and stress from unexpected issues.
Remember that everything comes with a price tag and can quickly add up unless planned for properly. Don’t forget to keep your receipts as you may be entitled to government grants and income tax reductions, but these change often, so keep track.
Imminent Moving Costs
• hiring movers and/or packers
• renting a moving truck
• renting a storage container
• buying or renting moving boxes, tape, padding, and other supplies
• carpet shampoo & cleaning of prior residence
• travel costs – gas, food, lodging, or bus/plane tickets
• oil change and vehicle maintenance before a long distance move
• bills due at your old home or bills due at your new home
• “emergency pile” in case of any unexpected costs, like an accident or other emergencies
• anything else you can think of that has not been mentioned here!
Get Free Packing & Moving Supplies
Don’t spend unnecessary money on moving supplies you can get for free. Even if you are on a modest budget, it is smart to cut back on costs here as much as possible. One of the environmentally most friendly and cost-effective ways of doing so is to stock up on free packing supplies. Do not pay for cardboard boxes when you can find them anywhere. Your local supermarkets or stores have leftover boxes handy. They will gladly give you as many as you want.
Be prepared with enough boxes, packing supplies, and packing tools. Decide a place for everything for maximum organization. Donate or purge whatever items you can spare for optimum cleansing of your home’s energy. Put them on the side in some boxes so they can be swiftly taken to the second-hand store or recycling depot, or collected by a junk disposal service.
Moving preparations 101: Common mistakes
What are common mistakes we see people make while moving?
The number one mistake is not looking into movers, go through their customer service webpage and see their reputation and client satisfaction online. Do not sign shady paperwork and make sure you know all additional charges. For example, if movers cannot park near the entrance and have to carry belongings more than 75 feet, they will charge for that additionally.
Prepare Your New Home Before Moving In
Don’t move in and start unpacking boxes until after you clean your new space. Moving into a home that requires painting, cleaning, and preparing before unpacking furniture is not fun, so do it before moving day. It is advisable you take your time assessing your new place, because you may want to incorporate some upgrades and improvements. Be sure to allow a day or two to complete them before the move.
Start packing about 8 to 6 weeks before the moving date to avoid the stress of last-minute packing. Slow paced moving preparations are helpful with reducing anxiety during this transition. You can even make time to meditate and have fun. It also makes the risk of items being damaged or improperly sorted and labeled lower.
Purge your belongings beginning with your storage areas. Anything you haven’t used for a year and items that have no sentimental value should be the first to go. Next are the rooms you will use infrequently prior to moving day. “Less is more” should be your mantra during this transition.
The last items on your moving preparations checklist should be your everyday kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom belongings. They will also go last onto the truck and will be first unpacked. Think of them as essentials and your move-in day will go by without a hitch. Keep a fresh set of towels and a change of clothes in your carry on to avoid being nervous in the first days before unpacking at your own pace.