Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Starting early and making a list go a long way towards a trouble-free move. While being proactive does not eliminate all the problems and snags that come with moving, it certainly takes care of a lot of them.
Moving is a well-known stress-inducing, anxiety-laden, and potentially back-breaking experience. As difficult as it may be to imagine for those who have already been through a harrowing moving experience, it does not have to be this way the next time you move. By planning ahead and making a list, which you do have to check more than twice, it is possible to eliminate much of the anxiety that comes along with moving.
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Pack Less
At least one month before your moving date, make a “Keep” and “Toss” list of your worldly possessions. Take no prisoners. Include clothes, shoes, small kitchen appliances, exercise equipment, furniture, decorative items, etc. Hold a garage sale and price the “Toss” items low enough to sell quickly. Bundle some items to make them more attractive to buyers. Don’t have enough stuff to host a sale on your own? Team up with your neighbors! If you don’t have the time or space for a yard sale, consider using eBay or another online selling/shopping source.
Whatever you do not sell, you can donate to a local charity. You might even get a receipt from them that could come in handy at tax time. Remember that the Salvation Army has a strict schedule for picking up items, so call them early if you plan to use them. The more items you can get rid of, the less you have to pack and haul to your new location.
Register your Change of Address
Three weeks before you move, you should fill out a change of address form for your mail, subscriptions, utilities, phone and cable service, etc. Thankfully, you can do most of this online these days. Resist the temptation to delay this task. If there are any questions or problems, you want your service provider to reach you easily. This is hard to do when you are already on the road.
Buy No More
Minimize buying groceries and toiletries two weeks before you move as much as possible. Consume what you find in the fridge, in your cupboards, and take advantage of take-out delivery; you’ll be too busy preparing for your new life to cook very much, anyway. Donate non-perishable foods items (such as canned goods and uncooked grains) to your local food pantry. You’ll not only be lightening your own load, but you will be helping someone else feed themselves or their family as well.
Do Your Research
All of the careful planning, packaging, and prepwork in the world will not protect your valuable belongings from being carelessly handled, lost, broken, or even stolen by apathetic or unsavory movers. Be sure to hire a trustworthy residential moving company that can expertly transport your items as far as you need them to in safe, timely, and affordable manner.
Even if you only take small steps over a long period of time as you try to schedule your move around work, family, and life, you will find yourself much farther along come moving day than you would have if you did nothing at all. Planning ahead is essential for a smooth moving experience, as indeed it is for most other areas of life as well. Stay organized and focused as you sail into your new life!
Author Bio: Beth C. writes on behalf of A.C. White Relocations, a fourth generation family owned Atlanta moving company that has been helping people move since 1926. Beth loves new beginnings – as an army brat, she moved around extensively as a child and writes to help ease the process for others.
