Uncommon Things to Think About When Moving

Moving to a new house and city can be very stressful. There’s so many things to consider that it’s almost overwhelming. Is your house in a good neighborhood and near a good school district? Are your neighbors so loud that you have to wear headphones to sleep every night?

People understand that realtors often present them with an affectation, which is why we stress the small stuff when picking out a new place to live.

Beyond the neighborhood, you need to consider the culture and economic situation of the city itself. Are there good job opportunities or at least options for remote work available? Is there access to local entertainment?

Mainly, your house needs to feel like a home. With all of this in mind you almost lose sight over the real estate value of the house itself!

You’re still not finished either. You have to figure how much are utility bills going to amount to, the cost of internet, tax rates, and the cost of living.

I can see you’re already sweating and you haven’t even started packing yet. Fortunately, we’re here to provide you with some tips on things you might not think of when moving into your dream home.

What to do with Your Junk?

Rule number one: only bring the essentials. Moving into a new home provides a clean slate, literally. All of those items lining your closets and the boxes you never unpacked when you moved into that house don’t need to make the journey into another closet.

Consider selling your junk in a yard sale. Most of these items may have some value to other people and it’s the perfect way to pay for that moving company. Any old blankets and sheets can also be used to wrap furniture and fragile items during a move. Sort through your items before you throw them out to ensure that you’re not throwing away something valuable or sentimental.

Organizing Important Documents

Whether you’re five or fifty-five, you probably have a box full of school work or important documents that you never got around to sorting. It’s important that you don’t forget any important documents, such as a child’s report card that you need to bring to a new school district.

If you’re like me, it probably takes you hours to dig up any important documents, such as a birth certificate, when you need it most. This is a great opportunity to organize your important documents and purge any useless folders you have lying around.

You don’t want to start a new job only to find out you can’t find your social security card. A replacement card could take weeks as many local government offices haven’t adapted to modern government technology yet. The US’s nuclear codes are still embedded on a floppy disk.

Make a Moving List

Creating a moving list can help you identify important items you don’t want to leave behind on the move. This may seem simple, but imagine arriving at your new home to realize you left your AC unit still lying in the window at your old home. Some of your most cherished possessions, such as that huge flat-screen TV, can begin to look like wallpaper after a while. You probably know some people who left behind a TV or appliance during a big move that they regret.

Beyond this, you can also use this moving list to write down some items you’ll need to purchase for your new house. No one’s going to take their shower curtain or bathroom rug on a move, but these are items you can easily forget about everytime you go to the store.

Label Appropriately

Color coding and labeling boxes is important to keeping your expedition organized. This will help you identify any items that may appear lost on your move because they’re in a random box. If you hire a moving company this will also alert them to any valuable or fragile items that need to be handled lightly during transport.

Getting the Word Out

A Facebook status that you arrived at your new home may not reach all of your friends and family. It’s important to alert all of your friends and family personally that you are moving so they don’t send a package to the wrong the address or drop in your empty house one day only to feel a little hurt that they weren’t alerted.

Be sure to change your mailing address so that all packages are forwarded to your new home. You should also inform your school district that you are moving so they can transfer over the necessary documents to make your child’s transition easy. 

Moving Date

If you’re contracting a moving company then it’s important that you know that Friday is typically their busiest day. The last Friday of each month is actually the busiest moving day for some unknown reason. Everyone wants to enjoy the weekend in their new home.

It’s always good to plan your moving date with the appropriate weather. You don’t want your friends and family dragging your stuff into your house through puddles and rain do you?

Shopping Around

Contracting a moving company can be very expensive depending on how far you are moving away and the amount of stuff being moved. Taking a Uhaul across the country can run you thousands of dollars.

Shop around and find the best price for any moving company near you. People are often ready to take the first availability they can find. Consider using your car to take multiple trips if possible to save some money. It’s certainly convenient to borrow a friend’s truck or RV.

Additional Tips

After buying a new mortgage, throwing down thousands of dollars on a moving company can really stress your finances. There are various cost effective ways you can move your valuables without having to invest in expensive packing materials or moving companies.

One classic tip that many people use is stuffing disposable plates in between fine china and lining the inside of boxes with blankets and sheets. The last thing you need is to break something valuable you can’t afford to replace.

Enjoy your dream home and don’t get too stressed out by the details or it could turn into a real nightmare.