11 Things to Remember When Moving

If you are moving, it can be a chaotic time with lots of things to do. To help you out and make sure you don't miss something important, I have created a list of 11 things to remember when moving.

Having a Clear-Out

If you have fewer possessions to move, your moving experience will be less expensive and easier. The longer you live in a home, the more stuff you will accumulate that perhaps, you don't need anymore. Before you begin to pack, go through your stuff and remove those items you don't have any need for.

You can give away unneeded items to charity, sell them online, or throw them away if they aren't going to be useful to anyone else. Selling your items could help with your moving expenses, and you could even get a tax deduction for donations to charity.

Refrigerated Food

Don't forget about using up or throwing away items from your refrigerator. Keeping things cool during your move could be difficult. Reduce the stock of food you have in your refrigerator in the weeks before your move.

Will You be Hiring Movers?

You need to decide whether you will be hiring professional movers or doing it yourself. If you're using professionals, you need to get a few quotes in advance, as the cost difference between companies could be quite significant.

If you're planning to take more of the responsibility for your move yourself, you might need to get some quotes from truck rental companies. Here too, you will need to get quotes from a few different companies as truck rental costs can be high, particularly for long-distance moves. If you are going to be relying on help from friends or family, you need to make sure they are available when you need them.

Tax Deductions

Whether you are hiring professional movers or not, moving home is an expensive business. Make sure you hold on to your receipts, however, because you can use them to reduce the amount of tax you pay at the end of the year.

Getting Supplies

If you plan ahead, you could make big savings on packing supplies. You might be able to get free boxes from online sources like U-Haul Customer Connect, Craigslist, or local sites. Local stores could also be a great source of free boxes, just ask the manager in-store.

Packing Up

Don't make the mistake of leaving all your packing to the last minute. You can begin organizing your move even before you know your moving day. There are going to be many items that you don't need very often, and these can be packed early.

Avoid packing things you're going to need before the move and set aside things you'll need on the day of the move and shortly after. These should be packed in a special box or bag that you keep with you. This could include things like important documents, medicines, toiletries, a change of clothes, and anything else you could need during the move.

Taking Time Off

If you're planning to move when you should be working, you'll need to take that day off and perhaps the day after as well. You might need to arrange this sometime in advance with your employer.

Changing Your Address

So that you avoid creating problems for yourself down the line, make sure you update your new address with businesses you deal with. Make a list and go through it, you should be able to update your information on most businesses' websites, but there could be a few exceptions. Auto insurance could be one of these, as your premium might change.

So that you don't lose any mail, you should fill out a change of address form with the USPS. This can be done online and will cost you $1.05 so that they can confirm your identity.

Setting Up Your Utilities

Get in contact with your utility companies so that you can cancel or arrange for them to set you up at your new address. You should contact them in plenty of time before your move as you may need an appointment scheduled.

Cleaning Up

You will probably want your new home to be nice and clean when you move in. If you have the opportunity to deep clean your home before you move your furniture in, this will make things easier. If you can schedule professional cleaners to come to your new home before moving day, take the opportunity.

Planning Ahead

Do you have measurements for your new home? Will all of your furniture fit where you expect? Are the window treatments being left by the previous resident? There could be a few things you need to order for your new home so that your first few days and weeks are easier. In general, planning will give you fewer worries and things to remember when moving to a new home.

Bonus Tip: Using Pods Or Self-Storage Units

There is also another way of moving that can be beneficial. A storage pod is a large unit placed at your address that you pack yourself. When you are ready, the entire pod is moved to your new address. If you prefer, you can hire movers to pack and unpack the pod and take the strain off of you.

Conversely, if you have some things that cannot make the move with you, you may wish to consider a self-storage unit. These inexpensive storage facilities will allow you to put your items away as long as the monthly bill is paid. Could be a good way to free up some space or leave something behind in case you get back to that area.

Whether you are looking to pace your packing or store some belongings for a future date, PODS or Self-Storage units could be the answer.

Summing Up 11 Things to Remember When Moving

Laying out an overall good plan and following the recommended steps above should make your move much easier and save you some headaches in the process.

We hope you found these moving tips helpful. If so, please consider sharing on your social networks.