Your moving checklist when shifting to a new home
- Decide what kind of a place you will need, do you prefer living in a house or in an apartment, how many rooms you would need, and how many garages would you want, how many sq. feet should the yard be. Before hunting for a new property, choose wisely what type of residence will suit to your lifestyle. Sure, you can look for open houses to check by yourself, but the advice of an experienced real estate agent is always of value.
- When your real estate agent takes you to see different homes, before signing anything check on the area. Research all the opportunities at the neighborhood and don’t make hasty decisions. Look for a place that is conveniently located near your job. Also, if you love spending a lot of time outdoors, look for properties located nearly parks. Along with your new home, embrace the new neighborhood.
- As doing things in the last minute might be stressful, start organizing your relocation as soon as you work out the details at the new place. Look only for licensed and insured moving service providers. Do not forget to check the US Department of Transportation public records to find out if your interstate movers have any safety violations. You can also check some websites that provide a directory with cross country movers like MyMovingReviews and look through movers’ ratings and testimonials on moving-related forums.
- Research your movers. Do not hire some randomly picked movers. Once you have confirmed the legitimate status of your movers, gather some information on your mover by checking out some customers’ reviews and testimonials.
- You can also save money when moving if you focus a little bit more on de-cluttering. Get rid of the things that you don’t need any more – less things to pack, load and ship, and thus – a smaller bill. Make a garage sale, donate items or throw away what cannot be used – that will save you money.
- Cancel all local utility service providers and any other service provider you are using.
- Consider what you are going to move, which things you will move with you and is there enough room for everything in the home that you have chosen. In the case that it is too small you may need to consider renting a self storage unit. Measure the furniture to make sure it will fit through the doors. It is good to know this in advance, so you can plan how to handle the situation. Professional moving consultant could find solutions, but you have to discuss the problem in advance. Do not leave it for the moving day.
- If you don’t have much time to arrange the packing, you can ask your moving company to do it for you. For a three-bedroom house you can expect to pay about $700 dollars (after you have done the de-cluttering) which is a reasonable amount to pay considering the materials, the time and the effort needed for the job. Also, remember to let your movers know if they’ll have to handle bulky or fragile items, fine arts or a piano for example. These items need to be handled with professional tools and approach. Even, additional charges may apply.
- If you are selling your current home, you should get it in a pleasant condition. That means cutting the grass, refreshing the deck and the front door with paint, fixing any broken things in the yard and inside, cleaning up and de-cluttering. Make your home look lovely for its buyers! And, even if you are renting, remember that if you don’t leave the property in a nice condition, you won’t get your security deposit back. So, whether you will opt for professional cleaning services or you clean by yourself the mess after the movers leave, make sure you leave your home spotless.
- Enjoy the experience! Every move means a new home, new environment, new friends and new opportunities. Relocating to a new home should not be just work because it is also a chance for a new and better beginning.
Make a moving checklist and stick to it. Organize your move timely and experience a stress free relocation. Remember, safety is a top priority, so work only with professional agents. Avoid rogue movers. Hope that these moving tips will help you find the easy way towards your new home.
Manuella Irwin is a contributor at My Moving Reviews, engaged to provide people who are about to relocate with helpful tips to ease their transition to their new home. Being acquainted with the Moving and Real Estate Business, she can provide some beneficial advice on how to make the moving process less stressful.