Let’s face it, moving and packing are no one’s favorite activities in life. For most people, there is a lot of stress involved in moving to a new location with new people. So, there is no good reason to add to this stress with an unorganized move-out process. Although this guide won’t make moving necessarily enjoyable, it will definitely help reduce a lot of the stress that comes with it.
Compare Moving Options to Save Money
There is no need to add onto the stress of moving with the stress of a costly bill from an expensive moving company. That’s why if you are using movers, you should get at least three free quotes from different companies to find the most affordable moving services. By doing this, you can be sure that you aren’t getting scammed and have a pretty good idea on the market price of having your stuff moved out. Another trick, if you have a flexible schedule, is to move during the middle of the week. Movers are usually priced cheaper during the middle of the week since most people move on weekends.
If you get three different quotes from movers and still think it is too expensive, don’t worry! You can always compare the price of hiring movers to things like renting a moving truck, using a portable moving container, or even getting your friends to help you. If money is tight, sometimes you just need to get creative. If you have a limited budget, don’t waste money on purchasing containers for your belongings. Stop by your local retailers and see if they have any free packing supplies, such as empty cardboard boxes.
Clean Out your Closets Before You Move
Nothing makes packing more stressful than when you feel disorganized. When you are packing up your various items into different boxes, you should not also be deciding whether those things are coming with you or not. Before packing go through all of your items and truly think about whether they are going on the move with you. It might be better if the items are instead donated, recycled, or thrown away.
When trying to decide if something is worth keeping, ask yourself if you would go out and buy it again if you lost it. If the answer is no, you probably don’t need it. Think of this as a great opportunity to make some donations to charities. To make your life easier, you could research charities that come and pick up donations for you.
If it is truly too hard for you to part with certain items, but you know they won’t be able to make the trip with you, you can always look into short term storage.
Don’t Just Pack Clothes and Hangers, Use them to Secure your Valuables!
There is no need to go out and find bubble wrap, you have perfectly good clothes for that! Seriously, stuff like clothes, linens and towels can be put to use to secure all your fragile objects. This is the most efficient way to secure your valuables and pack up some of your clothes at the same time.
A similar strategy can be utilized for your hangers! Hangers can be super cumbersome to pack, being oddly shaped and taking up more space than expected. This isn’t a problem if you instead use your hangers to fill in the extra space on the sides and tops of your moving boxes. Doing this will make your boxes sturdier and less likely to get bent or collapsed in on.
Review Homeowners or Renters Insurance Policy
This tip is one that most don’t think of. There is a chance that your insurance policy covers your items against damages and theft during the moving process. This is a great way to ensure that your valuables are protected, at least monetarily, during the moving process.
Hopefully these tips can help take some stress off the packing process and help you find the best local movers in your area too if you choose to go that route. Maybe not the most fun process, but it is a reality of life that should be done as easily as possible.
