Everyone knows that moving is an incredibly stressful time.
Even when moving takes a person to a better job, bigger house or closer to
loved ones, moving can be a challenge. When circumstances are bad, such as a
job loss, divorce, eviction or family tragedy, moving can be an added
nightmare.
Whatever the circumstance, it is a process that must be
acknowledged and completed. The best way to get through it with minimum grief
is to be prepared.
Many people think that you throw your stuff in boxes, stick
it in a truck and unpack on the other side. Often when the move is not given
proper thought, unpleasant situations could arise.
But did you know that with a little planning, the moving
process can be a positive experience?
Moving Is An Opportunity To Start A New And Better Life
A move can be a chance for a fresh start. It is a way to
explore a new destination, or return to a familiar location that may have
changed over time.
It gives a good reason to purge items that are no longer
needed. No one wants to pay more for a move than they have to. It is a great
incentive to pare down ones possessions. We often hear that we should declutter
our houses at least once a year. And by now everyone knows that decluttering is
crucial to a successful home sale. But a lot of people procrastinate when it
come to doing this type of chore. Well nothing is as motivating as learning
just how much it will cost you to move it!
A New Space
A move is also a chance to re-evaluate your space
requirements. When architectural features such as stairs have become an
inconvenient part of your day, a move into a single level house will solve that
problem. If you have a whirlpool tub that has become difficult to use, a new
place is a great way to get that walk-in shower without spending thousands on
renovations. If your child has moved out, but you are too sentimental to
re-purpose the space, moving is a great way to grow into your new life.
Change In Income
If your finances have changed either through job loss,
divorce, retirement or loss of spouse, moving might be the right solution to
decrease your financial load. Instead of living paycheck to paycheck, a smaller
home might give you the chance to enjoy more of what life has to offer.
Change In Health
Sometimes your health can become the focus of your life. A change in health can be an important reason to move. Whether it is to move to a better climate or closer to health services, a move
can often relieve the worry of getting prompt health care. For some people,
moving into a community that offers an on-site medical team may be a blessing. Sometimes the financial obligations of healthcare and owning a house can be too much for a person. Even if it is just to have less obligations in and around the house, such as
too much square footage to clean or too large a yard to maintain, moving might
resolve challenges.Planning A Move
It is important to properly research the rules and
requirements of your new location.
You are leaving one community and going to another, and with
that may come some important changes. Part of a successful move is to be
informed about your destination. Will there be different requirements for your
children’s school? Are there any regulations regarding your vehicle? Will your
health coverage transfer or will you have to modify it or get a new plan?
Arrange For Services
It is important to arrange all utility cancellations or
transfers. Some providers expect a certain period of notice. No matter whether
you are selling your house yourself or through an agent, you will need to make
sure that your services at your existing property will end when you leave. You
do not want to pay for someone else’s electricity or water bill!
Be sure you
will have utilities in place when you arrive at your new home (or shortly
after).
Transfer bank accounts, medical records, school records and
anything else that affects your family. If you are moving a longer distance, attempt
to get referrals for doctors dentists and veterinarians from your existing providers.
Remember, sometimes professionals have a wait list for new clients, so contact
them as soon as possible.
Moving Is A Lot More Than Boxing Stuff Up And Putting It In A Truck
It is important to know in advance what the moving company
expects and offers. Ask them for any pamphlets or other information they may
have. Find out what prohibited items your mover will not take.
These items can
be as innocuous as laundry detergent – some movers will not take any liquids. Or
it can be as obvious as fire arms. Will they move your lawn mower if it has gas
in the reservoir? Better ask! If you are a smoker and have disposable lighters,
don’t assume your movers are willing to transport them –just because they are “small
items”. Planning to pack spray paints or hair spray? Find out is aerosols are a
prohibited item FIRST. Should dresser drawers be empty or packed with light
clothes?
Knowing may save you some unnecessary packing...or unpacking.
Consider The New Space
Are you down-sizing? Going from a five bedroom to two? Or
upgrading from three bedrooms to four? Will you have more or less closets and
cupboards? Now is the time to review your possessions and make choices. If you
used a room in your current place as storage, you may need to get rid of some
items or plan to rent a storage locker. Whenever possible, get floor plans of
your new space and see how you will arrange your furniture. Will you no longer
have a living room, den AND family room? Decide which furniture you will take
and sell or donate the rest. It makes no sense to pay to move it all and find
out you do not have the room to place all these things. Be realistic. If you
have room for 5 boxes of contents for an area, don’t pack 10. Be selective. Decide
to purge or put some things into storage and pack accordingly.
Boxing
It is helpful to pack with the final destination in mind. If
it was in your living room but will be in your family room, label it according
to the destination. Sometimes packing and unpacking take longer than expected.
Don’t assume you will remember! It is
important to label all contents, number boxes and to keep a list – or even
photos of contents. In that way, should you need something in particular in a
hurry, you will be able to locate it quickly. This is especially true for
seasonal items. You may be tempted to not unpack your Christmas things in June
– perhaps rightly so! Label the boxes clearly so that your holidays will be
hassle free when the time arrives.
To help you with this adventure, I have put together a list
of suggestions to help you have a smooth move.
If you have any additional suggestions, or moving
experiences you would like to share, I
would love to hear from you so that I can make this list the best Moving Checklist
resource on the internet.
Download this handy reference and keep it on your desktop, or print it out onto two 8-1/2 by 11 inch sheets.
If you come to the decision that it is time to move to have a
better life, then this can do this in one of two ways. It is possible to
renovate, de-clutter and clean to put your house on the open market and wait until
a buyer comes along. Or the house can also be sold “as is” within a week to
resolve the situation quickly.
Next week we
will take a look at one of the most influential numbers in real estate: the
number 61.
So thanks for reading my post. I'm so glad you're here!
And I really look forward to getting into more great stuff in future posts -- so that you can
Turn Your House To $OLD!
Feel free to ask me any questions through the contact info below. I would be very happy to help.
Linda 623-335-2662
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Article Sources:
Lynda Bathory
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