In the past four years, I have moved four times, so here are four things I learned from my travels that may help you on your next move.
Pack slowly and over time
For my first move, I thought packing everything the week of would be the best way to do it, but boy was I wrong. I was sore, aching, exhausted and ready to scream by time the actual work started…moving things. The next move, I didn’t make the same mistake again. I packed slowly over the last month I was in my home. Packing first what we didn’t need on a daily basis, like books, DVD’s, out-of-season clothes and garage and attic items. Packing, organizing and labeling boxes slowly saved a lot of stress and pain.
Hire movers
We all want to save a buck, but this is not the way to do it. I have moved once on my own with help from a few friends — and I would never do it again. My friends are great, but they do not know how to properly pack a moving truck, professional movers do. Especially if you are moving your valuables half way across the country like I did, you want to make sure that truck is packed right. If it’s not, it’s likely things are going to move and break.
Ask for help
It is okay to ask friends to help you pack. I would make packing up my house a hang out. I would ask one of my girl friends to come over and we would chat and wrap up glasses. Talk and stuff boxes. It makes for a much more enjoyable packing experience.
Learn about the city/state your moving to
I moved from Iowa to New York this year, and there were a few things I wish I knew before the move. One, the town I was moving into. I didn’t have much time to find a place to live once I accepted my job, so I moved into an apartment in a city that was not so great, (yes, we are making another move very soon because of this). Know the area. Contact realtors and ask them what the towns are like near the city you are going to work in, if you are moving for work. They will give you advice on areas that are popular and areas that you should stay away from.
Secondly, know the costs you are going to have to put out. New York taxes are way higher than Iowa taxes. So to register my two cars in the state, I had to pony up $900. An expense I would have liked to know about prior to moving.
Also, the laws are different between states, especially for things like firearms, so make sure you know what the laws are before you cross those state lines.
