It is common wisdom to think that moving short-distance is much easier planned and done than relocating somewhere far away. While that’s true most of the times, it can still lead you to a very common mistake – underestimating what it takes to move locally. You don’t need to deal with a different culture or to learn new ways of life, you won’t be too far away from your old friends and perhaps from your family as well, you’ll find both a job and your new home quite easily as it’s still the same market, it’s all true. Yet all of this might make you neglect some other challenges when it comes to moving, even when it’s done locally. Unfortunately, it’s almost never as easy as it seems. So here are some local moving tips to help you with the process.
It will take more time than you think
It always does. Even though your new home is not too far away, you still need to sort out all of your belongings, get rid of those you no longer need, pack those you want to keep and have them transported to your new house. Moving short-distance will lower your transportation costs significantly and will enable you to keep and move more of your stuff (if you want to), but it will not help you that much with time. You still need to go through all your stuff and decide what you’re going to do with each item.
Then you need to pack everything and if you decide to do it on your own, it will most certainly take more time than planned. It’s not an easy job to do, especially if you don’t have that much experience.
This is still a very good opportunity to declutter
Moving is always a great opportunity to get rid of the things you no longer need or use. It’s something that will make your life so much easier should you embrace it. However, it is not so easy for everyone to do and if you’re a keeper you’ll find it particularly difficult, no matter if it’s local moving or you need to relocate somewhere far away.
For your own good, make efforts to ditch as many items as possible. There’s no point in keeping the things you no longer need or use, they only clutter your home and make your life harder.
When moving, you can:
- donate
- give away
- sell or
- toss out the items you no longer want to keep.
That way you could even make some money and help people in need.
Get enough packing materials
This means clean boxes of suitable sizes, with sturdy bottoms and available covers. They all need to be in good condition and you can get them from local supermarkets for free. You’ll also need packing paper, packing tape, bubble wrap, a pair of scissors, color markers, etc.
Remember what we just said about time? Well, it goes the same when it comes to boxes (and possibly some other materials). It will take more boxes than you think, so start collecting them early. If you still happen to run out of packing materials, you can always buy boxes from a moving company.
Local moving might help you with many other things, but not with packing. This is something to always keep in mind.
Make a plan
Even though we’re talking about local moving, you cannot just pick up all your things and put them in boxes with no previous planning. You should pack big items first and then go for smaller ones. Another thing to consider is what items you need the most. Pack the things you don’t need on a daily basis first – and you’ll unpack them last when you get to your new home as well. To keep everything in check, consider making a checklist.
Don’t forget to take care of utilities
Electricity, water, gas, internet, cable TV, any newspaper and magazine subscriptions you might have, etc. You need to transfer all the utilities to your new home. To do this, contact all of your service providers a few weeks before you move. Moving short-distance is easier than moving across the world, but you can never get away with not taking care of certain things.
Local moving – you still need some help
You might be tempted to call your family members and friends to help you move instead of hiring professional help. You’re moving locally, after all, so you may as well save some pennies, right? You may, but you may also not.
Remember that you’ll still need to get a moving truck to transport your things to your new home and you’ll probably need to hire some other moving equipment as well, such as a dolly to use it when moving heavy stuff. Ok, but you can still pack your own things, along with your helpers, can’t you? You can, but it will probably end up using more space, and that means you’ll need a bigger truck, and that means you’ll need to pay more. Non-professional helpers are also more likely damage some of your belongings and you would not even be insured. So yes, you might end up saving something, but it probably won’t be as much as you’ve planned or even anything at all.
Can you still save if you hire a moving company?
You certainly can! Many local movers offer services to be paid by the hour and that can be a way to go. You could pack some of your smaller items and let the professional movers deal with bulky and heavy stuff. Movers also offer insurance against incidents, as well as a guarantee for a professional and fast moving service. Finally, they usually offer short-term storage for your items should you need it.
And that’s not all
There are more reasons to hire professional movers. The most important of all is safety. When moving heavy and bulky items non-professionals risk being injured. Another big one is less stress. If you hire someone to help you out, especially when they are skillful and experienced, you’ll be stressing over that particular situation a lot less.
Moving home locally is certainly easier than moving far away, but it still comes with its fair share of challenges. Just don’t underestimate the process of local moving and plan accordingly – and you’ll move to your new home with no problem.