 Plan Your Move As an interior designer, I've planned and coordinated many large moves for commercial clients. Moving ranks right up there as one of life's most stressful events, but you can plan your move so it is less nerve-racking. There are always a few curveballs beyond your control, but by having a move plan and following these tips, you will be prepared to handle them. Be organized - An organized move usually makes for a smooth transition. Being organized will help reduce stress the week of your move and during the packing/unpacking process. That means hiring a moving company, buying all the supplies you need, creating a move plan calendar and having a packing/unpacking plan. You should also have a written checklist of tasks you need to accomplish to make the move successful. De-clutter - You will need to de-clutter your home in order to sell it, but moving less stuff is cheaper and less hassle. A good rule of thumb is, if it hasn't been worn or used in the last 1-3 years you probably don't need it. Hiring a Mover - If you need to hire a mover, you will need to do so several months in advance of your move. The summer is peak season for moving so you will need to book well in advance, especially if you want to move on a weekend or at the end of the month. Before you get any quotes you must de-clutter and remove most of the items that will not be moving. Do not hire a mover without first verifying their reputation and complaint history. You want to hire an experienced mover with positive online reviews and endorcements from people you trust. Get recommendations from friends, family and your social network and investigate a company's complaint history with the Better Business Bureau, www.bbb.org and at the federal government website, www.ProtectYourMove.gov. Do not get a quote online or over the phone. A reputable full-service mover will visit your home in person and give you a written estimate. Once you know what month you need to move ask what days have lower rates. Also ask if they are quoting by the hour or by weight and mileage. Typically, moves within state are by the hour while interstate moves are by weight and mileage. You can save on the cost of hiring a mover by packing boxes yourself or you can do a container move. Some moving companies will drop off a large container for you to pack yourself. Then it will be picked up and delivered to your new home for you to unpack. This method is far less expensive than a full-service move and will give you a place to store the boxes you have packed. Unfortunately, for the consumer not all moving companies are honest. Beware of lowball price quotes as some movers might tack on surcharges. Look out for movers that request large deposits, legitimate movers will give you an itemized written quotation and require only a small deposit. Another moving ripoff is holding your furniture hostage and demanding a higher payment just prior to delivery. If you decide to hire a full-service mover you should check your insurance policy to see if your belongings are covered during a move. If not, you may want to get separate coverage for the full replacement-value of anything that is damaged. Boxes - Find free boxes from someone who has recently moved. Call local businesses to see if you can come in and pick up empty boxes on a day they unpack a shipment. Call your moving company and ask if you can buy used boxes and if they will refund you on any boxes that are returned in usable condition. Packing Materials - If you are packing yourself do not use newpaper to wrap items. Printing ink can rub off onto your belongings. Instead call your local newpaper company and ask if they have paper end rolls that you can pick up for free or purchase. Bubble wrap, towels, small blankets and even pillows can be used to wrap and pack fragile items. Use suitcases, laundry baskets and plastic containers for unbreakable items. Label Boxes and Containers - Label all your boxes with room names identifying what room they will be placed in. Use a diffrent color coded label for each room and try to use all the same color for one room. Also, label which boxes should be unpacked first and the contents in each box. This will aid movers in placing your boxes in the correct location and speed up the unpacking process. Draw a Floor Plan - Use 1/4" graph paper and draw a floor plan to scale (1/4"=1'-0") to show where your furniture will be placed and where boxes will be staged for unpacking. You can tape these plans on the door to each room to help the movers place furniture. This saves time rearranging and saves money when you are paying by the hour. Be Prepared - If you are moving into a condo or an urban area you should arrive early and reserve parking space; otherwise, you may incur an additional surcharge if the movers have to park further away from your unit. And, be sure to have utility services working the day of the move so you are not moving in the dark. For more information on planing your move and choosing a mover see www.moving.org. |