Moving is a daunting task for anybody, but with some tips, tricks, and helpful hints, your moving day can be a breeze. The best place to start is with these answers to your most basic questions.
1. When?
Weather permitting, move in the fall or winter. Most people tend to move in the summer, with 13.9% of moves in 2016 occurring in June. Alternatively, December of that same year only saw 3.3% of that year’s movers taking action. Moving companies may offer seasonal deals, and you will see better availability in truck rental and moving services in these times of the year.
Aim to move in the middle of the month and the middle of the week. Most move-in dates are the first of the month, so negotiate the 15th of the month for your move-in date and you will again see better prices and availability. Fridays are the most popular days for movers, with 19.45% of moves in 2016 occurring on this last day of the work week.
2. What?
Once you’ve scheduled your move, the next hurtle is what to bring with you, and what to leave behind. Moving is a great opportunity to pare down on the clothes, books, furniture, and knick-knacks that you’ve been squirreling away. Make separate bins for keep, toss, and donate that you can easily keep track of. When you’re ready to donate, many organizations such as Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity offer pick-up services for your unwanted goods.
When determining what to keep, having a second pair of eyes can help. Enlist a friend or family member to help you sort your things into these bins. They won’t have the emotional attachment you do to your objects and will have a critical eye for what is and is not essential in your new home.
3. Who?
Depending on the intricacies of your move you have the choice to rent a moving truck or hire movers. If this is your first or second move and you only have a few pieces of furniture with some boxes, you may able to go the more cost-effective route by renting a truck and putting in the labor yourself. You will only have to pay the cost of the truck and get the satisfaction of a day’s physical work.
With a larger amount of furniture and more fragile objects, hiring a moving service is a more efficient option. Local moving companies tend to charge approximately $25 an hour per mover. This can add up with more hours and more bedrooms, but will free up your time and save you from the physical labor while the movers do the work. If furniture is the main concern in moving, you can hire furniture movers and transport your smaller boxes and objects yourself.
To ease any anxieties about moving, know that many people go through this every day. The average American will move approximately 12 times in their lifetime. You are meant to do this many times over, so the best thing to do is dive right in.
