Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Relocation: Making The Process Easier

By Joyce McIntosh


If you are moving far away from your hometown, you might be both excited and nervous about this new adventure. Unlike moving and staying in your general vicinity, relocating to a new town or city poses a whole new set of challenges beyond the typical moving tasks. Here are a few tips to make relocating a little simpler.

Finding a moving company is always a big task, and while you need to get several estimates, don't do it over the phone. Ask them to come out, look over your entire house and give you a firm, written estimate. In addition, even if you have the very best moving company in the world, move your most valuable items yourself. This includes jewelry and expensive artwork, as well as items with a high sentimental item. This insures that your items won't be stolen or broken.

Moving companies base their rates on the amount of items you have as well as the size and weight of these items. So before you move, get rid of everything that you don't really need, use or like. This might be old patio furniture, a dated sofa or kitchen items you received as wedding gifts two decades ago but never used. The more you purge, the less you have to pack and then unpack at the new place. Often, a charity truck will come to your house to get donations, so all you have to do is put it in bags and haul it to the curb.

Often when you move a long distance, you have to wait a while before moving into your new place. Perhaps you haven't selected a new home or escrow hasn't closed or you just want to make some renovations before you unpack tons of belongings. For any of these circumstances, the easiest option is to place your items in a self-storage facility.

When searching for a local self-storage facility, be sure to find one that allows you to lease by the month or even by the week if you really just need the service for a little while. Security is always an important consideration, so make sure that the facility is totally fenced and is well lit. It also needs to have security monitoring on site. For your convenience, select a storage facility that allows you to have 24/7 access to your storage unit.

The internet is a huge resource for people who are relocating, and it helps you get to know a place before you move there. You can map out how to get to grocery stores, pet stores and hardware stores, as well as obtain information about schools and churches and other facilities you might be using. Your new neighbors and even your realtor or leasing agent also can be a helpful resource, particular in choosing professionals such as doctors, veterinarians and mechanics.




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