Moving? Don’t sweat it. The key to a low-stress and uneventful move is being organized. That’s why we put together our top 5 pre-move tips and a free moving checklist to help you remember all the big and little things you need to do prior to, during, and after your move.
1. Use a Moving Checklist to Assist Your Planning.
The biggest stressor during a move is not having enough time to get everything done. The problem is that most people start planning their move far later than they should. Ideally, you should begin planning your move about 8 weeks out from your planned move-out date. By doing so, you’ll be able to keep your mind and space organized and focused on one task at a time and you’ll find this will make the entire process seem like a piece of cake.2. Determine Your Moving Budget.
Like with any big life event, if you don’t determine a budget in advance, you’ll definitely experience “sticker shock” when it’s all over. If your employer is offering a relocation package, ensure you read through the details on what is covered and how the funds will be disbursed. If you are funding your own move, then start with a moving cost calculator to estimate the cost of your move. There are MANY factors that can influence a moving budget so use a moving calculator just to get a ballpark estimate of what you’re looking at, and then try to find ways to cut costs down.3. Now is the Best Time to Re-assess at Your Insurance Needs.
Moving to a new residence is a major movement…of ALL your belongings. Waiting until after you move is NOT the right time to be putting an insurance policy in place. If you’re a homeowner, you likely shopped around already for homeowner’s insurance. If you’re a renter, you should absolutely get a renter’s insurance policy in place. Renter’s insurance is extremely affordable and covers a whole host of things that you wouldn’t think are covered under insurance. You won’t have to ask around very far to hear nightmare stories of people who didn’t sign up for a renter’s insurance policy. And if you are moving to a new state, in addition to changing your license plates at the DMV, you will need to change your auto insurance policy. This is why this is a good time to re-look all of your insurance policies. There are huge incentives when you bundle policies together with the same insurance provider.[TOP PICK: Liberty Mutual – Offers great service and coverage, especially for younger renters…plus they offer special discounts for new moves and bundles.]