Moving can be an exciting and nerve-wracking time for any family – whether you are upsizing, downsizing or simply moving into the home of your dreams.
One thing you need to take into consideration before packing your first box is how much it is going to cost to move.
There are a variety of ways you can move a household and some will save you more money than others. However, before you limit your moving budget, you should consider how some expenses can significantly cut down on the stress of moving.
Here are 3 costs you need to consider when moving:
1. Packing Supplies
When you’re looking at packing up an entire household, you want to make sure the process is organized. Investing in proper packing supplies means you can easily pack, label and protect all of your possessions.
Otherwise, you may find yourself tossing items into bags and whatever else you can get your hands on – creating a potential nightmare for when you get into your new home.
Here is a list of supplies you may want to consider stocking up on:
Boxes of various sizes
Plastic bins (you can reuse them for storage)
Masking tape (for labelling)
Shipping tape (for securing boxes)
Scissors
Box cutters
Permanent marker (for labelling)
Bubble wrap, packing paper or newspaper
Blankets (to protect furniture, mirrors and TV)
Most can be picked up at your local office supplier or even the dollar store. You may be able to call around to local businesses to see if they have any empty boxes they are willing to give away.
2. Cleaning
Before you leave for good, you want to make sure you get your old home properly cleaned.
This is going to require a whole other slew of supplies, including mops, buckets, brooms, clothes and a cleaner.
You’re going to want to wait until all of your possessions are moved from your old home before you give it a final cleaning.
If you try to multitask cleaning with packing and moving, you’re likely going to become frustrated and waste more time in the end trying to keep track of everything.
Once everything is out, give the house a good deep clean. Start at the back of the home and work to the front, cleaning from top to bottom.
This will help prevent dirt and dust from being tracked through the areas you’ve already cleaned.
If all else fails, you can always hire a professional cleaning company to do the job for you.
3. Movers
Whether or not you need to hire movers depends entirely on how much stuff you are moving.
For example, if you are moving from a small space (such as an apartment) into a house, you may not need a full moving crew to get your possessions from point A to point B.
Depending on how many things you are moving, you may be able to get away with a pickup truck or two to get the job done.
However, you will definitely want to consider hiring movers for large items. Trying to move bigger pieces of furniture on your own is not worth the risk of damage to you or your stuff.
Plus, hiring movers definitely takes a lot of stress out of the entire moving process and may be worth the extra cost.
Get a Move On!
Moving can be an organizational terror.
But, as long as you consider the costs involved, you should be able to keep yourself on track as you move from one abode to another.
Don’t forget these three costs when you prepare for your next move!