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Everything seems to be going smoothly, the house appraised, your loan has been approved, the title insurance is in place. It seems like the only thing that you have to do right now is wait for closing. Well, you could do that, but now is a good time to start getting ready to move.
When it comes to moving you basically have three choices. You can hire a professional moving company. You can do it yourself. Or you can do a combination of the two and have your possessions moved in a container where you pack the container and the container company moves the container to your new house. We'll go into these three choices in a bit. Right now I want to go into what you can do to make the move, regardless of the choice you make in how you move, easier and less expensive.
Getting Ready To Move
Your Closets
If you've lived in a place for any length of time you have probably started to accumulate stuff. The more people in your family, the more stuff you have accumulated. Now is a good time to start going through this stuff and deciding what it is that you want to keep (and move).
A good place to start is in your closets. If you haven't worn it in the past year, give it away. Separate out and catalog any items of clothing that you are going to give to charity. The IRS will allow you to deduct certain amounts for each of these items depending upon what it is that they are and what condition the item is in.
The Garage And Attic
Those old tires and rims stacked in the back. Get rid of them! Be sure to properly dispose of the tires. Your waste management company can advise you on the best way of doing this. The rims might have some value on EBAY. The same thing might hold true for other items that you come across.
The Rest Of The House
Any furniture or items that you're probably not going to utilize at the new house, get rid of them. You might want to consider having a garage or yard sale. Remember, the more stuff you get rid of the less you'll have to move!
Professional Movers
The most expensive option here is to hire the job done. As a student I worked as a mover for a number of years and I can tell you that there can be a wide variance between moving companies. My suggestion is to talk to people who you have known that have hired moving companies and to get referrals from them. Contact the Better Business Bureau and check for complaints. A couple of unhappy customers probably isn't going to be the end of the earth, but if there is a pattern then you might need to be concerned.
I suggest that you look into the specific agency, not just the moving company itself. For example, don't check into United Van Lines, but rather check into Joe Smith Moving, An Agent For United Van Lines.
Once your to the point of getting bids on your move, make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Make sure that the bids include everything they are going to do for you, such as packing your possessions, the costs of the boxes, insurance and what the insurance covers.
If you are doing the packing, do the guys a favor! Keep in mind what the box is going to weigh! Books in particular can end up weighing a ton and heavy boxes are more likely to do damage if they fall.
Also, if you are doing the packing, make sure that each and every box is marked with what is in it, if it is fragile and it's not a bad idea to mark where you wish each box to go inside of your new home. You might want to separate the boxes with your towels, blankets and sheets, as well as your toiletries so that they go into the truck last. Last in, first off. That way you know where they are at for immediate use if need be.
Communications with the moving company and with the driver is imperative! Especially if your move is a long distance one. Be sure to exchange phone numbers with the driver. That way you can communicate with one another and if there is a delay, you'll know it.
Moving Yourself
Moving yourself can entail renting a truck and padded blankets and buying boxes to getting your cousin Jimmy, his old ford pickup and getting some produce boxes at the grocery store. The obvious advantage of doing it yourself is that you will save money on the move. The disadvantage is that you and your buddies are not professional movers and if something gets broken, then you have no recourse.
If you decide to move yourself most of the same rules apply as when hiring professionals.
1) Make sure the boxes aren't too heavy.
2) Make sure that you wrap everything and secure any loose items such as cords and doors.
3) Rent a moving dolly! They are well worth the investment!
4) Mark all of your boxes so that you know where they are going and what is inside of them.
5) Pack the truck tightly. A tight load is less likely to shift on you causing damage to your possessions.
6) Move any precious items separately from the truck, heavily packaged.
Moving By Container
A fairly recent development in moving is moving by container. The container company (such as
Pods) delivers the container to your home. You pack the container full and they come back and get it. This is particularly handy if you need your possession stored for a period of time.
When you're ready for it to be delivered, you call and schedule it and they deliver the container to your new home where you unload it. You avoid having to rent and drive a big truck (or having cousin Jimmy and his buddies driving your stuff). Insurance is available in the event that something happens to your stuff.
Another advantage of moving by container is that they are weather proof. If it's raining the day that you get your stuff delivered, you can leave it in the container until the weather clears.
I've moved this way myself and was very happy with the system.
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