The average person moves every four to five years but the first time you move is always the most challenging of course. You have less of an idea what to expect and you haven’t been through it to learn from mistakes. But there are many things you might consider to make that first move an enjoyable one. And, luckily, often a person’s first move is a small one making things much easier! So following are things to think about for your first move:
- Be sure to carefully plan everything out and be organized. This perhaps is the most important thing to do. So many fewer things can go wrong if you properly plan and if you are very thorough and organized. If moving with professional movers please be sure to start looking for the company weeks in advance. If you are renting a truck, careful about waiting too long to make that reservation…..especially during the summer and on the last week end of a month. When you are packing be sure to plan the pack, keep an inventory in a notebook , take the time to get professional moving boxes and supplies and make sure to label each and every box with the contents.
- Give yourself LOTS of time – don’t wait until the last minute. Most people underestimate the amount of time required for a successful move. If you give yourself enough time then everything will go more smoothly and you most likely will save money. For example, if you didn’t wait to the last minute you can shop professional moving companies or truck rental companies and choose the product and service and the cost that is best for you. If you give yourself enough time you will have all the boxes and supplies you need for that important moving day or weekend. NEVER underestimate the amount of work involved in a move…it is probably one of the biggest mistakes of those that are moving for the first time.
- Use a moving checklist. There are many things that have to be coordinated for a successful move. HomePoints provides a checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything and to make sure you are aware of how much time some of the things take to accomplish. Print out the checklist and keep in your moving notebook (a notebook where you record all your activities and eventually record everything you are moving). If you use a checklist you are less likely of course to forget something important. Did you call the utility company in time to have the power turned on when you moved in? How long will you have to wait until you have the cable installed? Did you get boxes and supplies in time? How quickly can you change your address and have things forwarded to you? There are many, many more activities you have to consider and a checklist can help keep everything straight.
- Depending on how you move, do the appropriate research. If you decide to rent a truck, read the helpful articles on HomePoints or provided by the company and talk to friends that have moved in that way. Know about the types of trucks, how to select the truck for you, everything about how they price, whether or not you need insurance, the companies service record (for example, will the truck really be there when I have it reserved) etc. If you decide to use container based moving, make sure you understand how it works and how things are coordinated. If using a professional mover, research how to pick the right one for you and become very aware of the things you need to do to make sure your move is a good one – again there are many articles on HomePoints.
- Ask for help. After you read everything on HomePoints and elsewhere, be sure to talk to people you know about what they experienced during their move. What were the major things they would do differently? What things upset them the most? How much time did it take them to do everything? It is amazing how much you will learn by simply talking to a few people.
Your mortgage specialist helped build HomePoints to try to save you time and money as well as to help you on your move. We wish you the best!