Moving your family and properties to a new state or country is often an exciting experience. However, this can be very demanding as there’s not just the physical move to organize, but also the strain of leaving friends and loved ones behind.
If you’ve relocated once in the past, you probably have fresh memories of both the excitements and frustrations of the move. If you are planning to relocate once again or for the very first time, here are just a few things to keep in mind to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.
Pre-move Consultation
Seek advice from a professional who will give you a good pre-move consultation. They will let you know the whole relocation process and services that are available to help you plan and prepare your move.
Some of these include:
- Transit Insurance
- Packing
- Special requirements for fragile items, vehicles, and pets
- Transportation and storage options
- Keeping track of your properties
In addition, your consultant will help you choose the best delivery service and they will let you know what to expect at your new destination.
Learn About Your New Destination
Speaking of what to expect, when you consider relocating, especially to a completely new environment, there are many questions you’ll need to answer so making sure to do your homework on the new location will prevent any unwanted surprises. Besides doing your own research with the help of Google, be sure to ask your real estate agent about the area. They will often be able to provide deeper insight into the area about things like communities, transportation, schools, shopping, and much more. These will let you settle into your new location as if you already belong.
Plan Ahead to Avoid Stress
First and foremost, try to avoid procrastinating and putting things off until the last minute. Proper planning is the best and simplest way to make your move smooth and budget-friendly. It is important to put your things in order as early as possible. If you can’t do it all alone, ask your family, friends or even hire someone to help. This can also be a great time to do a “Marie Kondo” of your home and ask yourself if you really need some of these things, and if not toss them out or sell them.
Changing your environment can not only be physically exhausting but emotionally and mentally exhausting as well. Consequently, you must be prepared to handle it. When the moving day arrives, make sure you have access to all your important items. Don’t forget to set aside important documents, clothing, and other essentials. By so doing, you won’t have to address the stress that accompanies last-minute planning.
Transportation Protection
If you are moving something that is especially valuable, be sure to know all your transit protection options. You should know the insurance company you are dealing with and make sure to ask them any questions to have everything ironed out. The policy you need to choose should provide full replacement cost coverage if necessary.
Receiving Your Personal Belongings
As soon as you get into your new home or arrive in your new city, make sure all your belongings are intact. Moving can involve keeping track of a lot of things simultaneously. For that reason, it would be better to deal with one person or a single company. Having multiple people or companies transport your belongings can increase the chances of something going missing. Nevertheless, those you’ve chosen should be able to tell you:
- The delivery date and status of your personal belongings
- Any items transported into local storage
- Orientation tours and other relocation services
These are just a few tips to help get you started on your journey. Your new home and life await you. The plans and choices you make to get there will make this a fun and exciting adventure or a fiery ball of stress-inducing chaos.
About the Author: Scot Hunt is a licensed real estate agent with over 7 years of experience effectively managing residential, commercial, relocation, and investor clients. He is also the owner of The New House Guy, a full-service real estate brokerage specializing in new construction homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth and surrounding areas. Contact Scot with any real estate questions you might have at scothunt@judgefite.com.
