The Do's and Don'ts of moving from someone who did it all in a month!
moving, Colorado, travel
I always thought I would spend the rest of my life in California. I was born there, I lived there for 32 years, and my AOL screen name (#IYKYK) was even Caligirl4ever213. But that all changed when my husband and I decided to move 1,000 miles out of California to Denver, Colorado. And the craziest part? We had to do everything within a month of making the decision.
Here are some tips to help you make the move as easy as possible. It could be a short move in the same town, or thousands of miles away. This list should help no matter the length of the journey.
Tip #1 - Get organized
Easier said than done, right?
Making a list of everything you need to get done and how long you have to do it. Even though we didn't have everything planned out, I started making lists as soon as I knew Denver was the place where we would be moving.
Tip #2 - Find a place to live
Ideally, this is the first thing to find. Figure out what your budget is, and then look for places in that range. Don't forget to include utility costs like gas/ electric, water, trash, as well as renters/ homeowners insurance into your calculations. We are still renting, so I can't speak to buying a house, but it's a good idea to connect with a realtor in the new town and they can help you locate places to rent/buy. I found a realtor in Denver who helped connect us to the MLS (Multiple listing service) and we were able to contact properties before they were released to Trulia, Zillow, etc.
Tip #3 - Prepare to leave current home
I know you're excited to get to the new destination, but you first need to make sure everything is set at home before you leave.
This might include ending your current lease or subletting your place. You will also need to cancel your utilities and file a change of address with USPS. Also, don't forget to change your address on all your credit cards and with your bank.
Tip #4 - Hire a moving company
In my opinion, the worst part about moving.
I have yet to hear a positive story about a moving company in the US. If you can, I recommend renting a U-Haul and moving yourself. Or using the Pods company. It's a little pricier, but I've heard better things about them. All the big moving companies hire out to independent contractors to move your stuff and they always end up charging you more than they quoted you. And, some of your stuff will probably end up broken once it reaches your new place. If anyone has a company they love, please tell me! Just FYI for a move across multiple states, it's going to cost anywhere from $3-10k, depending on how much stuff you have. See the next tip below!
Tip #5 - Packing!
How do we have so much stuff?
We moved from a 650 square feet apartment in LA to a 3 bedroom townhome in Denver. And we still were trying to figure out how the hell did we accumulate so much stuff in such a small space? The first step is to get rid of as much stuff as possible. Go room by room and toss or donate anything you don't want to bring with you. If you just keep in mind you are paying for every item you're bringing with you, it's easier to get rid of stuff. And it's a fun excuse to get to buy new things at your new home!
Once you've purged, start packing room by room. Writing on every box with a general idea of what is inside is helpful when you get to the new house and you are surrounded by identical boxes.
Keep with you all your important documents, a few changes of clothes, toiletries you may need while moving, and any other things you wouldn't want to be without for possibly a month! Yes, it may take a month or longer to get your stuff from the moving company.
I've included a few items below that should help you get things packed up:
Tip #6- Move!
I know it's super stressful, but you will be so happy once you're settled in to your new place!
Have fun exploring a new town, or state!
You got this!
Yes, this is what our car looked liked for our move. And yes, our cat Chester loved it!
Let me know in the comments if there is anything else I missed or if you have any tips to share!
-Lex
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