The moving mistakes you will want to avoid

There is no doubt that moving house is a stressful and often emotional process to go through.

There are lots of tasks that need to be completed, so it is inevitable that people make mistakes

when moving home (especially as people do not generally move often). It is helpful to be aware of what these common mistakes are so that you know how you can avoid them. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can simplify the moving process and increase your chances of settling quickly. Things rarely go exactly according to plan, but you will want to avoid these mistakes when moving home.

No Plan

The most common mistake that people make is not creating a plan. As mentioned, there are many tasks involved in moving home, and you do not want to leave everything until the last minute. Fortunately, you can find handy checklists online that will break down each task and tell you what needs to be completed and by when.

Not Using Professional Removal Companies

It is easy to see why people will try to move everything across themselves, but this can create a lot more work and stress than is needed. Professional removal companies can handle the loading, transport, and unloading of all of your possessions, which is the hardest part of the move. With professionals taking care of the heavy lifting, you can turn your attention to other aspects of the move. You can also save money by comparing quotes from long-distance movers online. You can get a quote from several reputable companies to find the best option for your budget while ensuring that you are using a trusted company.

No Inventory

Another common mistake is not taking an inventory. You want to make sure that all of your possessions arrive safely in the new home, so you should create a list of each item and note what box they are in - this can also make it much easier to unpack.

Rushing The Move

Many people will try to complete a move in just a few hours, but this creates a huge amount of pressure and stress. Instead, you should try to spread the move out and take your time. This can significantly reduce stress and ensure you can take time with each task. You could even take a few days to get everything done - you can always put possessions into storage if needed.

Not Establishing A Budget

Finally, you should always set a budget when moving home. There are numerous costs involved, so these can quickly add up if you do not have a figure in mind. You do not want to add financial stress on top of the stress of moving, so try to control your spending during the moving process with a bit of a buffer.

These are common mistakes that you will want to avoid when moving home. The process of moving home will always be difficult and stressful, but you can simplify the process and settle quickly when you avoid these mistakes.

*********

This post was written with Life According to Steph readers in mind

Keep the Stress of Moving Down

Moving...just the word strikes fear in the hearts of many. If you have a home/apartment move coming up, you are likely experiencing some kind of stress around it. If you're not, it's possible you are living in ignorant bliss because after all, moving is one of the most stressful times in life. The top five most stressful life events include death of a loved one, divorce, moving, major illness or injury, and job loss. So moving is serious business and it's something you usually want to be done as quickly and painlessly as possible in order to carry on and be able to enjoy the home a little more. But unfortunately we can't jump right to the end, so we need to work on keeping stress levels down through the process.  As long as you can do that, the whole thing will seem much easier, so let's get right to how we might do that.

Give it Time

It's always going to be helpful if you can allow yourself plenty of time for the move. Timing of moving is often a slippery bugger dependent on houses closing or apartments being available or leases ending. That doesn't mean you can't do as much as you can in preparation. Purge your belongings. Pack what you don't use daily or weekly. Label boxes well. Do a little every night so you don't feel overwhelmed. Try to find some joy in it for what it is - you can take stock of what you have and what you no longer need and maybe move on to your next place a little lighter. 

Find Some Help

Who wants to do a move all by themselves? No one. There's always help to be had but you need to ask for it or go in search of it. That help could be in the form of some professional movers or just your friends and family (and for heaven's sake if someone offers to help you you say YES). I think the last time we moved I said I was never doing it myself again, but don't we always say these things? Watch I'll be doing it on my own and begging everyone I know for help next time. ANYWAY in either case, hiring or begging, it will be a tremendous help to have others with you and the actual process of moving will go much quicker. 

Plan It Well

I alluded to planning somewhat in the time section above but to plan well, you need to think about every blessed thing and make sure you have it all prepared long before the date of the move itself. Do you have boxes and tape and markers and stuff to wrap your breakables in? How and when are going to move your pets? Do you know where you'll be donating things (check out Vietnam Vets or similar to pick donations up from your house so you don't have to make a lot of trips)? Are you timing your move preparation work so you hit the days your trash gets picked up for anything that is not a donation? Do you have a truck rented or movers hired?  Make a list, check it twice, and go over the logistics to make it as easy as possible on yourself. 

What's your best moving strategy? Do you have one coming up?

Build a New Life Around Your New Home

Moving to a new city can be equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking. Whether you're moving for a new job or a fresh start or just a change of scenery, the city where you move to might offer you a better quality of life or the general cost of living could be a lot lower than where you are now. Where do you begin when you're looking to move?

Choose the Best Neighborhood for You

The area you move to is very important because duh you'll be living there. In my life, community, diversity, proximity to the library, public transportation, and walk-ability are important. Price, of course as well. Figure out what tops your list and what areas might suit you. When we were looking to buy at the shore walk-ability and price were our top considerations. In Philly proximity to public transportation was at the top of the list. 

Give It Time

Your first few days in your new home might feel very strange. Even when I've moved two blocks the first few months felt weird. Getting settled into a new place takes time, so sit with it and reassess your feelings in six-ish months. Hopefully by then you'll have found some favorite spots, made some friends, gotten more comfortable in a routine and geographically will know the city a lot more, so you should feel settled in.

Join Something

Grounding yourself in your new space is important in order to form attachments. Once you know a few people and start to create a social life, it will feel more like home. Book club, gym, clean up crew, volunteer organization, pool league, whatever...join something and meet some new people using groups that relate to your interests. 

Keep Up To Date With Local

It’s also advisable to keep up to date with local goings-on. You can see what is going on at your local clubs and organizations by checking their sites, such as arlingtonnewsnetwork.com or the zillion facebook neighborhood pages. Of course there's always the local newspaper or local news online. Keeping up to date with current affairs and local news will tie you to your new local area.

Figure Out The Transport System

As soon as you arrive in your new home, you should take a look at the public transport information. Most cities have sites dedicated to this, such as Portland’s travelportland.com  which is superior to the SEPTA site, trust me. This will help you get around when you are exploring, and you won’t be so dependent on your car. I am glad I can use public transportation to get to work in Philly but I love being able to walk or bike most places at the shore. Bottom line if I don't have to use the car, I won't.

Are you coming up on a move? What's important to you when you're looking for a new place to live?

Wishing you a wonderful Easter Weekend, Chag Sameach, or just a good and restful weekend if it's not a holiday for you. Happy happy birthday to Gail today also! 

TWTW - the one that was freaking cold

Friday night I sage smudged Stephen & Aubrey's new house, then MFD and I met Mark & Nicole for dinner at Carlucci's. Good food and good catching up.

Saturday morning I headed to Stephen & Aubrey's to do some moving stuff, have lunch and a beer, and head home all by noon.

While waiting for Comcast, I walked and did weights, laid out my clothes for the week, and did some light hausfrauing. Once they came, the dogs joined the Comcast Hating Club because they had to be sequestered in the basement. Even though Comcast the corporation is an evil asslord, the tech guys were really nice and got our Internet fixed.

After the Comcast guys left, I met MFD at Hand & Stone and we got our monthly massage followed by Hong Luck for dinner. It was delicious.

We picked up dessert, went to Target, then came home to enjoy. This is my sweet ass brownie from Fritz's bakery and a side of Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean.

Sunday I got groceries delivered before heading to Stephen & Aubrey's to do some little stuff for them.

When I got home, I was freaking spent. Extreme cold really takes it out of me. I fell into a L&O SVU marathon and didn't look back. Sunday in pugs:

Weekly food prep: savory oatmeal topped with EVOO and jalapeno cheese, spinach muffins to freeze, hard boiled eggs for snacks, baked chicken and roasted sweet potatoes for lunch, cod bouillabaisse for dinners, and salad and baked potato for Sunday dinner. Other dinners of the week are chicken and steak. I tried out Blue Apron because Stacey sent me a code. It was interesting. Have you heard of it/tried it?

Sunday night was reading and SNL 40th anniversary watching. I miss Maya Rudolph. I think she's hilarious. It felt like a long walk down memory lane and I didn't mind it. 

Was this boring? Sorry if it was. The negative windchills have frozen my brain and sapped my will to engage. Let's hope for better tomorrow, yes?

A big wet fart noise to everyone who has off for this bank holiday. As you may have surmised from my attitude, I'm not one of them.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending