Making the decision to move to a new house is not easy. Regardless of the reason you are leaving to find a new habitat, this has been your home for a while. This is where you dreamt and shed off the façade. You are bound to be a little emotional especially if you have lived there for a long time. Amidst all the emotion and the confusion not to mention the financial stress, you are bound to wonder where to start. The first step is obviously to find a new place to live that fits your new specifications and needs.
Notice
As soon as you make the decision to move to a new place, you need to inform the landlord. It is only polite. However, some landlords use this as an opportunity to make you move earlier than agreed. If they find someone in the middle of the month who is willing to move into the unit, they will start to hassle you out. In this case, you should stand your ground and leave at the end of the month as agreed. While you are at it, find out how your deposit will be refunded or spent. It is not advisable to leave your deposit behind. Most landlords will frustrate you just for giggles.
Start Early
Do not wait to do things in the last minute. Have you found a house you like? Go ahead and pay the deposit so you do not lose it. Have you decided to move? Go ahead and give your notice. Do you need to pack your things? Go ahead and start early. Get your boxes and put a few things away every weekend in the month. It is not advisable to leave your packing for the day of.
Speaking of the day of, do not sleep in. Start your day early. Pack up the last few things like toothbrush and dishes from the previous night. Clean out the house then leave. This way you have enough time to unpack everything in your new house and then rest. Starting early also ensures that you have time to deal with possible moving day mishaps.
Repairs
Deal with the question of repairs early enough in advance. Find out from the caretaker how that issue is supposed to be handled. This way if you are expected to find a contractor to take care of things, you will have before you vacate. It is rude and taboo to vacate a house without having taken care of the repairs by either leaving a portion of your deposit or getting someone to patch it up.
Payments
Some landlords require that a tenant leave behind some power units just like the tenant before them did. Therefore, you need to take care of this. Make a list of all the payments that you need to make before you move out. There is not usually much actually. Mostly it is just a little for repairs, the said units and maybe garbage. These payments are not the day-of kind of chore either, make time to handle the list before then. In fact, leave very little of pre-move preparation activities for the day of.
Costs
Moving is not cheap. You will need to create a budget. First are the above mentioned payments. You will also need to find transportation. If you do not want to bother your friends to come help you move then you might need to pay a guy or two to get the things into truck/car. Note that if you draft friends to help, you might need to bribe them with food and drinks. Match this to the cost of hiring a couple of guys. You need to make a list of all the costs you will incur in this endeavor. It helps as it informs certain decisions and will help keep your expenses low.
Transport
First thing to consider is how much you have. In some cases, you can get away with getting a probox or some kind of wagon. A pick up truck is only necessary if you have way too much. In most cases, the truck will be more expensive than the alternative. You can start at the local taxi bay, find out how much it will cost. The distance you are going is also a matter of concern. If you are crossing county lines then you might have to get the truck after all because law enforcement might prove problematic.
Cleaning
There will be a lot of cleaning involved. You have to clean the house you are vacating. It is rude to leave behind your dirt and debris for someone else to clean up. You will also need to clean up the new house. Clear out cobwebs. Air out the houses. As you have guessed by now, a lot of time will be spent on preparation. You could however get someone to clean the either house for you for a small fee.
Another idea if you do not have the time would be to hire a moving company. Most moving companies come in and pack up your house. They put everything in boxes and label them properly. However, you need to present when they are packing up so that you can direct where everything will go in the new house. They also take care of transportation and unpacking at the new house. If you decide to go with this option, ensure that you pick a reputable company that will not lose or damage your property. Compare prices of different companies too so you get the best deal. Consider packing the most valuable and personal items yourself.
The bottom line is that moving can be costly and time consuming. However, with good planning and budgeting you can come out on top with minimal expenditure of both resources. Happy moving!
