How To Relocate to the Carolinas Without Losing Your Mind or Any of Your Other Valuables
Type “moving tips” into Google and you’ll receive over 28,000,000 results!! Apparently you’re not the only person needing a bit of help! And there's lots of help out there.
My first choice is real estate companies. Believe it or, they tend to have some of the best moving tips on their site. Another great place to find information is from moving companies themselves. Century 21’s site has some excellent resources for planning your relocation, all for free.
Okay, so you’ve found a home you love in your best place to live, a great job lined up, and the only thing left to do is get you and all your most precious "stuff" there. And in one piece.
Your first, and most important decision is …
Whether to use a moving company or move yourself. How much do I want to participate in this process?
Some realistic questions you need to ask before you make that decision. Here's a few questions to ask yourself in addition to the one's you already know:
- How much time do I have to pack?
- Do I want to be the one to rent a truck?
- Who is going to help me load the truck?
- Am I comfortable driving the truck? If not, who is going to?
- How much will the gas and tolls cost?
- And what if the truck breaks down? Do I want that possibility as my responsibility?
- When I get to my new home, who is going to help me unload the truck?
- Will I have the time to do all the unpacking?
- Do I really want to do all that?
You can save a considerable amount of money by doing all the packing, driving, and unpacking yourself. Choosing to invest your sweat and driving skills is a bit of work, but it can really pay off.
You may find there are some things you have the time for and are willing to do. And there may be others that don't fit into your timetable or desires.
You'll find that nowadays there is a greater selection of options available for you.
HOWEVER…..it is critical you do your homework!!!!!!
There are companies who will let you do the packing and unpacking, and they do the driving. And if you're anything like me, this is how I would choose to move.
Letting a stranger handle our heirlooms is not our idea of a peaceful afternoon; www.upack.com is a good start for a “you pack it, they drive it” company. They’ll deliver a shipping container to your home, you have three days to pack it, they drive it, and then you have three days to unpack it.
Before you settle on a rental truck company, make sure you get estimates from a few. Prices will vary greatly, and remember to read the fine print, and get insurance. Talking to friends or relatives to get references is also wise.
Also make sure you know exactly what to do if the truck breaks down or if you find yourself in an unfortunate accident.
If you’re comfortable with letting someone do all the work for you, there are plenty of full-service companies out there.
Check out www.moving.com to get quotes on what it will cost you to move.
And, if your really pressed for time, there are companies that will even unpack and organize your home for you, so all you have to do is put your feet up at the end of the day.
Most of these unpacking services are regional, as they need you to walk them through the home prior to the delivery of your items, so starting with a Google search along the lines of, “unpacking services, NC or unpacking services SC,” is a good idea.
Regardless of which way you decide is the best way for you to do things, you should thoroughly check into the company you hire.
You don’t want to end up another statistic, grumpily posting a horror story on the moving message boards (Yes, they do exist!). There are plenty of fraudulent companies out there.
A common scam is to give you one estimate, let you pack up the truck, and then hike up the estimate. If you give them trouble, they’ll threaten to keep your belongings.
Some other companies have no regrets with leaving your items sitting in their warehouses, with little care for whether they are wet or dry, covered or not.
Other companies will disappear with your items, never to be seen again. A good website to visit to get some decent recommendations for companies is, www.ethicalmovers.org. The bottom line is to protect yourself from unscrupulous companies who profit from what should be a happy time in your life.
In the course of our research, we’ve found a couple of great websites to help you before, during, and after your move.
- for planning, it’s hard to beat, www.century21.com for a complete list of things to do to prepare for your move
- www.directyourmove.com is good for comparing price quotes
Once you get into your home, you’ll want to keep it as clean as possible. No cluttered garage this go around!
Visit www.organizedhome.comto get so organized you’ll make Martha Stewart proud.
Like most things in life, moving can be a breeze with the proper planning and foresight.
Take your time once you’ve bought your home, and leave at least 2 months to get all your ducks in a row before moving day.
Luck is always a good thing however, careful planning and hopefully some help from our relocation tips, the first memories of your new home in your Best Place To Live will be of an easy and fun move!
Enjoy and all the best to you in your new home!
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About Bob Bencivenga
 Bob Bencivenga |
Bob Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location analyst for major corporations. Bob researches the growth of NC and SC to find the Best Places to Retire or Relocate that are still affordable. |
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