Many people move for a variety of reasons. Sometimes people need more space, they want to upgrade their living arrangements, they’ve gotten a new job, or they might have undergone a relationship change. For people who have a desire to move to a new home they sometimes want to visit family more often, so they decide to move closer to them. Some parents move seeking better neighborhoods and nicer schools for their children. Whatever the reason, moving is something which happens quite often.
In Australia, approximately half a million Australians move from one state to the other within the country every year. Further showing how often Australians move, approximately half of the countries population has moved to a new house during the past five years. This totals out to one in every six people in the past 12 months. Check out some tips on how to prepare for a big move.
Calculate your moving costs and incorporate savings.
When it comes to making any major life decisions, one step, to begin with, is figuring out the finances involved. This can help to save a lot of headaches and problems in the long run. Making the decision to move should be treated with the same level of importance. You are literally upending your life from a location that you’ve been at for maybe a few years. You’ll need to figure out financially how this will work, and take steps to ensure that you have enough money to ensure a productive move.
First, begin to calculate what you’ll be willing to spend when it comes to moving. Don’t try to overshoot what your budget allows, but also try not to skimp in quality on those services or equipment which you’ll need for a successful move. Another thing to look into is will you be able to cut costs or save money to help you save money for your move. Find the best option to keep your costs down.
For example, perhaps think about switching utility providers for your current home before you move. This can be done for most residential areas, where a variety of utility providers are available. So maybe someone living in Northern Ireland (NI), months before moving decides to check local NI electricity prices. They’ll run a comparison, search for a cheaper monthly payment, find a cheaper provider with Northern Ireland Electricity, and switch their utilities. This can help to save money which can then be calculated into their upcoming moving costs.
The best way that you can save money which can be factored into your moving costs is by spending less and setting any extra money aside. This money can act as a cushion for any extra expenditures that arise when you get ready to move. Some of the moving costs that this saved money might need to be used for includes, hiring movers, renting a moving truck, purchasing moving supplies (boxes, tape, padding), paying monthly payments to storage units, or needing to have your previous residence cleaned. Calculating your moving costs can save you difficulties in the long run.
Put off major purchases for the time being.
Moving from state to state in Australia can be a bit pricey. To move interstate can range anywhere from $3000 to $6000. Factors that determine these different costs include the distance of the move, the size of the move, and any extra services which would be required during the move. These extra services can include packing ($200-$300), furniture disassembly and reassembly ($100-$150), and temporary storage ($100-$150 per month).
With all of these costs involved with moving, it’s best to hold off on making any major household purchases. Hold off on spending money on any big purchase items or services which can take away from your moving budget. Maybe before the move, you were looking for help buying a car in the hopes of purchasing a new vehicle or a dream car for your family. Or maybe you wanted to invest in a new home theater system. Stop yourself from making impulsive costly purchases — for the time being, anyway. You’ll be saddled with a car loan and a monthly payment after car shopping and this will take away from the money that you’ll need for the move. Putting off big purchases is the best way to save money when preparing to move.
Try to get help from friends and family.
Friends and family will often be a great go-to for help with moving. These are the people who care about you and would love to help you out whenever the opportunity presents itself. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help with your move. Give your friends and family enough notice so that they can set aside a day to help you with moving to your new home. In many cases, this can act as a reunion or hang out experience for everyone and can turn out to be a fun time.
It’s a good idea to figure out how best you’ll want to utilize everyone’s assistance. Before putting out the “call to arms” figure out where each person can help out best, and what needs to be done. What’s the best way to get the work done with your volunteers? These duties can include packing boxes, lifting heavy belongings (like a sofa or table), moving furniture, watching the kids, disassembling furniture, or even donating unwanted possessions.
One of the great things about getting help from your friends and family is that it helps to save on the costs of hiring movers. These people are helping you out because they care about you and love you, so they aren’t going to expect any type of payment. Putting your best foot forward though, it’s always nice to treat your “moving crew” to a nice lunch or dinner.
After hours and hours of moving, having a tasty meal on hand can be just what the doctor ordered. In addition to this, maybe there are items in the house that you might want to part with. This can be a reward of sorts for your friends and relatives for them helping you. So whether it’s a faux fur rug, an old sofa, or a set of novels that you’re willing to part with, your helpers will be happy to receive a token of your appreciation.
Plan your new rooms ahead of time.
When you move into a new home, one of the best parts of the process is being able to plan what your new living space will look like. Your imagination can run wild as you consider how the rooms are going to be laid out, and even what interior decoration ideas are you going to utilize. Before you can create that dream office a little pre-planning should be completed.
When moving, before you pack up your previous residence, one good idea is to map out where your items from your old home will fit best in your old home. This provides you a good sense of placement and prevents you from spending a lot of time looking for the place to put certain items. Pack up your items based on where you’ve planned for them to be in the new house.
Labeling your boxes for specific rooms also helps your movers (hired professionals or friends & family) to know where to put the items at. This can also help to ensure that heavy items or furniture are not placed in the wrong place. There’s nothing worse than having to move a hefty item (like a sofa) when it’s been placed in the wrong area. Planning your new rooms ahead of time can help on a few fronts, and save you time in the long run.
