If your current home no longer suits your needs – or those of your family – it may be time to make a change! Understanding the benefits of moving locally can help you decide whether or not you should take the plunge.
If you’re even thinking about moving locally, that alone is an indication that something isn’t quite right about your current living situation. Maybe you need a bigger home for an expanding family, a smaller one because the kids moved out, or perhaps your current home is fine, you’d just like a bigger yard for that rescue dog of yours. Most people resist change, but there’s no reason to fear the unknown, stay where you are, and tolerate a living space that doesn’t suit you anymore.
Sometimes, making a list of the pros and cons of your current home can be surprisingly revealing. Maybe you love the community, but don’t like how small the kitchen and bathrooms are. Or the location has amazing scenery, but the evenings feel isolating because there’s no nightlife nearby. Or perhaps you appreciate the local park, but your kids seem to be the only children in the neighborhood.
The thing to remember about moving locally, is that you can keep the things that make you happy, but upgrade to something that’s even better. Plus, when you make a local move, there’s minimal disruption to your everyday life. You can go to the same clinic, have the same bank account, and shop at your favorite stores. More importantly, you can retain important ties to your community: your kids can go to the same school, you can attend your favorite Sunday service, and you can meet your friends at the authentic Italian restaurant that serves a great chianti.
Even if you move out of the neighborhood, but stay in the same state, there’s no need to apply for new driver’s license, learn the new tax laws, or register your pet in a new state; among many other bonus’ of moving locally.
Okay… now you’ve decided that moving locally is the right thing to do. You’ve found a new home, you’ve set a moving date, and you’ve hired a moving company. You should know that moving locally takes as much forethought and planning as a long-distance move, there are just less miles from point A to point B. How you prepare beforehand, will determine whether moving day is filled with magical memories, or tear-stained moving boxes.
To help, here are 5 tips to make everything run more smoothly:
Start cleaning clutter the day you decide to move. It doesn’t have to be one massive, overwhelming project. Just do something every day: one closet today, a set of drawers tomorrow, a corner of the garage/attic the next day, etc. Donate, recycle or discard unnecessary items. Rinse and repeat until your home is as organized as a stack of plates. ***Pro Tip – Be ruthless!
As you’re sorting, box up – and label – all non-essentials. These are things you won’t need until you move into your new home: holiday decor, seasonal items (including furniture, accessories and clothing), occasional items (like fine china, sterling silver, crystal), things you rarely use (including kitchen items), spare linens, collectables, books, old files, etc. T
Take an inventory of the larger furniture you have in your current home. No doubt your new place is everything you imagined, but that doesn’t mean that all of your belongings will fit. Knowing this, you’ll have the time you need to either sell or donate items before moving locally. This will not only save you the hassle and expense of moving large items, it will also give you the time you need to shop for and order the things for your new space.
Inventory any permanent fixtures (or lack thereof) in your new home. This can be built in bookshelves, kitchen cabinets, medicine cabinets, closet organizers, etc. This will help identify pain points that can be addressed as soon as you move in. For example, maybe you’ll need to order industrial shelving for the garage, new cabinets for the bathroom, or a cupboard for the kitchen. If you have them on hand when you move in, unpacking and getting organized will be a snap!
Be sure to have a list of everything that needs to be addressed before during and after you move. This could be anything from hiring a local moving company, to having your mail redirected. Then there’s also: changing over your utilities, contacting your cable company, making sure you have the right home insurance, giving friends and family members your new mailing address, telling your bank about the move, changing the mailing address for your bills, etc.
We understand that moving locally can be just as stressful as moving out-of-state. That’s why our #1 focus is getting you through the process as easily as possible. And we can help you with all aspects of relocation; not just the packing and heavy lifting.
