Moving Across Town - Some Tips to Make It Easier

If you made a list of the top ten things people hate to do, moving would probably be among them. When the move is simply across town, that somehow makes it even worse. It comes with almost all of the hassles of a cross country move, yet it seems like it should be so much simpler. When you have to pack up everything you own, label it, and haul it, it seems like you should be heading for at least a dramatic change of scenery. Instead, you’ll be able to drive to your old domicile any time you want. Unfortunately, unless you’re planning to own two residences, you won’t be able to split the move into many tiny pieces. If you keep these things in mind, however, you can cut down on the annoyances and make everything go as smoothly as possible.

First things first: you have to hire a moving company or rent a truck to actually get your stuff from point A to point B. When it comes to hiring a company, you’ll want to rely on references if you can. There are plenty of companies that do a lot of business, can afford a lot of slick advertising, yet don’t provide the best level of service. Trust your friends when it comes to making the decision. Obviously, renting a truck yourself will be cheaper, but you may be surprised how reasonable company prices are for a simple trek across town, and it certainly saves you a lot of work.

It’s the curse of moving. When you have no need for boxes, you can find them everywhere and it seems as though your house is overrun with them. When you need them, it’s like finding the holy grail. Grocery stores and liquor stores are good places to look for boxes. If you can, try to find a good sample of sizes. If you know someone else who has recently moved, try to hit them up for some boxes. If it comes down to it, you can purchase boxes, but you might be surprised how expensive they are.

Packing up your stuff is probably the biggest job you will encounter along the way. In order to make it as easy as possible, try to start early and just so a little each night. There are many things that will have to be packed at the last minute, but you’ll be surprised at how much you can take care of early. This is also a good opportunity to throw out things you don’t need to take with you. Donate some of those old clothes and things to Goodwill or another charity and you can get a tax write-off that can help offset the costs of moving.