Moving is More Than a One Day Task

While on vacation in Florida, I received a text message from my landlord requesting that I show the property that I was leasing from him to his friend who was interested in purchasing it.  This text came as a shock to me because I had no idea that he wanted to sell neither did I have plans of moving in the near future!  I was comfortable with my neighbors, drive times to/from work, as well as with my landlord.  Also, the Houston Real Estate Market was very tight and low on inventory so this further discouraged me about the move.  I was not eager to change!

The prospective buyer viewed the property and absolutely loved it which meant that I was definitely going to have to move.  So begins the process...

When moving, there are a number of things that we do not consider as part of our move.  I learned these things the hard way! The first step in moving is notifying the owner of your move.  In my case, the owner notified me, via text, that he was considering selling the property as a "For Sale by Owner".  Normally, this notification is done in writing, rather than text, and sent to the other party. My landlord and I had a very good rapport therefore we communicated a lot via text and achknowledged that the text would be his formal notification of termination.

Secondly, you want to begin searching for a new place immediately.  This step goes hand-in-hand with step one however I advise letting your landlord know that your going to be moving before they start getting referral calls.  Consulting a Realtor or Apartment Locator will make this process much easier than searching alone.

My next task was to locate some helpers.  This task can be daunting because not many people are standing in line to help pack and move.  I lured my friends in with the promise of giving them lots of good stuff that I no longer desired to own and/or take with me.  That was motivation enough for them to help and they all left with loads of household furnishings, paintings, furniture, and stylish wares.  Having helpers of various ages can be very beneficial.  I recommend matching each person up with a task that they can easily accomplish.  Doing so eliminates them being overwelmed and abandoning the job.  Some of my helpers packed, some cleaned, some taped boxes, and others hauled off trash. 

Once you locate a new place, be sure to contact your utility providers to notify them of your move.  It helps to schedule transfers and disconnections sooner versus later.  Also, be reminded that you will be responsible for cleaning the property upon move-out therefore consider a disconnect date thats after the date that you plan to physically move out.  Doing so will give you time to evaluate the condition of the property and make all necessary repairs without the hinderance of not having power, water, gas. etc. Creating a moving budget is also highly advised at this point.  It should include the cost of supplies, utility transfer fees, movers, and more.  Be realistic when determining a budget and allow room for any unforeseen cost.

The next step is to find the "right" moving company. Be sure to ask for referrals!  I have used friends and family, Craigslist ad movers, as well as professional moving companies.  I highly recommend the latter because they are likely to be bonded and insured which gives me some reassurance that my belongings will be covered should something go wrong in the move. 

Next comes moving day!  This will likely be a long and stressful day therefore, I recommend a good nights rest the day prior.  You will want to start this day early.  I begun by calling my helpers and the movers to confirm their arrival time.  This allowed time for me to grab breakfast and beverages for them.  Once they all arrived, we assessed the job and begun loading.  It took approximately four and a half hours to get "almost"  everything onto the trucks. Not everything fit.  Once we arrived at our desination to unload, it begun to rain. This added an additional hour of moving time because they were unable to unload while it was raining due to the hazards associated in doing so.  Starting early gave us an advantage of staying within our estimated moving timeframe.

Now that the actual moving had been done, I was still not completely moved!  The additional items that did not fit on the truck as well as some misc. items had to be removed.  Also, the rescue mission was unable to pick up my donations due to a shortage in help.  Furthermore, it was a national holiday therefore the housekeeper and gardner were not working either.  All of these things meant that there was more to be done before I could consider myself moved out.  In fact, it would be five days later before I was completely done with my move. 

Some things to take into consideration when moving are your lifestyle, the items you have to move, and the tasks that are needed to complete your move successully.  Planning your move in advance makes it less stressful and creates a realistic picture of what will be required before, on, and after your moving day.

Good luck on your next move and remember, moving is NOT a one day task!