We’ve started to really settle down in our place in Naples. But we remember well our complicated moving process from Germany to the United States. This post really has some great tips for those who will be moving soon. We followed a similar path of purging a lot of things from our lives and are so much happier with less!
Tiffany recently wrote a great article detailing the best ways to pack boxes for moving. This couldn’t have come at a better time because it just so happens that I am moving in the coming months (the end of July to be exact). I’m currently taking my time to clean up around the apartment, getting everything organized (keep, sold, or donated) and ready for the move.
The trip I’m about to take is from Tampa to Miami (well, south of Miami around Homestead) so this means that it’ll be the longest distance I’ve moved on my own (since I’m not going to count moving around with my family).
There’s a whole lot on my mind:
- How thorough do I need to clean the place before I go?
- Is it better to rent a truck or use a company?
- What about all this stuff I don’t want to bring along?
- Are there going to be any of those unexpected charges popping up?
- Am I really ready for this new place?
I don’t know your current housing situation, but I’m sure these questions are some that have popped up in your mind whenever you’ve made a move (or if you’re in the process of doing one now).
The other thing that’s been on my mind is how will this move affect my ability to travel abroad? This past summer I spent some time in Germany (Berlin is amazing) and I certainly want to make international travel part of my yearly routine.
My conclusion is that if I want to make this move as easy as possible while saving money so I can get situated and start saving for travel, I’d need to make some smart decisions.
These were the thoughts I came up with and these might be ones you could use on your next move:
- When it comes to cleaning, it’s probably best to just wait until everything is moved out so you are not constantly shuffling around items to clean the corners and get at the nooks and crannies. Waiting until the last minute to clean may make it seem hectic but if you have everything out you could put all your focus into it or at least hire someone to come in and do a professional job.
- When it comes to moving I’m dead tired of lugging boxes and furniture. I’m getting too old to carry on the stuff I picked up here and there during my college years. This time around I’m either dumping, donating, or selling a good majority of the items; those funds will go toward better items when I get there. In terms of the actual move it’s going to be with a moving company since they can come in, help move the stuff, put it into a pod, and get it on the road.
- When it comes to the unexpected financial charges from moving, I did the whole dump, donate, and sell set of actions to take care of the expenses (when applicable). Bartering also works pretty well when you’re about head out. You probably know at least someone that’s handy around the home that could help repaint some walls, fix up leaky pipes, change out hard-to-reach light bulbs, and the like. Doing this cuts out all the stuff you need to move and gets you sorted out so you don’t get those one-off dings like not cleaning the gutters or forgetting to defrost the freezer.
- When you’re all about travel it really falls in line with your ability to find the excitement of the new location. You get to be a tourist in the new place for a few months while you explore the area, find places to eat, areas to hang out, and things to see. There’s a lot to relocating but I feel that it will drum up the excitement you also have for travel (if that bug bit ya).
Like I said – your move will probably be different than mine. But if we have these thoughts we shouldn’t have a problem with it. It really just takes patience, a bit of funds to make it easier, and an optimistic outlook. Combine those three and you’ll be set.
