Are you planning to move to a new home once the lease on your current place is up? Do you hate where you're living now but the thought of actually moving fills you with dread? Few people actually look forward to the moving process, as excited as they might be about getting to move to a new home, so you're not alone in this regard. Fortunately, a little planning can make the whole process go more smoothly and with less hassle than you might have anticipated. Some things that you should seriously consider doing right now include:
Buy boxes: Even if your lease doesn't expire for another month or two, it's a good idea to start collecting and/or purchasing boxes for the move. Running out of places to put your things can result in you trying to locate boxes at the last minute and being unable to find anything suitable. Starting to pack up your knick-knacks and nonseasonal items now will help ensure that you have gotten enough boxes for your whole house. If you happen to purchase too many boxes, many places that sell moving boxes will accept the return of clean and unused boxes so long as you have a receipt.
Hire a moving company: Some people try to rope family and friends into helping them to move, but this is seldom as good as hiring one of your local moving companies to do the same job. Family and friends may seem eager to help but aren't always as reliable as moving companies when it comes to showing up on time - or even at all. They also won't know how to handle larger and/or more fragile items, like a washing machine or an antique cabinet the way that a professional mover is going to be able to.
Get a storage unit: If something should happen to the new place before you're able to move in, there may be a delay of a few days before your landlord lets you move in. When this happens, you'll have to figure out what to do with your household belongings in the meantime. Some moving companies offer storage for long-distance moves, but this isn't always available if you're moving within the same city. In order to be sure that your belongings will be somewhere safe, it's a good idea to pay for a month or two at a nearby self-storage location just in case. Consider it similar to auto insurance in that you might not need it but it can be essential when you need it.
