Moving companies can cost many thousands of dollars. What are you paying for, though? Is moving really that expensive? Well, let’s break it down.
Gas – driving a truck 1,500 miles costs roughly
Time & Effort –
The truck –
Logistics –
|
High
|
5,400
|
4,400
|
||
|
High
|
1,600
|
1,300
|
||
|
High
|
4,400
|
3,600
|
||
|
High
|
1,000
|
880
|
Self-storage units are only good if they protect your stuff. If you plan on storing expensive clothing and electronics that can be damaged by cold, hot and humidity, you’ll want to rent a climate-controlled self-storage unit.
Climate-controlled storage units allow you to control the internal temperature of a unit. Some may also allow you to control the humidity. Of course, they come at a price, which is often more expensive than normal storage units.
If you’re wondering, “should I get a climate-controlled storage unit?”, do a quick cost-benefit analysis. Compare the price of a climate-controlled unit versus a normal unit, then decide whether that additional cost is worth being able to store your delicate undies.
Homesickness often occurs after moving. After living somewhere and knowing and loving people there for many years, it’s tough to stop thinking about it after you leave. However, that’s the only way to get over being homesick.
The best way to deal with homesickness is to start enjoying your new hometown. The more you do and the more people you meet in your new hometown, the less you will dwell on your old one.
Here are some quick ideas for getting used to your new home:
When you rent an apartment, condo, or a rental home, you will be required to sign a lease. That lease will have a provision that creates renter liability for damages caused during the tenancy, which can sometimes be used to create liability even when the renter didn’t do anything wrong.
Before you move in, you should take steps to ensure that you won’t be held responsible for problems you didn’t cause. Here’s how:
Put on your inspector’s hat – Check the precise rental you will be getting before signing the lease. Look for problems or structural damage. If something doesn’t feel right, it might even be best to hire an expert.
Negotiate – try to negotiate a term into the lease saying that you can’t be held liable for damages not caused by you, even if they occurred during your tenancy.
Keep evidence – take extensive pictures and notes regarding the state the unit when you move in.
Storage units might protect your stuff from the elements and other people; however, critters are masters at gaining access to even the most impenetrable of places. Though not necessarily a rampant problem, storage units have been known to home rats and roaches. If you plan on renting a unit, you should take steps to protect your stuff just in case.
Us humans are not cats. We can’t see well in the darkness. So, moving 200-pound furniture and $100 artwork at night is a risky affair. However, if you have to do it, there are ways to enlighten your path:
Moving furniture conjures thoughts of strain, sweat, slivers, of smashed hands and sore muscles. And rightfully so. Packing and loading furniture is a strenuous job. Furniture is heavy, bulky and inflexible.
However, it is also complicated. Most furniture has parts that need to be placed precisely. For example, dresser drawers and the legs of a desk are not interchangeable.
If you’re disassembling your furniture during the packing for your move, make sure to bring the original assembly instructions with you. If you no longer have them, take the time to mark or coordinate which pieces go where. Otherwise, when later assembling furniture, you could find yourself trying to solve $200 puzzles when you should be decorating and enjoying your new home.
Being a good roommate requires having a calm demeanor and a positive attitude. Blowing your lid because your roommate left a glop of peanut-butter on the counter will help nothing. On the flip side, saying hello to your roommate and being generally nice will make is easier to get along with your roommate.
However, most people don’t understand that being a good roommate is more than just being nice. It involves anticipating problems before they happen so that tensions don’t rise. Here are some common roommate problems and how to avoid them:
I digress…
You want to move to get a better job, but you can’t move without a job. It’s too expensive, risky, scary. How will you pay for living in a new city without a job? But how will you get a job without being there? It’s a classic paradox.
Moving without a job requires some severe perseverance. However, it’s not impossible. If you stick to a solid financial gameplan and have a good method for finding work, you will be fine. That being said, there are a few basics you will need to make sure you have covered:
One thing you don’t need while driving a moving truck is a healthy dose of motion sickness, or car sickness. When you feel carsick, it’s the (probably) the result of sensors in your inner ear feeling movement, but your eyes not seeing it, creating a conflict of senses and causing illness.
Therefore, you want to make sure that what you see is what you feel. Accordingly, you want to avoid reading or playing video games because you’re looking at a stationary object while your body senses movement. Rather, you want to keep your eyes trained outside the car.
Here are some more tips:
These tips are even more essential when driving a moving truck because you or the driver won’t be used to the controls and the truck is more susceptible to wind.
