Moving Adventures

How to move your stuff and keep your wits

To say moving is always an adventure is an understatement. Whether you hire professional movers or you do it yourself, things are going to happen. I’m going to give a few tips to help with your next move based on lessons I’ve learned from my own moves.

Know Where You’re Going

It sounds silly but knowing where you’re going is an important detail. You can’t move your stuff unless you know where your stuff is going to end up. Are you moving into a new apartment? Are you moving to a new house? Will you be moving your items into storage before moving them elsewhere? Does your new place have enough space to accommodate all the stuff from your old place? Map these details out before packing the first item.

Professionals or Amateurs?

Will you enlist the help of friends or pay professionals to move your stuff? One will save money, the other will save headaches. You can probably compensate your friends with a meal, some beer, or a small amount of cash (think $20/hr as a ballpark figure) but they’re probably not going to help you pack your stuff, they won’t work as quickly as professionals, and they’re far more likely to damage your stuff than professionals are. Friends are also unlikely to have the tools or the knowledge to take furniture pieces or appliances apart and reassemble them easily. Professional movers, on the other hand, are not going to come cheap. For a local move, professionals will charge upwards of…