Stress and costs; wouldn’t it be great if we could limit them both? Of course it would! Moving is commonly associated with being a costly and stressful event, even though it doesn’t have to be. In the following post, we will outline three tips for reducing your stress and your moving cost and keeping them to a minimum.
1. Lighten Your Load
The distance between your current home and your new home is almost certainly out of your control, but the overall weight of the items you want to move isn’t. In a very general sense, Wheaton Worldwide and every other credible moving company determines the cost of your move based on the weight of your belongings and the distance those belongings travel. No matter whether you’re moving across your town or across the country there’s really not a lot you can do about the distance. The distance between two locations is the distance between two locations, plain and simple. Your household goods’ weight, on the other hand, is entirely within your control.
In a hypothetical (and rather unlikely) reality, you could sell all of your possessions and not even need to hire a moving company. You probably won’t be taking that approach. What you can do is this: take a thorough and calculated inventory of your belongings. Boxed items in your attic or basement that you haven’t seen in years (that have no sentimental value), can potentially be disposed of via the trashcan, donation or garage sale. While this is a good jumping off point, it will most likely only remove so much weight.
If you’re truly serious about reducing the weight of your household goods shipment, consider a few of the following options: Furniture – Is it time for an upgrade or a remodel? If your furniture is in good condition, selling it shouldn’t be an issue. An online ad, or posting on Facebook’s Marketplace will probably do the trick. Appliances – As separate pieces, they may not weigh much, but the weight of all of the adds up quickly. Of course, if you’re selling a home, you may be able to include your appliances as part of the sale price.
2. Do All of Your Own Packing, or Most of It
All of the packing charges can be eliminated if you do all of your own packing. If you don’t want to go through and pack up all of your household goods, major moving companies, including Wheaton (whose personnel receive extensive training in this area), offer expert packing services. The choice is also entirely up to you, Wheaton can pack all your household items or work with you on a customized packing plan. For example, maybe you want us to pack your fragile items such as dishes, fine china, glassware, mirrors, etc. while you take care of everything else. Or, you can pack your fragile items and have us take care of the rest. The best part is that you pay for only the packing services you use. There are three things you should consider:
1. Wheaton is fully liable for any items that our personnel pack for you.
2. Wheaton is only liable for any item packed by the customer if there is obvious damage to the outside of the carton. A crushed box, for example, would fall into this category.
3. If you’re unsure and want a second set of eyes on your packing job, Wheaton personnel will gladly check customer-packed boxes before they are sealed; there is a fee for this service. Once we approve the packing and the box is sealed we are then liable for any damage.
3. Answer Two Important Questions
“Can my moving company get in and out?” and “will my furniture and appliances fit?” Whether you’re moving from one permanent residence to another – and especially if you’ll be occupying temporary housing for a few months such as an apartment or condo – there are two things you want to keep in mind:
Vehicular Access
Take the area in the immediate vicinity of your new residence into consideration; is there room enough for a 53-foot moving van to maneuver safely? If not, the driver will have to park the moving van as close to the residence as he or she can get and rent a smaller truck and shuttle your goods to your residence. Finding this out at the last moment is a nasty surprise that can cause you more than a little stress. Access can also be a problem if you’re moving into a permanent home. Gated communities are a prime example of a situation where a shuttle needs to be used. Granted these environments shouldn’t deter you from purchasing the home you want, but knowing the circumstances in advance will mean less stress and better enable you to budget for the added moving expense.
Furniture and Appliances
From time to time the furniture and appliances that fit so perfectly in your old home can be tricky to fit into your new residence. Wheaton personnel see it more frequently than we would like to admit. For example, that big armoire is too big to fit in the upstairs bedroom. If you are bound and determined to make it fit, the only way is to hoist it up over a balcony and through a larger entryway offered by a sliding door at significant added expense. Exercise equipment can also cause problems for moving crews. In many cases this equipment needs to be taken apart before it can eve moved. It’s just one more headache you don’t need.
There you have it: 3 tips for managing your move so that you can hold down costs and minimize stress. These tips are grounded in good old-fashioned common sense and experience from moving families for over 110 years. With proper planning and preparation, you can move with as little stress as possible and keep it within your budget. That’s what you want, and that’s what we at Wheaton Worldwide Van Lines want as well.
Wheaton Worldwide Van Lines and its Agency Family are all licensed and reliable long distance moving and storage companies. We can help you keep your move as stress free as possible, no matter the budget! To request a free, in-home estimate simply go to our website and fill out the short form on our homepage. It’s that simple!
