Most major moves take two to three months to complete. After all, you have to get your current home ready for the market, find a new home somewhere else, and handle a myriad number of other special tasks, what can take up to 12 weeks to complete.
Not everyone has the luxury of time, especially for those individuals who must pull up stakes to pursue a new job or a promotion. Your boss wants you on site now and even three weeks seems like an eternity to her. Here’s how to make your move in as little as three weeks, while maintaining your composure as well as your sanity.
- Sell or rent your home. The first decision to make is a big one: should you sell or rent out your current home? For most people, buying a new home is wholly contingent on selling their current home. After all, few of us have the resources to own two homes. If you rent your home out, then you can rent at your new location. Or, if you place the home on the market, you can still rent and then buy a new home once your home sells. This mean s working with a real estate agent who can show your home while you’re living miles away, negotiate with buyers, and seal the deal on your behalf. Clearly, it is easier to sell a home that is occupied than one that is vacant. No matter, choose the option that is best for you and your family.
- Choose temporary housing. If you plan to keep your current home and rent while in the new city, don’t be rash and automatically sign a one-year lease. For starters, your situation may change quickly or you may find that the neighborhood you chose simply isn’t right for you and your family. Pulling up stakes is easier when no long-term commitment is in play. What you might do is look for corporate or temporary housing, where the commitment is measured in weeks, not months or a year. That way, if the school system for your children isn’t what you want or if the neighborhood is simply undesirable, then you can quickly move on.
- Contact the moving companies immediately. With little time to spare, you’ll need to reach out to the moving companies in your area to find a mover. It is best to obtain binding estimates from three companies and then compare same. Once you have the estimates, then verify that each company is registered with the federal government, licensed by your state, as well as bonded and insured. Your friends may have recommendations on companies they have used, so hear them out. Once you have found a moving company, then confirm your moving date and sign the contract. You have little time to waste here, so make finding a mover a priority explains the North American Moving Company.
- Obtain your important records. With little time to waste, you need to reach out to your doctors, dentist, veterinarian and your children’s schools to obtain the important records. Those records won’t be available immediately, but by serving notice early, you should ensure that they’ll be ready before you leave. Days before you leave, verify that they’re ready for pick up and then stop by and retrieve what is due you. For your information, you may be charged a copying fee for at least some of the records, but that’s an expense you can deduct with your moving costs.
- Pack with gusto. Summon the troops! That’s because you’ll need all the help you can get when it comes time to packing. Tell everyone you know about your moving plans and your need for helpers to pack. Ask people to stop by with boxes and stay around to fill several. Take whatever help is offered to you — you simply need all hands on deck. If you’re still coming up short for workers, contact a local temporary help agency and ask them to send workers.
- Hire additional help. With a move right around the corner, you’ll need to hire other service providers to help you begin your transition. A landscape company can handle your yard, a cleaning company can do the final clean up before the tenants arrive, and a painter can touch up your home inside and out.
Make Your Move
A quick move can mean you’ll overlook something. So, don’t forget to do the following: notify the post office of your move, give your new address to your creditors, bank and the utility companies, transfer or cancel your utilities and activate same on the other side, and lastly donate whatever items you won’t be taking with you to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, requesting receipts for tax purposes.
