Moving and relocating to a new city can be a highly valuable experience. Besides bringing new career and job opportunities, living in different places can help you learn different cultures and enrich your life. However, moving and relocating to a completely new city, state or country can be expensive, tiring and overwhelming at the same time. While you have to plan and prepare for safe and hassle-free relocation of your household goods and belonging, you also have to deal with many unknown challenges of starting all over again in a new city. However, you can plan and manage the entire move correctly and efficiently by asking some important questions to yourself before moving.
I have myself lived at different places in my early days. And therefore I know how important it is to plan everything minutely before moving to a new city, and restarting the life.
So if you are planning to relocate to a new city and wondering about what to know and how to plan for a safe and hassle-free move then here are a handful of questions to ask yourself.
Q1: Are you moving temporarily or permanently?
Relocating to a new city for a few months or years and moving out permanently can change your priorities. Perhaps this is the most important question to ask yourself, as the answer to this question can affect the entire move. For instance, you might be for a few years for higher studies, or just to try the new city or you might be planning to live there permanently.
If
you are moving temporarily, then your priorities will be different than if you
are moving permanently. So, even if you don’t have a clear answer at the
moment, it is important for you to ask this question before moving.
Q2: Is it the best time for you to move?
Although moving to a new city can be an enriching experience, mostly people relocate for many other reasons; like when they get a new job opportunity, for higher studies, to experience the new place or to live a comfortable post retirement life. Whatever is the reason for moving to a new city, the first and the most important question to ask before moving is – is it the best time for you to move to a new city?
The best time for you to move could be one when you have seriously evaluated all the pros and cons of leaving your present home and move to a new city. So, ask yourself if you have evaluated everything well, and you are sure that the time has arrived to start packing up and relocating to a new home in a new city.
Q3: Can I afford the entire relocation?
Sometimes you may simply overlook this basic question, but you should not. You must ask this question to yourself, because not having a clear financial plan can ruin the excitement of moving to a new city. It is very important for you to prepare financially for moving to a new city. You can’t just decide to move without asking this important question. Your current debt if any, tentative relocation expenses, funds to settle down and some savings to cover your expenses for a few months; all of these require sound financial planning and hence this question is important to ask.
Apart from budgeting the moving and relocation expenses, you should be in a position to tackle any unforeseen expenses that may crop up anytime – during or after the move. You should have a safety net to survive a few months after relocating, even when you don’t have a ready job or source of income.
If you don’t ask this crucial question before moving, then you may end up in a financial mess. So, ask yourself – if you are financially prepared to move to a new city, and can you afford the move? If the answer is yes, then you are good to go.
Q4: What’s the cost of living where you are moving to?
Cost of living can easily vary in different cities and states, and based on the standard of life you want to live, you may have to bear more or can manage for less. Whatever is the case, knowing about the cost of living in the city where you are moving to is very important.
Not knowing about the cost of living, monthly grocery and utility expenses, mortgage fees and other such expenses can be disastrous for your financial health. So do an extensive research about the cost of living in the city where you are relocating to, and plan your move accordingly.
Q5: How is the job market where you are heading to?
Unless you are moving after retirement, this could be one of the most important questions to ask before moving and heading to a new city for living. Even though you already have a job lined up, you should do extensive research about the local job market.
Irrespective of whether you are moving without a job or with a job at hand, doing an extensive research about the job markets and growth opportunities can be of great help for your future career plans. After all, you don’t want to move to a city where there is no opportunity to grow your career.
Q6: Do I need a fallback plan?
Yes absolutely. Sometimes, things do not go the way you want, and that’s okay, as long as you have a plan you can fall back on. Maybe the place you are moving to does not turn out the way you wanted it to. What if you realize that there is not enough opportunity for you? There is a reason you are moving to a new city. But, moving forward, there can be a reason for you to leave the city. And a backup plan will come handy in such situations. So think of the worst that can happen and make a backup plan that can help you fight it out.
Q7: Which household items should I move?
It
may seem like an easy question and you may feel like skipping this. But trust
me, it is not. Packing and moving costs and expenses will be higher when there
are plenty of items to move. The cost of packing materials, packing and
handling charges, transportation expenses etc will increase when you have
plenty of goods. But, you can downsize the move to keep the expenses low.
So
ask yourself – which are the belongings you want to get packed and moved. You
may have many items that are not required anymore, or need repairing or simply
need to go out. Take a good look at the entire house, make a list of all the
major items, and get organized.
If there is anything that needs to go, let it go. Just get rid of such items and you can do so by selling it out to someone who needs it. You may like to check these essential tips to sell household items quickly.
Q8: Should I arrange a self move to move my belongings?
There
can be two ways to get your household belongings packed and moved to the new
city. You can either do it by yourself or hire a professional packer and movers
to do the job.
There
is no harm in organizing a self move. Anyone with a little help from other
family members can organize a successful DIY house move. But, it takes a lot of
planning and resources to arrange a successful interstate self move.
You have to arrange all the packing supplies to
safely pack your belonging
Arrange cargo truck to ship your belonging
Hire labour for lifting, loading, unloading and
arranging goods at new place
Have to look for transit insurance for extra
safety
It
may sound pretty basic and simple, but trust me it is not. So, are you really
prepared to do it by yourself? Do you have the time and resources to pack
and move everything by yourself? If yes, then you can easily organize a self
move. So ask yourself if you are ready to try your hands in packing and moving
by yourself?
Q9: Is it better to hire a mover to move my belongings?
While
self-move gives you better control, and may be the cost-effective way to relocate
your belongings, you may have to deal with many uncertainties. However, there
are many added advantages of hiring a professional mover to move your
belongings safely and effortlessly.
The
movers and packers can help through the moving process, and can take care of
everything, including:
Dismantling and uninstalling the furniture and
appliances
Safe and secured packing of all the furniture and
appliances
Careful lifting, loading, transporting and
unloading at the drop-off address
Using
professional packing and moving service can perhaps be the best thing to do
when you are too occupied with other tasks at hand like making travel
arrangements, finding a job or a house to move to or simply when you want
everything to be taken care of by a team of professional movers.
So,
think through well and ask yourself this question before moving – should you
hire a mover or arrange a self-move instead?
Q10: How much do the movers and packers cost?
Normally,
the mover and packers charge by the distance and move size, among many other
factors. That means, when you have a big size move, the cost of packing and
moving will be higher. Actual cost of hiring movers and packers can be found
only when you get quotations from the moving companies near you.
The
movers would like to know a few things before quoting the price, such as:
Which floor of the house do you live in and you
are moving to?
Do you have a service lift in your building?
What is the major household furniture to be
packed and moved?
What other delicate items are to be packed and
moved?
You
should ideally talk to a few moving companies near you, and get the best price
moving estimates from them. You can even ask them to come over for a pre-move
survey to get the all inclusive and accurate moving estimates.
Q11: How can I save on moving expenses?
This
is an important question to ask before moving to a new city, especially when
you are planning to use the service of a packer and movers. As you already know
that moving the entire house can be expensive, you should find ways to cut on
the packing moving costs.
Downsize the inventory and get rid of things you
don’t require
Sell off some of the items that is in good shape,
but you don’t need it
Do some of the packing yourself, especially items
that are not fragile like clothes, books etc
Compare quotations from multiple movers to learn
the best market rates
Negotiate well and bargain to get competitive
prices
If
you try and follow these simple tricks while moving, you will be able to easily
save a few thousands rupees on the total moving expenses.
Q12: What value added services do I need from the movers?
Packing
and moving to a new house in another state can be tiring. It involves a lot of
tasks and even though you hire a professional moving company to help you
through, you should ask this important question to yourself – Which value added
services do you need from the movers?
Apart
from looking after the all important packing, handling and moving services, the
movers may offer other value added services for additional fees.
The
value added services may include:
Unpacking and rearranging your bedroom, kitchen, and other spaces
It’s
always better to have someone get your goods unpacked and re-arranged. But,
these additional services may cost you more and therefore you should ask
yourself if you need these services.
Q13: Should I take the full coverage insurance or only the transit insurance?
Even
if the packers movers do their best while packing, lifting and transporting
your goods, there may come a situation which is beyond human control. A mishap
or an unforeseen circumstance may lead to an accident or damage to your
belongings. And that is why it is important to ask yourself about the safety
and insurance of your goods.
Transit
insurance is one that gives you minimum protection against any damage in
transit. Although it’s the cost-effective option, the full coverage insurance
against any sort of damage during the move is the better alternative.
There
is no sure shot way to say which insurance is best for you. But, it is
important to think about the safety and hence you must ask yourself which
insurance option will best suit you.
Q14: How to prepare for the safe and hassle-free moving?
While
you have already worked on all the important tasks to make your move safe and
hassle-free, how do you prepare for the final move day is yet another important
question worth asking. If you are moving by yourself, and have no professional
help to organize the move, then you have to make several arrangements, like:
Making the inventory and sorting out the items to
be moved
Arrange all the packing materials
Book the cargo truck and look for manpower to
help you load
Insure your goods from the third party insurer
However, if you have a professional movers packers on board, they will take care of all of these tasks.
But,
you still have to prepare yourself for the final move day. For instance, you
have to sort out and get organized, book pre-move cleaning services, make
travel plans for the family and so on.
The exact list of things to do when moving to a new city can vary based on circumstances. However, you should ask yourself this question and prepare accordingly.
Q15: What’s my after move action plan?
There
will be tons of things to do once your goods are delivered to your new home.
Unless you have subscribed for the value added services like unpacking and
re-arranging, you have to do it all by yourself. Like packing, unpacking can be
equally tiring and time consuming. Further, you may need help in re-assembling
and re-arranging heavy furniture and other such items.
Besides, you have to get the full home inspection done and get everything fixed and sorted. Your new may require pest control and cleaning. Then you may have to get all the utility lines fixed and sorted. So, there’ll be so much to do and therefore have to have a detailed after move action plan.
Concluding – questions worth considering before moving
Living
in different places can enrich you in many ways. Apart from getting to
experience different cultures, foods, lifestyle, you get to learn a new
language and may get plenty of business and career opportunities. Although the
experiences may vary from people to people, relocating often suits people who
are still young and want to explore the world.
However, packing and moving to a new city may not be easy as it has its own challenges. While you can plan and prepare for a smooth and hassle free moving, it’s important to have a solid relocation plan. And that requires asking many obvious questions to ask yourself before moving. We have already discussed many such questions above and if you ask these questions, you will be able to manage the move efficiently. If you have moved out to a new state recently, then I would love to learn from your experiences. Share your experiences, learning and asking what matters the most for anyone heading to a new city, state or a different company all together.
