Moving Because of Divorce?

    One of life’s big changes, post-divorce, is often the necessity to relocate – across town, to another part of the state, or across the country, depending on your personal preference, family needs, finances and career objectives. 

Regardless of whether you’re moving from a small apartment to another apartment, or if your possessions will fill an entire moving truck as you move out of your home, the moving process is going to take considerable time, money, and careful planning. To avoid problems, don’t take shortcuts.       

The good news is, if you have good credit and available finances, it’s a buyer’s market in many parts of the U.S., so great real estate deals can readily be found. According to research conducted in August 2007 by Move.com, “Families are currently flocking to Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Chicago and Las Vegas to find great home values and family-friendly communities boasting healthy local economies and abundant job opportunities.”

The moving experts at Moving.com report that, “Given the average mover has more than 60 separate tasks to do in order to prepare for a move, there is little time to focus on most decisions.” Despite this time-crunch and need for multi-tasking, its essential to take a well-organized approach to planning and executing your move. 

DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE 

After determining that a move or relocation is in your near future, the next important decisions include:  Where you want to move; What type of home you want to live in (apartment, condo, stand-alone home, etc.); When you need to move; Whether you plan to rent or purchase your home; How much you can afford ;The quantity of possessions you’ll be transporting.

Once you know where, when and exactly what you’ll be moving, begin making plans for the physical move, which might involve finding and hiring a full-service moving company; or renting a truck, gathering some friends, buying some boxes, and handling the move yourself in order to save money. Regardless, the planning process should start at least 30 to 60-days in advance.       

By doing research and visiting web sites, such as Moving.com, Moving.org, Move.com, Uhaul.com and Upack.com, you can compare prices among moving companies, acquire moving supplies, and plan your move more efficiently. Between hiring movers, purchasing moving supplies, buying items for your new home, and paying other moving-related expenses, the average home owner will spend upwards of $9,400 on discretionary purchases within 90 days of moving. 

CHOOSING WHEN TO MOVE

The time of year when you move will impact your ability to find and hire an available mover, or rent a suitable truck. Moving.com reports, “About 17 percent of the total population in this U.S. will move this year [about 17 million households]. Half of all residential moves in the United States occur during the summer months, with June leading the way at 13.1 percent, and August as a close second at 12.6 percent. About 48 percent of moves occur between June and September, and 60 percent are made between June and October. Moving rates are considerably lower from November to May, in part due to school schedules and inclement weather.”      

The first and last few days of every month, along with the weekends close to the beginning and end of each month are always busy in terms of moving. Finding an available professional mover, or renting a truck during these times might be more difficult and costly.

HIRING A REPUTABLE MOVING COMPANY

Unless your employer is paying your relocation costs, when it comes to making a move, you’ll either need to pay a full-service moving company to handle the major tasks, or you can do it yourself. You will potentially save a lot of money handling the move entirely yourself, but you’ll need to invest significantly more time into the process. A full-service mover will handle just about every aspect of your physical move and supply all packing materials. For an additional fee, some will also handle the packing.       

Hiring a full-service moving company will require you to negotiate a variety of moving-related charges based on the distance you’ll be moving, the weight and quantity of stuff you’ll be transporting, the supplies you utilize, and the number of laborers you hire. You’ll also be responsible for extra charges to move large or heavy items, such as a piano. Expect to be hit with extra fees if the movers have to transport your belonging up and down steps, or more than 75 to 100 feet or so from the truck to and from your current and new home.