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There have been a lot of changes for all of us over the last year and a half. Many have experienced similar conversations as family, friends and co-workers consider relocating to be closer to family, avoid winter weather or even in response to job transfers. If you have a scheduled move for any reason in the next few months, we want to provide you with a few tips to make your next move a smooth success!

Learn About Your New Hometown
The quickest way to make your new location feel like your hometown is to know where all your needs can be met. Once you’ve located to your new residence, take some time to learn about the area and services you’ll need.

• Are there nearby schools and parks? If you have children or pets, this information will be useful! 
• Will you need to use public transportation? Knowing bus and trolley routes will be helpful! 
• Know what utilities you’ll need for your new home. Water, sewer, gas, electric, garbage, recycling, and internet service are all services we need, and some may take longer to set up, schedule, and install than others.
• Where will you be able to get your shopping done? Check out the locations of grocery, retail stores, banks, dry cleaners, and home improvement stores. If you have pets, you’ll need to find a new veterinary clinic. Also, look for local establishments you can support within your new community. 
• Finding entertainment and restaurants for yourself and/ or family will help you feel more at home. If you have a hobby, look for places that are part of that interest-group. Do you love certain foods? Get to know where the best suggested places are to dine-out. If movies and shopping are your thing, you’ll want to know where theaters and shopping malls are in your area.

The more you can learn in advance, the faster you will settle in. You can use online resources for most of your research. Next Door, Google Maps and Street View, Websites and even Facebook can help you get familiar with your new area.

Establish a Timeline for Your Move
You can easily establish a timeline once you have a targeted move date, and the sooner that you can start preparing for your move, the better. A rushed move can bring on more stress than anyone wants. The best way to set up your to do list is starting with a “reverse timeline” and working towards the present day.

Items you need to consider include:

• Locating your future residence – securing lease or closing date.
• If you are selling your current home, how long do you expect this to take? 
• Packing… When will you start packing? How much do you have to pack? Will you hire someone to do the packing? How much of your belongings will be sold or donated to charity? 
• If you’re making a long-distance move, consider the travel time that will be required to reach your destination, hotels, rental vehicles, meals and additional costs. 
• What utilities need to be scheduled to be turned off at your old location and turned on at your new residence? Will deposits be required or to be returned? Changing mailing address is a MUST! 
• How much time will you need to unpack? Will you need to arrange pick up or recycling of moving boxes? 
• What is the start date of your new job? When will children need to be enrolled or transferred to new school?

Be sure not to schedule every minute of your time as things in life often come up and you may have to shuffle your timeline a bit. Try to give yourself a day or two of rest before heading out to a new job after the move so that you are calm and relaxed on your first day.

Will You Receive Relocation Assistance
If you’re moving for a job or are in the military, your move may be partially or completely compensated. Relocation assistance is one thing that you can discuss with your employer prior to a move. Many employers are open to helping with various expenses. Note that most will not pay upfront expenses, so plan for the time it may take to be reimbursed.

The DOD provides travel and relocation allowances to assist you with moving expenses. Per diem reimburses you for meals and lodging while enroute to your new duty station and advances are often provided to cover moving related expenses.

Start Packing Early
If you can take the time early in the relocation process to start packing, it will make moving day much less stressful. Packing items that you do not use on a daily or seasonal basis will get you one step ahead of the move. While you’re doing this, you can slowly donate or sell items you will not need in the new location.

Save one box per family member (and pets) for the last week of the move. And have a moving day bin for the items that you will need while traveling (like toiletries and changes of clothes, important papers, etc.) to your new location that will remain with you personally and not be loaded on the moving trucks.

Try to use up all the groceries in your fridge or plan to donate items remaining. Cleaning products cannot be loaded in moving trucks but can be donated to local shelters.

Hire a Professional Mover
As soon as you find out that you need to relocate, you need to collect quotes from professional movers. The more time you can give a mover, the better the chance that you’ll be able to schedule your move on the date you desire. Also keep in mind that summer and weekends are high demand dates and may cost more than a mid-week or off season move.

Consider the additional services a professional mover can assist you with including packing, vehicle transportation, and insurance. Why not let the professionals package your belongings and furniture, ensuring they will arrive unharmed at your new home.

When you move with Liberty Moving, you are assigned a moving specialist to coordinate all your dates and paperwork. As your single point of contact, your move coordinator will help you stay organized and on track as your moving day approaches. In addition, your Liberty Moving Specialist is available to answer questions and help you solve challenges on the fly. Learn more at https://thelibertygroupcompany.com or contact us directly by phone toll free at 800-524-0567