National Moving Month Is Here

 May is National Moving Month and the start of the busiest relocation period in the calendar year. Around half of all moves take place in the summer between early May and Labor Day. Many families decide to relocate during summer months, while school-aged children are out for summer vacation. Military PCS cycles also result in thousands of relocations every summer.

Trends in the moving industry are very revealing, showing an abundance of families moving from large cities to smaller towns. Here are some other interesting facts about the moving industry:

• Nearly 35.1 million people move annually (about 11% of the total US population).
• The average cost of a household move is between $2,300 and $4,300.
• The most popular states to relocate to in 2017 were Vermont, Oregon, and Idaho.
• The most common states families left behind were New York, Illinois, and New Jersey.
• Nearly 61% of relocations were to a new home out of state.
• Only 33% of relocating families hired a professional moving company.
• About 17% of families cited better quality homes or apartments as a reason for the move.
• Almost 11% of relocations were due to a new job or transfer.
• Over 65% of military PCS moves occur in the summertime.

If you and your family are planning a move this summer, be sure you have a strategy to complete the move. Relocating is a lot of work, so you may want to construct a binder with moving information. Create tabs for different family members, pets, bills, change of address forms, and other pertinent information. Storing information in one place you can organize your efforts and help keep track of small to-do items. Below are some additional tips if you are relocating.

Create a Budget

Research the cost of packing materials, moving vans, gas, hotel stays, and establishing utilities in the new home. Many clients underestimate the total cost of a move.

Schedule Important Milestones to Avoid Procrastination

Create a calendar with all moving milestones and stick to it. Include dates for packing, cleaning, utility turn-off, realty appointments, and other tasks that you must accomplish. Always plan to have tasks completed earlier than needed, as unforeseen circumstances are sure to arise.

Clean Out Belongings

Moving into a new home is the perfect time to downsize. Encourage each family member to clean out unwanted items. Store the items in one central location, then call a donation company to collect them. This will save you time and help rid your move of unneeded weight.

Label, Label, Label

Label boxes on each side and use as many details as possible. As you’re packing, you may think, “I’ll remember the contents of this box.” Chances are you won’t. Write package contents on the outside of the box, including the room in which the box was packed.

Take Pictures of Your Electronics

Before packing your electronics, take a cell phone picture of the back of electronic device cords. This way, you’ll have an image of the correct method for hook-up. You won’t have to struggle to remember which cord goes in which socket.

Hire Help

If you simply don’t have the time to finish all the moving tasks, hire help. Many communities have Facebook pages from which to solicit help. You also have the option to hire chore helpers from a site such as TaskRabbit. Other local chore-oriented companies may be available in your area.

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