Monthly Archives: April 2023

The biggest battle during a move isn’t packing or loading or fretting over whether all your life’s belongings will make it safely to another location. It’s actually getting rid of all the dead weight you have lying around that’s going to make a move incredibly difficult. One of the best opportunities you can take out of a move is the chance to downsize your house and declutter it, something that we don’t get around to doing very often, if we’re being honest.

Decluttering is perhaps the most important step for a successful, hassle-free, and cost-efficient move. Every scary story you’ve heard thrown around about moving and over-packing probably has some element of a lack of downsizing and decluttering. Thankfully, we’ve got just the fix for you to avoid any such inconvenience rolling around on a moving day. Read on to find out how to declutter your home before a move.

Gather motivation.

Listen, you won’t be able to downsize the right way if your heart’s not in it. If you’re only forcing yourself to declutter because a family member is pestering you about it, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You need to understand why decluttering has been made such an essential part of moving or why even are the two concepts put together so frequently. We understand that parting from things you’ve owned forever is hard, but what about paying a whole lot extra to have them carried around?

Or what about all the extra packing supplies you’ll have to purchase to fit them in, and how overstuffing those with other items of use could very easily result in spillage and breakage? Now, aren’t those extra items starting to look like unnecessary weight? What if we revealed that you could leverage some expense for the move out of ridding yourself of what you no longer need? We bet you’re motivated ad ready to downsize now and can see all the benefits of it too!

There’s no such concept as starting too early.

Once you know that you’re set on moving, decluttering should be your first concern; even before packing, before considering how you’ll fit everything into boxes, focus on trimming the fat so the packing process is rendered a lot more manageable. A lot of people estimate that for big houses, even getting started a year before the move is scheduled to happen is perfectly okay.

This gives you more time to prioritize and figure out reasons for giving things away while opting to keep them for others. This will eliminate the pressure of you giving up something without little thought and then regretting it later on. Take time to prudently decide on what basis you’re setting some items to be kept and given, and then go over it a couple of times to make sure you’re making the right choices. Once you get into the habit of regretting throwing things away, you’ll only be strengthening your hoarding tendencies.

Have a system to it.

Going with intuition for a decluttering session is the number one way to ensure that you’ll be sulking in a corner, tainted in regret, in the near future. You need to make downsizing orderly and strategic. Start by room and figure out what items are simply eating up space for no reason. Another way to go about it is by making an inventory, which will help you out in a two-fold manner. You’ll be able to keep track of your items and then also single out ones that no longer serve you.

Inventory is also a great way to categorize items according to priority, and the ones that fall at the bottom of the list can become candidates for decluttering. The more you delve into decluttering, the more your brain will be programmed to scout out items of use from those that could qualify for a garage sale or even the trash. Picture everything as a load you’ll have to pay for during moving to help you see more clearly.

The value should be strictly monetary.

One of the biggest enemies of efficient decluttering is the human tendency to reminisce over things. Suddenly the pair of slippers you’ve had for over five years and has their sole hanging by a thread seems like an important keepsake of your young adulthood. Fight the urge to evaluate things according to their sentimental value and instead look at them through a lens of practicality and usefulness. Things that are worn out are useless; items that your children have outgrown are useless.

Opting for an approach to valuation is also going to help you out for the move itself. Moving insurance makes item valuation a mandatory practice for moving companies. By having a list of item values of your own, you’ll be able to compare estimates with the moving company and figure out if you’re being scammed. Decluttering and downsizing help you be prepared and focus on the quality and value of the limited items you’re retaining.

Decluttering should have a purpose.

Simply piling up items that you’ve singled out from the ones you need is just setting yourself up for more work in the coming future. You also have to figure out where the newly made clutter goes and what the purpose of every item is. Is it tattered enough to be discarded? Can you sell it out to make some extra cash for the move? Can you donate it or give it away to a family member that might be able to make use of it?

What can help you figure this out is to label boxes for these different piles and simply do with them what you must once you’ve separated them. Decluttering isn’t only about making things easier for your move but also finding a way to somehow give back too. You can consider a downsizing successful when you’ve not only reduced your own moving load but also relocated some of your items to new owners that can make more use of them.

Take moving, which is in itself a particularly tedious, exhausting, and daunting task, and then add the brunt of the great distance to it. This results in a significantly greater amount of effort needed in every phase of a move. You have to now, even more sensitively, account for time, distance, finances, and the safety of your items. So, if a long-distance move is your near future, we don’t blame you for feeling dizzy at the thought of it.

Despite all these factors, there’s nothing to concretely say that a long-distance move cannot be mastered and conducted smoothly. Your chances for success lie in turning to people who already have some or lots of experience in the area. You’re lucky because we quality as just that, and we’re going to bless you with the most useful and practical tips for a long-distance move, so you’re equipped to take the challenge head-on!

Your prep time is in your control.

The thing about preparing for a move is that the time required to do it can be extensive or incredibly short, and it’s all fully up to you. You’re in charge of assessing your circumstances and breaking things down into manageable tasks, and also, you’re in charge of setting a moving date, which ultimately renders you accountable for how much prep time you take out of all of this. Considering prep time is important because, naturally, a long-distance move demands greater sorting time.

Since a long-distance move is a little trickier to plan out, the simple strategy of doing whatever feels right won’t cut it. Split your prepping process into multiple phases; the one where you create a little blueprint of how you’ll operate (visualizing helps), the one where you’ll align this blueprint with a time schedule, prioritize tasks, and then distribute them. Do not take the burden of a long-distance move fully on yourself, and instead, see how you can best share the load.

Charges are perhaps your top consideration.

You already know that regular moves are expensive, but multiplying their distance factor by tenfold simply knocks things out of the park. While you can’t really squeeze the moving expenses for a long-distance move, you can make some smart choices to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Firstly, make sure to collect lots of options in terms of estimates from moving companies. You never know when a discount or an unprecedented off-season might bless you.

Don’t simply accept verbal estimates and guesswork. Have moving companies show up and go through your items in detail to give you a cost estimate that makes sense. It’s also wise to take advice on this from people who have a clearer idea of how much a long-distance move costs for them. This will help you avoid getting scammed. Remember that while estimates are incredibly important, compromising on a moving company’s quality during a long-distance move is tempting disaster.

Keep track of all your things.

Look, things get misplaced during a move, but all is well at the end of the day when they show back up at the right time. The thing is, though, you cannot afford to have the same casual mindset when it comes to long-distance moves. Something that mysteriously disappears during a long-distance move will not turn up because moving cross-country takes away any chance of that. The only way to counter this is by doing inventory.

Make a detailed list of all your home items alongside their cost. This is important to use for the insurance you’ve opted for during the move (and insurance in long-distance moves is a must!). You won’t fully be able to eradicate the possibility that any item is misplaced or damaged, but you’ll be able to ensure that you’re adequately compensated for it, so it’s a pretty sweet deal for a move that spans many thousand miles!

Wrap things up tight.

In a long-distance move, packing makes the difference between a smooth and uneventful process and a panic-attack-inducing ordeal where all of your items are progressively spilling out, or your boxes are tearing apart. We’re not going to even touch on the embarrassment of that but solely focus on how much damage and delay that will bring to the table. Invest time and good quality packing supplies for this process.

This does not translate as you having to put an enormous chunk of your long-distance moving budget into your packing material. You can very much get good material for free by asking around. Double or even triple-taping boxes with furniture parts or valuables can never go wrong. Also, fight the tendency to over-pack and over-stuff boxes with might. Be reasonable and adequate when deciding what and how much can really fit into something.

Account for delivery time.

One little-known fact about a long-distance move is that your things are not likely to show up immediately. Often, it takes around two weeks for moving loads coming from cross-country to show up. This means that you have to be proactive and figure out what essential items need to be with you to survive the first couple of weeks before your load shows up. Everything from essential cooking equipment, toiletries, and everyday clothing for a few days needs to be in your car or your bags.

Believe us, simply assuming that you’ll survive on takeout and make-do without everyday items is a recipe for in-family disputes, stress, and a very inadequate adjustment period. Plan for these aspects in advance by putting every family member on duty to figure out and pack their own essentials. Sometimes, moving loads can also encounter certain delays, so you need to be ready for that too.

Here’s the bottom line:

Long-distance moves are basically just the much larger-scale versions of regular moves. This means that planning things out in advance needs to be done more comprehensively and over a greater timeline. Also, set the probability of mishaps occurring during a long-distance move much higher, so you can take measures to address them all panned out!

If you’ve had the experience of conducting a move at least once in your life, we’re pretty sure you must have been surprised at just how expensive the entire ordeal surmounts to be. From packing to loading and then transporting, moving is costly, and this is the reason why a lot of people postpone opting for a move for as long as they can. But the good news is that not all moves have to be expensive.

Since moving encompasses a lot of steps, it also makes sense that each of them presents opportunities to save money. Luckily, we’re going to help you spot these opportunities and make the best of them. Stay tuned for the best tips for a cost-efficient move so the process doesn’t have to end up costing you a lot!

Start by shedding.

There is no bigger favor you can do your future-self during a move than getting rid of items that no longer serve you. A bigger load means a greater cost, this is because most moving companies change according to weight, and if you’re just letting things pile up without considering that they might be trash, you’re just piling up cost. Moreover, you’re also skipping on a very useful opportunity to generate some cash to help with your move.

Decluttering isn’t only helpful in terms of trimming fat for a move but also because it can help you identify items that you can sell. Something that might no longer be of use to you could be something that someone else would be ready to give you money to have. Be smart in figuring that out because, ultimately, you’re going to need all the extra cash you can get to afford the move. Remember that hoarding is the number one enemy of a cost-efficient move.

Don’t spend on moving supplies.

Having good packing supplies is a must, but that does not translate as you having to spend a lot of money to procure them. You’ll be shocked at just how willing people and businesses around you are to give away boxes and packing equipment free of cost. That’s mostly just eating up storage space for them, and people love to be of service to others during a move. Since there are a lot of options in terms of people to ask from, you’ll have many choices in terms of quality too.

The only thing you need to be mindful of is to refrain at all costs from over-packing; this will help you get by even if the quality of the supplies you’ve received is on the lighter side. Make sure to save cost on packing supplies but don’t let that backfire by over-packing and over-stuffing boxes. Nothing can compensate for prudent packing, and it ends up becoming the number one determinant of a smooth move. A cost-efficient move is all about finding opportunities to spend less and make smart choices too.

Skip on the movers.

Movers certainly sound like an attractive option, especially when the thought of packing your entire universe and then having it transported to another location comes to mind. But when you look back, it’s an unnecessary cost that you can definitely do without. Call upon the help of family and friends for tasks that are too demanding for you. Or, ask them to babysit your children while you get all of your moving tasks in order.

Neighbors are also more than willing to help out with a move, so remember that there is no harm in asking. Another technique is to distribute tasks within the family to refrain from over-burdening just one or two people. All in all, remember that there are a lot of alternatives to professional assistance during a move. They’re a lot cheaper and just as efficient, too, if you have the right people around you! Don’t put all the pressure on yourself as you try to navigate a cost-efficient move.

Pick an off-season moving date.

This might be brand new information to you, but moving costs change from time to time. Certain sections of the year are more busy and popular when it comes to moving and naturally make for must costlier estimates from moving companies. Seasons when the weather is most pleasant or times that are largely spaced apart from holidays are regarded as the most popular for a move. You can save by opting for times of the year when other people don’t consider it best to move.

Business is slow for moving companies as compared to other times, and thus, they can assist you with moves and transportation at much cheaper rates. Do your research and figure out when moving will end up costing less in terms of your own area and the moving company you want to hire. The best tip for a cost-efficient move is to consider multiple dimensions when picking a moving date, and pricing should definitely be at the forefront of that.

Save on food.

One thing which moving won’t deter in your everyday life is the human need to eat. You’re going to need to have meals fixed for the whole family, and lots of people end up eating out or ordering takeaway during some days before the move and lots of days after it too. Takeout food is not only unhealthy but incredibly expensive too, which means that it will end up contributing to the cost of your entire move.

An easy way to avoid these unneeded moving costs is to plan meals in advance and freeze them. You can make bigger portions of the same meals and have them stored for use at a later time. This will also come incredibly in handy when you’re absolutely tired and famished on a moving day and have a homemade meal hot and ready to be eaten. Remember that saving money during a move is all about identifying sneaky hidden costs that might seem small but eventually build up to become a very expensive affair.

Nothing will test your resolve and composure quite like your very first move. Picture all the shakiness and stress that comes with planning any move and then multiply it ten folds. But if you do it right, the good news is that you can turn this into an exceptionally rewarding experience that will go on to become a core memory. That said, it’s important to be open to receiving advice because, naturally, the more prepared you are, the greater the chances of hassle-free success.

No advice is particularly bad when it comes to moving; everybody is telling you the hacks and tricks that have served them well for their own moves. But there are some things you just have to know before moving for the first time, and we’re going to lay them all out for you.

Have a budget for everything.

Believe us when we say that moving is expensive. You’ll quickly be shocked at just how much certain things cost. Having a budget in place for your move is for sure one of the things you have to do before moving for the first time. If you skip this step, costs will quickly keep building to the point where you’ll longer be able to afford the move. You need to remember that expenses are only going to build up from here on out since your new living space and settling down in it is going to take away their fair share too.

A workable plan to put a budget in place is to figure out the individual phases of your move and then allot an adequate estimate to each one. Remember to be reasonable when doing this; becoming too generous or too stingy has the power to dictate whether your move will be a success or a nightmare that you’ll have to keep trying to recover from for times to come.

Over-planning is okay.

You know how they say that too much of anything is actually bad for you? Where planning during a move is concerned, this general rule of thumb can be waived. Nothing can help make your move more manageable and surprise-free than planning. And trust us, surprises during a move are never pleasant. Consider having a strategy in place for packing. Also, don’t feel that any step that helps you organize is too over the top.

For instance, doing inventory is always a good idea because it will help you keep track of your items and avoid any chance that anything might be misplaced and go undetected afterward. This is also useful in helping you tell apart items that are actually useful from what is just trash. If you’re the type who likes to plan everything in awful detail, then we can already tell you that your first move is going to be a good experience.

Decluttering is the holy grail.

A little-known piece of information that only seasoned movers can pass on to you is that moving is a great opportunity to get your affairs in order. You’ll never have a parallel motivation to declutter through everything you own, so you might as well use it. There are also some great opportunities in this; any items that are no longer of any use to you can be sold off to help save up for your move.

Also, if you can’t find the heart to part with certain objects that you know are only dead weight for your move, then remembering that more load equals more money to be paid might motivate you. Hoarding is the greatest enemy of a move. It prolongs everything that comes between packing down to unpacking. The loading part will also require more time and effort, which will demand that you hire help and also be ready for a lot of unplanned bumps to come along the way.

Packing can make or break.

Packing can sound very nerve-wracking when you’ve never ever wrapped up presents before, but this is an important and defining part of moving. Good packing can spell out the difference between the smoothest of moves and an absolute disaster. Make sure to have sturdy and reliable packing supplies, and remember that over-packing is something you need to avoid, like the plague.

It is also essential that you label boxes according to whatever system works for you. No labeling will eventually result in you having to comb through all the boxes later on when you’re on to unpacking. Larger items need to be broken down, no question, and trying to fit them as they are will make for a very unpleasant experience that you wouldn’t want to replicate.

Enlisting help is smart.

Of course, for a first-time move, the need to prove yourself is pretty concentrated. But trying to take on too much isn’t wise, especially because even experienced movers almost always use help. The truth is that a complete move is technically impossible to orchestrate without any help or involvement from others. Also, more often than not, your friends and family are always up for helping, so why would you pass up the opportunity for some ill-placed pride?

Another even better option is to hire professional movers if your budget permits it. They take care of everything from packing to loading and unloading. This will help you learn through observation and apply the same methods for your next move. But again, movers are expensive, and you need to adhere to your budget first and foremost.

Here’s the bottom line:

First-time moves can be either great or scarring, depending on how you approach them. Plan lots in advance, take lots of advice, and always try to trim the fat with your moving load. There are also going to be some learning curves you’ll experience along the way, but these are going to be great lessons for you to integrate into your next move. You’ll also unlock the certification of becoming an advice-giver yourself for any other first-time movers!

It’s more than natural to feel the weight of everything that is going on and is yet to be done during a move. Believe it or not, moving takes the cake as one of the most stressful scenarios, succeeding only to bigger ordeals like death and divorce. Now that you know this, you might feel a little more at ease with how nervous you’ve been about your upcoming move. And no, putting your mental health in one of many storage boxes around you until you’re through with the move is not an option.

Conducting a successful move and taking care of your mental well-being does not have to be two mutually exclusive things. There are practically applicable ways to prioritize your mental well-being during a stressful move, and we’re going to let you in on them.

Curb unpredictability as much as you can.

We’re not saying that you can fully ensure that no unexpected things pop up during a move, but we’re saying that trying will really help your mental well-being. Nothing triggers stress quite like things not going according to plan or unplanned hiccups that you cannot figure out a solution to. Having a tentative roadmap for doing everything is the most useful thing you can do for your mental peace. So, try and plan everything beforehand.

Don’t leave the decisions you can make now for a later date, and certainly don’t think of winging anything. Pick the moving date with all things considered as soon as you can. Decide the kind of help you’re going to need, whether calling on family or hiring movers and also have a plan in place for how you want to approach both packing and unpacking. Having measures in place to counter accidents of all kinds should also be heavily considered.

Keep yourself optimistic.

It’s more than easy to see an unending pattern of things going wrong during a move. When you think of everything that there’s still left to do down to how you’re going to manage to adjust to a completely new location, things are going to start feeling overwhelming. Take a breather, and remind yourself of all the reasons you thought of moving in the first place. There are certainly a lot of advantages to it; otherwise, you wouldn’t have dived into the entire process.

When the water seems like it’s getting over your head, have a list in place to remind you of all the positive aspects of the move. Whether you’ll be moving to a bigger space, a better neighborhood, or closer to a better workspace, every little dimension counts. Negativity is, unfortunately, one of the biggest sources of stress during a move, and you need to counter it with realistic positivity.

Don’t carry everything by yourself.

One of the major reasons why you are mentally feeling overwhelmed during a move is that you’ve probably taken on much more than you can do. Often, the ones who have a tendency for perfectionism or are people-pleasers end up being the ones whose mental health is absolutely devastated during a move. They’re either too ashamed to ask for help for fear of not inconveniencing others or feel as if no one can do things right.

If you feel like you identify with any of these behaviors, then you need to take a step back and reassess. Distribute moving tasks with other family members and enlist others for help too. You’ll be surprised at just how willing people are to provide help to their loved ones. They simply might be holding back because they don’t want to overstep. Trim the weight that falls on you for the move and watch how your mental health improves for it.

Visualize for results.

During a stressful move, you can almost always picture what and which things might go wrong. And then, as a rule of thumb, they always end up happening that way too. This is because you’re visualizing the negative parts and then manifesting them into existence. Try to switch this one up to not only attain the right results but also help yourself process a better and more workable plan for things.

Picture how you see your items packed, the order, how your inventory is going to work out, and then how you see yourself approaching the unloading and unpacking processes. You’ll have a clearer and more tangible strategy in place and will also motivate yourself to do things the right way. This is also the part where integrating an extra pinch of optimism will do wonders!

Don’t compromise your health.

Mental health is impacted by a variety of things, but one sure way to wreck it is to be inconsiderate about your body’s well-being. Lots of people tend to skip sleep and eat during a move. They believe that they’ll accomplish a lot more in the wee hours of the night, which is actually a strategy that’s bound to backfire pretty fast. Nothing eats away at your mental well-being like being sleep-deprived and famished.

Your body lacks the energy to do anything during the move day, and then you put pressure on it and yourself to do things it does not have the capacity to get done. The number one rule for good mental health during a stressful move is to take care of your physical health. Eating well and on time as well as clocking in an appropriate amount of sleep, are all things that will come in handy for a hassle-free move.

Here’s the bottom line:

Going into a move without considering how your mental health is being affected by it is the first of a few steps toward a full-fledged breakdown when you least expect it. Facing the move with an open mind and plenty of preparedness are key to overwhelming yourself as less as possible. Also, allowing yourself the grace to be cared for and share the burden with others are also golden rules to keep yourself sane while also making sure that move progresses smoothly!

Conducting a smooth move is every person’s dream, at least every adult’s dream. The thing is, though, that despite structured packing, planning everything in advance, and double-checking down to the last tee, there is always the possibility that something might go wrong. An aspect of being human that we need to accept is that we simply can’t eliminate the probability of error, but what we certainly can do is have measures in place to work around it and address it when it does happen.

This is why having moving insurance is a must. Even if you hire the best people for the job, the fact remains that something could definitely go not as planned. Regardless of the reason, the only person being dealt with the short end of the stick in this situation is going to be you. Since it’s always better to prioritize caution over regret, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about moving insurance.

Moving insurance: what is it and what does it cover?

The truth is that as first-time movers, a lot of us might not even be quite sure what moving insurance really is. In simpler terms, it’s an act of preservation in place to cover for any damage, theft, loss, or injury that might take place during a move. Since the main conductor of the moving process are the moving company you hire, insurance renders them liable to reimburse you and compensate you.

Of course, the extent and process of this compensation depends firsthand on what kind of insurance contract you decide on with the moving company during the hiring process. If the moving company doesn’t offer insurance (which is something you’d do best to be cautious about), you can always reach out to your own insurance to see if they cover moving related damages too.

Full value protection.

This is one of the several types of moving insurance that you’ll get from a moving company. This one might work best for you if you have a lot of valuables in your items and a lot of them could be prone to breakage. This renders the company fully liable of compensating you completely for any damage during the move. Basically, you’ll be getting a penny for a penny in terms of any kind of loss.

The mover can also avail the option of repairing the item for you, if its condition permits that. While this insurance option sounds quite impeccable for a move, the downside is that it is pretty expensive. There is also the matter of different movers offering different estimates for it. Only opt for full value protection when your items are pricey and easily breakable. Otherwise, there are yet other moving insurance options to pick from too.

Released value protection.

This insurance policy works if you’re on an extremely tight budget when moving. Companies offer this free of cost, but there’s a catch. You can only avail minimum compensation for the damage. This is minimum to the point where compensation for hundreds of dollars would fall to just a couple of bucks. The thing about released value protection is that it’s only the kind of insurance that’s better than nothing.

Released value protection focuses on compensation according to the weight of an item, and not the value. And you already know that the compensation it does offer for weight is incredibly minimal. The whole concept of released value is to consider the reimbursement of a damaged item outside of what its market value is. If you pick this type of moving insurance, you should be extra careful.

Expanded mover coverage.

This is the kind of insurance coverage that focus more on liability and valuation. This will involve a detailed process of valuation for either each object or a broader valuation that you can pick according to the weight of your entire shipment. The best part here is that it allows you the peace of mind of knowing that any of your items that might be damaged will be replaced exactly as they are and exactly in the condition they’re in.

Some movers also allow you to set an assessed value for every item. This way you can focus on the value items outside of their weight and it will also cost lesser because you won’t have to be paying large sums because of weight. This is the best option when you have valuable items that don’t weigh much.

Separate liability coverage.

This is the part where your insurance company or a third-party steps in to cover all issues relating to insurance during a move. Moving companies are technically not allowed to provide insurance on their own, or actually, sell insurance. They can make claims based on liability or, as just stated, include a third-party insurance seller to do this for them. In this type of coverage, released value is still a given on the part of the moving company.

However, the rest of the coverage falls into the hands of the insurance provider. It is still imperative that you go through their policies about this in detail, though. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to assume that all damages will be covered down to the last dot. Read through the contract, policies, agreements, and even the fine print so there are no unpleasant surprises later on.

Here’s the verdict.

Do you need moving insurance? We say, you sure do! Moving is already risky and expensive as it is, and sustaining damage during it without any possibility of compensation is frustrating and unfair too. This is why it’s wise to always look into moving insurance or some kind of coverage based on what you can afford.

Remember that it’s always better to be safe than sorry and you deserve to have the peace of mind of knowing that the moving process is in good hands, but you have good moving insurance in place to manage any bumps along the way.

It is not uncommon these days that people are simply tiring away from the concrete scenery of most metropolitan cities in the United States. A lot of people are on the hunt for a breather in the form of relatively less populated cities that are tucked away in the folds of nature somewhere. Of course, simply relocating to a place that’s more out of reach and provides little to no facilities is no one’s dream; enter: St. George, Utah.

If you’re thinking of gorgeous green scenery all around and outdoor activities in abundance but still want to retain that peace of mind by knowing that bigger cities are close by, then St. George might fit you like a glove. While very convincing on their own, these aren’t the only aspect this beautiful city offers. We’re going to give you a detailed take on all the reasons why you should consider moving to St. George, Utah, until you’re completely won over!

You’ll be spending less and living better.

The flat-out major reason that lots of people are making a move to St. George is because of the very attractive facet of affordability. Good city life is exceptionally expensive, but St. George gives the living index of all other areas in the United States a serious run for their money. The fact that it falls over ten points below the average index of the US says a lot of the affordability front than anything else.

Also, it’s not as if affordability comes with a catch. There are plenty of really posh areas in St. George that accommodate one’s taste for a little higher-end living, all while costing significantly less. Everything from renting to buying houses, groceries, fuel prices, and the like is relatively less expensive than in all other areas of the country. If you’re looking for a great city to relocate to that will cost you less while retaining a good style of living, then St. George is the place for you.

You won’t be compromising on safety.

Perhaps the worst aspect of big city life is the tendency it imparts in you to always look behind your back and secure doors with extra locks. St. George can help you get over that trauma. The crime rate of the city is significantly less than in every other area in the US. The most common crimes pertain to theft, which means that bodily harm or personal safety aren’t issues for people living in St. George.

We’re not saying that crime is non-existent in the area, but it is significantly less in occurrence and intensity too. If you often find yourself worrying over your family’s safety and well-being, then considering moving to St. George might definitely be a feasible option for you. The lower crime rate is for sure one of the most compelling reasons you should consider moving to St. George, Utah.

It can provide an excellent education opportunity.

You might be thinking that because St. George has more of a small-town vibe to it that the standard of education it provides will be pretty average or below; well, think again. St. George is home to some exceptionally great elementary and middle schools. Moreover, with five high schools to choose from, you have plenty of options in terms of finding the right academic fit for your teenagers.

St. George also offers a college education, with the renowned Utah Tech College being within its premises. With three accredited colleges to its name, the city is surely a great choice for students who are hunting for affordable places to live. Also, if you’re big on good weather and sunshine, you should know that these aspects mix quite well with school days all across the city, all throughout the year.

You’ll get some breathing space.

St. George is a breath of fresh air, quite literally. If you’re more than done with inhaling the smoke and fumes from an uncountable number of cars and vehicles in the city, then head on to St. George, Utah. You’ll have lots of options for outdoor activities that are going to make you a serious hit with your family. From gorgeous and elaborate hikes to the most stunning national parks in proximity, you’ll find it hard to stay shut indoors when in St. George.

If you’re thinking of making the transition from a big city to St. George, then get ready to embrace outings that involve other things than simply wining and dining. You’ll find that you’ll truly be able to take a step back and connect with yourself when you step into St. George. If this isn’t an absolutely great reason why you should consider moving to St. George, Utah, then we don’t know what is!

The community is more than welcoming.

If you’ve ever felt like living in the city puts you in the midst of rude and unpleasant company, then St. George is the perfect place for the exact opposite experience. The city has become a sort of a retirement haven for people retiring from areas nearby. Most of the people in the location are easy-going and very easy to get along with too. If you’re someone who greatly values experiences with neighbors and likes to have a sense of community, then the city is perfect for you.

That’s not to say that you won’t come across groups of people that aren’t as ready to socialize, but the chances of that occurring are pretty slim in comparison to larger city life. The fact that the boost in St. George’s population is mainly because of people migrating to the area makes it a great place for different communities to mix and thrive.

Here’s the bottom line.

From the above-stated facts and figures, it’s more than established that St. George is a great option if you’re thinking of moving, and the sky’s the limit. That’s not to say that the city doesn’t have a select few drawbacks to its name, but we can safely say that the plus points outweigh them by a mile!

One of the reasons that moves are as distressing as they are is that there’s always the possibility that a lot could go wrong. While a slight delay in plans and a temporary misplacement of an item are mishaps that can be easily overcome, damage to your items during a move cannot. This is why all first-time or seasoned movers want to know if there’s any way they can make absolutely sure that no large-scale misstep or damage occurs during a move.

Unfortunately, there is no iron-clad surety that can fully save you from even the slightest possibility of damage during a move, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take some very efficient steps to absolutely minimize it. We’re gathering the most useful tips you’ll need on how to avoid damage during a move so you partake in the ordeal with significantly more peace of mind.

Shed some of the load.

One of the major reasons that damage takes place during a move is over-packing and overstuffing boxes. This occurs in the first place because there are too many items to begin with, and some of them are just weight and nothing else. Always make sure that decluttering is a part of your packing process before the move. Nothing quite meets the embarrassment and frustration that comes with watching boxes rip apart and spill items during a move.

If you’re not big on giving things away, try to sell them so you can generate some money to help with an already expensive move. Decluttering will also help you unload and unpack more easily, so it helps avoid damage during a move in a two-fold way. If thoughts of things going wrong during a move are plaguing your mind, try to reduce the number of things you’re packing.

Be a little extra with measures.

One thing about larger pieces of furniture is that they’re almost always likely to get stuck somewhere when being unloaded. This doesn’t only result in a lot of heavily flustered individuals but also causes lots of damage to your items. A way to avoid this is to take measures for these bigger pieces and compare them with the entrance dimensions of the new place. This way, you’ll know which furniture needs to be broken down.

Going the extra mile with this will also save you lots of time during the move. This is because you’ll already be sure that certain items will move and fit easily when they’re unloaded, nor will you have to go through the frustrating trial-and-error of forcing things in and out of tiny spaces. To avoid damage during a move, you need to make sure you take an appropriate handful of precautions.

Handle things with extra care.

It seems that no items are as prone to damage and breakage as much as fragile articles like mirrors, frames, décor, and other valuables. Luckily, there is something you can do about it. Get the right protective equipment for items prone to breakage, like corner protectors, and also make sure to add all the extra layers for safety too. Also, take your time with packing these fragile articles; the better you do it, the safer your items are.

Another essential tip is to never compromise on the quality of your supplies. Saving on packing items might seem attractive when every other aspect of the move is turning out to be so costly, but remind yourself that if saving money on that front results in damage, then you’re better off spending it. Good and sturdy packing supplies come with a peace of mind tag included!

Prevent other types of damage too.

Damage to your furniture and other items isn’t the only kind of damage you should work on avoiding during a move. In fact, you’d be surprised at just how many accidents and slips, and falls occur on a moving day. While it is beyond any of us to ensure that everyone involved in the move has impeccable posture and balance on the day of, there are some preventative steps you can take to ensure no one gets hurt on the job.

Ask your moving company for non-slip runners, or go out and get your own while stocking up on packing supplies. These make sure that slippery surfaces that have texture that provides friction. Also, try and integrate foam covers on as many parts of the house as possible, so if anyone does end up sustaining a fall, the damage will be minimal.

Take kids out of the equation.

Look, whenever there are children involved, the likelihood of someone getting hurt during a move just goes up drastically. One of the most efficient things you can do to avoid this kind of damage during a move is to hire a sitter for moving day or ask a family member over to watch your young ones at all times.

You’d be surprised at how easily children get into trouble during a move. There’s also a lot of disruption and confusion that comes with the loading and unloading process when kids are going in and out. Avoid damage during a move by making sure your children are at a safe distance. Ideally, the more distance, the better.

Get the right kind of insurance.

While we would love to tell you that the above steps can fully cancel out the chance of damage during a move, that’s not the case. This is why it’s always wise to remain prepared in the best of ways for damage, its compensation, and keeping everything as minimal as possible. Having an insurance contract in place with your moving company will ensure that you are reimbursed or adequately compensated for any damage that occurs during the move.

Make sure you go through your already existing insurance and detail what it covers and how it claims to recompense in the case of damage during a move. It’s also prudent to undergo a valuation process for your items, so there’s no confusion afterward. One of the best ways to avoid serious damage from a move is to be prepared.

Moving demands a lot of multitasking and juggling, and this naturally makes it more likely for mishaps to take place. But regardless of how common it is to mess up a little during a move, it doesn’t mean that you should let it slide and simply sit well with accepting that making mistakes while moving is an okay thing. Think of the stress, worry, and sleepless nights you’ve undergone over small and big moving missteps.

This time, you need to do things differently. Do a mental walkthrough of how much more smoothly the moving process would have gone if certain specific moments didn’t happen. At the very end, ask yourself. Is just surrendering to the likelihood of moving mistakes really worth the distress it all causes? We think not, which is why we’re enlisting the most common mistakes one can make while moving, so you avoid them.

Leaving things for the last minute.

There aren’t words big enough to stress just how important planning is for a successful move. The biggest moving mistake made in the history of moving is delaying the process as much as you can and then going haphazardly into it just as the moving date is staring you in the face. Of course, the Pareto principle sounds appealing when you’re trying to justify procrastinating but just think of the agony you’ll experience over prioritizing bouts of laziness.

Leaving packing and other aspects of your move for the last couple of days or weeks also strips you of the ability to plan and sort things right. This automatically means that you’re unpacking and settling-in process will be a nightmare. You’ll also be at much more risk of misplacing and losing things or not being able to locate those months after moving in. Trust us, that’s one scavenger hunt you don’t want to play.

Skipping over the decluttering process.

One of the hardest things during a move is to muster the strength to part with a lot of our possessions. This one tendency is behind one of the biggest moving mistakes that should be voided at all costs. Decluttering is a very important part of an efficient packing process. If you don’t take out useless items, you’ll be hoarding and ultimately packing more than you actually need.

An essential thing to remember is that the heavier your moving load is, the more you’ll end up paying for it. This roughly translates to you paying a significant amount of money to have your trash moved from one house to the other. Also, keep in mind that when you unpack these objects, they’ll end up dumped anyway or in the storage and eat up valuable storage space for other items of value.

Compromising on supplies.

Sure, you’re trying to save money any way you can during a move because, let’s face it, moving is really expensive. But some cost-saving techniques during a move might end up backfiring, and compromising on the quantity and quality of supplies is one of those things. Opting to purchase fewer packing supplies than you actually need is only going to come around as an extra errand run closer to the day of the move.

Opting for cheaper quality packing supplies will put your belongings in danger of damage. Poor-quality boxes and tape cannot sustain the weight of items and eventually end up spilling. If you want to avoid an added bout of stress on moving day and the embarrassment that comes with watching boxes rip apart and put your things out on display, make sure to avoid the moving mistake of compromising on supplies.

Avoiding inventory and labeling.

Anyone who has ever scoffed over doing inventory during a move and going the extra mile by labeling boxes too will certainly tell you that they were wrong for doing that. Nothing makes unpacking and putting things in their place as hard as unorganized and scattered packing. Even if you made an effort to pack well, cardboard boxes essentially look the same, and telling one apart from the other can only be done by opening them.

This makes for an exhausting and dizzying process. Avoid this moving mistake, and make sure you have a detailed list of your items with you in boxes that are labeled and easy to identify. The inventory process is also important because it helps avoid misplacing or losing things, and on the off chance that that does occur, you can seek compensation by showing your movers the detailed item inventory that you created while packing.

Not looking into insurance.

Look, moving is a messy business. Packing a life’s worth of items into boxes and trusting an entity to transport them for you across a considerable distance warrants that some kind of damage, mishap or unexpected situation could always occur. Even if your moving company is top-notch, you need to make sure to look into the kind of insurance they offer and read contracts in depth. Yes, the fine print too.

Make sure to have a valuation done on all of your items so you can apply for a replacement in the face of any unpredicted damage. Slacking on this is the biggest moving mistake you should avoid because simply having a verbal agreement about compensation will mean nothing when the situation actually presents itself and the moving company refuses to follow through.

Not having a separate bag for essentials.

The most frustrating aspect of a move is when you simply can’t seem to locate a particular document or an item of need at the moment when it is most crucial for you to have it. Save yourself time and stress, and instead, make sure to pack an essentials bag that has everything from your documents to keys and even toiletries.

Don’t underestimate the intensity with which the need for a seemingly small item might pop up. This has the potential to completely taint an otherwise successful move and is hence one of the moving mistakes you need to avoid with a passion.

The worst news anyone could receive is that they’ve been scammed by their moving company after a move that’s already taken a toll by itself. Whether you’ve been ripped off, have had items damaged that the company’s outright refusing to compensate you for, or you’ve simply had a very turbulent and distressing experience with them, you have every right to be mad and want to do something about it.

The good news here is that this doesn’t mean you’re at the mercy of the faulty moving company in question. There are actions you can take to address the matter, and we’ll walk you through them. Grab your reading glasses and sit down so you can find out in detail everything you need to consider in the matter and, of course, how to file a moving complaint.

Start by reaching out to the moving company.

Of course, you’re not searching how to file a moving complaint out of spite and have certainly had some contact with the moving company before resorting to drastic steps. However, it’s always prudent to check in with the company and let them know your poor your experience with them was. See if they’re up to compensate you in some way or if they stand firm on their claims of professionalism.

If their response is unsatisfactory or if they’re not even bothering to pick your calls up anymore, you need to seriously start considering a harsher approach. But just because a company might have conducted themselves in ways that didn’t make for the best experience on your part doesn’t mean a complaint on the matter will be entertained or addressed. This is why before filing a moving complaint, it’s wise to look into what makes for a genuine issue.

Understand what aspects can warrant a complaint.

Before you simply go on to scouting portals where you can file a moving complaint, you need to make sure the matter in question is something that concerned authorities would deem worthy of compensation. Anything from losing items, misplacing them, damaging them, or withholding them is a solid circumstance that requires filing a moving complaint.

Moreover, if the moving process is significantly prolonged, and outrageous additional charges come up in your final deposit, then you can certainly file a complaint. Also this is also important to consider because you need to start gathering all kinds of evidence to provide footing to your claim. Everything from contracts to agreements and receipts will come in handy as you proceed with filing a moving complaint.

Submit your complaint to the FMCSA.

The most straightforward approach to file a moving complaint is to submit your complaint in the FMCSA online database. The Federal Motor Safety Association is responsible for overseeing all moving companies and general transportation across the county. As a part of the Department of Transportation, it has a duty to keep a check on all registered and licensed moving companies, which means it’s also the perfect place to check whether a moving company is registered in the first place or not.

Head to the entity’s complaint database, and you’ll find all details about the complaint process there. If the moving company is registered, they’ll have a month to take notice of the complaint and three additional months to address the dispute with you. This will involve a professional third party in the process and ensure that the moving company follows through with things.

Take your dispute to the ATA.

If the moving company you worked with comes under the umbrella of entities signed with the America Trucking Association, then they’re automatically liable to be addressed for any complaints, issues, or disputes for their services. This is the best place to refer your complaint, especially if you’re dealing with larger-scale complaints like being ripped off of a great amount of money or sustaining heavy damages during a move.

The ATA is an excellent option for filing a moving complaint because it receives disputes in detail and is the perfect source to take specific moving-related woes to. If your issue is smaller in size or more general in its category, then there are other more generic entities to handle that kind of situation too. That’s not to say that the ATA doesn’t take on broader complaints of more general nature.

Opt for the BBB:

The Better Business Bureau is a very vast organization that addresses complaints against businesses of all kinds, and moving companies very much fall into that premise. You can find all the information for filing the complaint on their complaint page. It’s important to have all sorts of details and information about the company you’re submitting a claim against; leaving parts of their online form empty or missing important information could have your complaint left unattended.

Filing a moving complaint to the BBB is also more convenient in terms of time because they render the moving company liable for replying to the dispute within a two-week period. This is a significantly shorter time in comparison to other portals, which can take up to months. The BBB also ensures that the perpetrator is notified of the complaint within two days.

File a lawsuit.

Although filing a lawsuit is the last thing on anyone’s mind after a nasty experience with a moving company, sometimes it becomes the only viable option. A small claims court is the place to head to when all other options and portals have not yielded anything out of your complaint against a moving company.

Remember that heading to court, even a small claims one, will cost you money. So, scout for professional legal assistance before delving in too deep. Shelf the lawsuit option as a last resort when other online and less fatiguing methods do not pay off. Also, do consider whether seeking compensation for your bad moving experience will end up costing you more in legal fees or not. Regardless, it’s always best to know that you retain the right to file a moving complaint against an unsatisfactory moving company.