Whether you are renovating your home or need a temporary space in a new location, short-term moves can be uncertain and stressful. No matter the length or reason of your short-term move, American Van Lines is here to be a resource to you for all of your moving needs!
- Know Your Lease: The first step in any short-term moving situation is to know the ins and outs of your lease or extended stay. As many of us have experienced, renovations and construction jobs have many moving parts and often run longer than your initial estimate. If you are sub-leasing or have a short-term lease, make sure that you have a plan built into your contract that accounts for potential delays in your new permanent residence. Few things are more aggravating and expensive than having to move to two different locations during a transition period so have yourself covered by adding in a month-to-month option to the place that you find. Also, when conducting your search, look out for places that are furnished or have other benefits that will make your time there simpler and your eventual move out equally as hassle-free.
- Pack What You Need: Especially for a local move due to a renovation, make sure that you pack only what you need. Something we recommend is to take a look at items that you use in typical week and make sure that you have all of them put aside. There is a good chance that you will find you need them in your short-term home as well. Also, since you want to avoid a complete unpacking and repacking, consider getting some professional help with your move. At American Van Lines, we offer free estimates on the cost of packing and moving, so use our expertise to make sure you have your belongings packed up in a way that allows you to unpack the minimum in your temporary home.
- Climate Matters: When looking at what you need, make sure you have a plan for the timeframe of your temporary stay. Think about changes in season or any trips that you have planned and make sure you that you have wardrobe options that you will need available to you. Avoid the frustration of having to dig through boxes in a storage unit to find your winter clothing. Equally as aggravating is taking your entire closest and having to repack it a couple months later, realizing that you only used 10% of what you moved.
- Store As Much As Possible: Once you figure out what you need in your temporary residence, make sure you have the right storage unit. Even though it is tempting to live in clutter and keep your things in your temporary space, do yourself and your mind a favor and get a storage unit for as much as possible. Especially in a long-distance move where you may not have visited your temporary space yet, it is important to have the storage space you need. As storage spaces are set up in similar sizes to moving trucks, it will also make your move to your permanent home much faster, which, if you are using hourly movers, will save you time and money.
- Keep Track Of Your Project: In both renovations and new construction projects, frequently, parts of your house are finished before others. Make sure that you know the status of your new residence and are taking advantage of the space you own to reduce the cost of your short-term move. If your home has a den or large bedrooms, often you can save money on your storage unit rental by closing it down early and moving your things into areas of your house that are done. However, be careful with what valuables you choose to store in your new home. With workers coming in an out of your home, having certain items like electronics and jewelry stored there could make your home a target.
