The majority of individuals and families look at moving as
one of the most stressful things that they will experience in their lives.
Choosing a professional moving company will certainly help deter a good
percentage of this stress, but let’s face it, there is still the herculean task
of organizing. The larger the family, the larger the task, one would presume,
but surveys prove that moving is just as stressful for an individual as a
family of 8!
How then to make this task a bit easier, even rewarding?
As a moving consultant, I personally think (and suggest to
my clients) that moving is great time to “trim the fat”, so to speak, or to
take assessment of what one truly needs and what can be eliminated from the
moving process. Not only will this make your packing (and, consequently, your
unpacking) process much easier but it will also save you money! Remember, the
less weight you are shipping the lower your overall costs will be! Whether you
intend to sell unwanted items or donate to your local charity, assess your own
possessions first (it always helps to set an example) and then talk to your
family to see what they can part with. Ask your family, whether they be adults,
toddlers or teens, to make a list of the things that they can’t bear to part
with (obviously this will require assistance for the very young) and those
things they just might not need any more or have out grown. In my
personal experience, helping my brother move his family of six, I discovered
that making “suggestions” is fine, but making demands removes the
“participation” and the “willingness” to be cooperative, so be patient and you
will soon be surprised at how quickly your family will respond to your plans.
If you plan on having a yard sale to sell off unwanted
items, letting children keep what is earned from their donations to the
sale is not only rewarding, but a great lesson in economics. As a suggestion,
tell them the money will be held in a family “escrow” until you arrive at your
new home as this will avoid having “new” items to ship. This will also give
your family an opportunity to explore the shops in your new neighborhood! If
you plan on donating to charity, this can be just as rewarding as material gain
(if not more), and most families (especially children) tend to find more
that they can part with (remember, not only is this rewarding in a
conscientious way, but it is also tax write off). It is certainly not uncommon
to opt to both sell items and donate to charity.
As for the individual moving, a good rule of thumb is- if you
haven’t thought about it, looked at it or used it in the last year; you don’t
need it!
However you choose to “lighten your load”, making your
family and Condor Moving Systems part of the process can be rewarding
and save you money!
