Now that your wedding day is getting close, it's also time to prepare for the big move to your new home. Between you and your beloved you both must decide what your new home is going to look at and to go through your things and decide what to keep and what things to get rid of.
The fact is when you first move in together, the household items and furniture negotiation thing can get a little tricky. You are doing more than merging couches, kitchen items, home goods, and decorative things, you are blending two distinct personalities and the nature of people is to bring things along from their past life.
You are a team now, you want to take note of things both the bride has and what the groom has and determine what things are best for your new home. You might start out listing all the tangible things each of you has and next to each has create a his and her column. After the both of you has created the list of tangible items and you should visually see each item and both of you should mark down either a yes or no to each item. If an item is a yes-yes it is a definite for your new home. If an item is a no-no then you should get rid of it. If an item is no-yes or yes-no you need to make a decision.
When you start to plan and bring old furniture and decorate your new home, you want to plan the house together, whether you are bringing things along from where you are living or buy new things, you should make decisions together and all things you get should be yes-yes decisions. Buying things together and both okaying the deal will be an important first step in avoiding a conflict. Some deals may require a compromise, one of you really wants something and the other might not really want it but will be a, I can live with that decision.
When you are making your decisions, realize some things that each of you has, that at first might be a throwaway item but possibly be acceptable if it's redecorated. Furniture could be reupholstered or with slipcovers added, kitchen chairs and table could be stained and decorated cushions could be added. Some belongings you both have could be redone saving you significant money.
If your new home is big enough, you should try to designate his and her rooms. A room that each of you is assigned as your own personal room. Her room might be the kitchen and a back bedroom. His room might be an office space and basement and garage. These rooms you could make each your personal rooms and instead of decorating the room together, each of you is responsible for decorating your own room and what things go in it as long as you don't go too far out. This room is allowed for your yes-no items or if not there maybe there is a storage space.
Also when you are furnishing your place, you might check in with parents, grandparents, or siblings. Sometimes just possibly a relative is planning an upgrade on a certain piece of furniture such as a nicer living room set, dining room set, bedroom set, kitchen table, or kitchen or living room appliance. You might strike up a conversation and talk about if there are plans to redo furniture in the near future. Occasionally you will hear a yes, and they are happy to keep the furniture in the family and help you out in furnishing your new place. Don't be pushy on the subject though and you need to know if your spouse would like the furniture or appliances as well, it still needs to be a yes-yes decision.
Once you have identified a home and have decided what furniture you are bringing along, you next need to find a mover, you basically have three options. Do you rent a truck and move yourself, use a you pack, we drive service, or hire a professional mover? Whatever decision you make, you should interview a few moving businesses before making your decision.
If you consider renting a moving van yourselves, you need to ask yourselves these questions. Does one of you have experience or be comfortable with driving a big truck on a busy highway and narrow streets? Do you have a lot of furniture and have a few strong family members or good friends that you can recruit in helping you to move? This is the most economical option you have.
There are hidden costs with this type of move though. You have insurance costs for the rental truck (your auto policy is not likely to cover this) and your credit card might not allow coverage if you use the same card. You also need to consider gas and the rental of special moving equipment such as dollies, protective covering, packing boxes, and other storage supplies.
If you are renting yourself, reputable companies you might consider include www.uhaul.com , www.budgettruck.com , www.ryder.com , and www.pensketruckleasing.com . For many of these companies you tend to get better rates at midweek and mid month and reserve the truck as far in advance as possible when you know the date you want to move. When you rent a moving truck, be sure to check out a few companies before you agree to an offer, don't close the deal on the first offer and ask the potential truck company what do they have to offer and for what price.
Price is not the only thing you want to consider, cheap may also means poor quality service. Look for a company that has high standards and offers supplies with the deal. Ask if a company offers unlimited mileage, if they don't you might ask how much extra mileage will cost you. Also ask what the penalties are if the truck is returned without a full tank of gas.
You can reserve a moving truck by phone or internet, but you still should try to meet your truck rental company in person face to face. This will minimize any misunderstandings before you agree to rent a truck, and inspect the truck closely before signing any documents. The rental company will have a standard form for you to fill out. When inspecting the vehicle look for dents, scratches, rust, stains, defections of latches, locks, or imperfections on windows. You protect yourself if things are broken or wrong with the truck before you rent it and may save you money upon your return.
At the time of rental, you will need your driver's license, proof of insurance and a major credit card. You will also be asked what type of insurance coverage you want for the trip. Before you go check with the auto insurance company to find out what insurance you are covered for. You will also be asked if you want to include accident insurance, limited loss, damage waiver, and cargo insurance.
Depending upon the size of the moving truck rental, you may need to stop at weigh stations along the way. Ask the rental companies what you need to know and if need be call the state police in the states you will be traveling to understand each states requirements. Before you drive off the rental lot with the moving truck, make sure you have copies of all documents from the rental company including rental agreement, driver trip report, a truck inspection sheet and other paperwork the rental company suggests. Also be sure proof of insurance and registration are also in the truck.
If you prefer not to drive a rental truck but don't mind packing, there are a number of companies available that offer you pack and load, and they drive services. Some reputable companies that offer this service include www.upack.com , www.broadwayexpress.net , www.pods.com , www.1800packrat.com , www.doortodoor.com , and www.smartboxusa.com . These companies will deliver a trailer, moving van or container to your home and give you an agreed to period to load it up and then they send a professional driver who brings the vehicle or container to your new home and then gives you a period to unload them.
This option is middle of the road and is less expensive than a full service mover. Sometimes with these companies you can share space with other customers moving to the same general area. You pay for only the space you use. You can get an initial quote by phone, fax, or email, but ne aware actual charges may be higher if you exceed your estimated load.
If none of the options above won't work you may consider hiring a full-service professional mover. You should consider this option if you are uncomfortable driving a big truck, don't want to spend much time packing and moving, you are moving to a long distance away, or have a lot of stuff to move. Good professional movers have the experience and equipment to move you quickly while avoiding damage to your property. A top quality moving company will put down floor runners, cover railings and doors and place floor boards if moving heavy furniture or appliances. Some of these moving companies can also pack for you and will add 20 to 30 percent to your charge.
Beware of some moving companies, there are a few bad moving companies, especially check out companies that are not national companies. Check moving companies out with the better business bureau and you can check these companies out at www.bbb.org , www.movingadvocateteam.com , and www.movingscam.com .
Also you can find good moving companies that are local to where you live from a few different websites. Some websites you might try include www.topmovingcompanies.com , www.bestmovingvanlines.com , www.moversdirectory.com , and www.geicomoving.com .
Some reputable National Companies include www.allied.com (Allied Van Lines) , www.mayflower.com (Mayflower Travel) , www.unitedvanlines.com (United Van Lines), and www.atlasvanlines.com (Atlas Van Lines.
When planning your move, don't forget packing supplies which for the average move for a young couple or small family tends to cost around $250. You will likely need plenty of corrugated cardboard boxes, get varied sizes which tend to run from $1 to $5, you might get a discount if you buy them in bulk. You can purchase them up at stores like Mailboxes Etc. or from shipping companies or from moving companies, or order them online from www.amazon.com . Most likely you will need anywhere from 60 to 120 boxes of different sizes.
If you have a really tight budget and can't afford to buy many boxes. You can go to your local supermarket and go to customer service and ask for shipping boxes. Grocery stores more often than not will tell you if you can stop by a specific time the next morning, they will leave some big boxes left over from grocery truck deliveries that came in from overnight. If boxes are not claimed by a certain time they often get put into a crushing container.
For dishes and other fragile or heavy items, you are better off using what are called "dish barrel" boxes. These boxes are a little bit more expensive but are double-walled cardboard. Also you might consider wardrobe boxes which include a metal bar for hanging clothes on, some movers may supply some along with the move for free so you may ask what is included and ask about them before you make your order. Also available are flat-frame boxes which are ideal for protecting pieces of art and mirrors.
Brown packing tape is best to use with cardboard, masking tape or duct tape sometimes just doesn't stick well. A few heavy-duty tape guns would be good for each person taping the boxes, maybe one for you, your spouse, and a friend. Before placing objects into boxes, the mover's secret weapon is packing paper. Packing paper is usually sold in 10 and 25 pound bundles and is similar to unprinted newspaper and tends to be the best economical and versatile material for protection. Nearly everything you move can be used by this material, either for wrapping fragile items and crumple the paper for padding.
Some moving companies can sell other specialized accessories such as foam bags, bubble wrap, and cardboard "cell kits" to protect glassware, dishes, and other fragile items, but packing paper will work just as well. Newspaper might be used in some cases but be careful the print can stain, try more to use newspaper for extra padding.
Some other supplies you might consider, box cutters make unpacking a breeze, pick up thick dark permanent markers to mark what is in each box and label boxes on the sides, not on the top, often boxes are covered on top with other boxes. Mattresses and furniture can be protected by mattress bags and furniture pads which are available from rental companies too. Also, you may need to pick up dollies, hand carts, and furniture slides to help you move some of your heavier equipment.
Many people move once and say never again, but the move in with your spouse is sometimes very special, when your move and unpacking is finished and you can say one dream has come true. At the beginning you and your beloved won't have all the furnishings you would like but as you begin your new life together make sure you shop for furnishings together and everything you buy is yes-yes.
See you on the other side!
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