Hindsight is always 20/20. As we get ready to make our second cross country move (kind of). I thought I'd share some of the do's, do not's, and the unexpected of a big move. At least from our experience.
One of the biggest mistakes we made the first time around was moving ourselves. You guys, so many things broke. So. Many. things. A lot of my favorite pieces of furniture were now unusable. The antique sewing machine my grandma gave me, done. My favorite entry table that was so perfect for storage. done. Legs on tables and chairs were now wobbly, despite our best efforts to preserve them. Things shifted, things broke, other things were stained. It was a devastating blow in a new unfamiliar place. We remained positive, but decided next time we moved, we would sell everything, and move nothing.
As we get ready for our second move we now realize that is a little bit unrealistic (clothes, memorabilia, etc.) However, we are taking this opportunity to get rid of what we don't like or want anymore, and start over of sorts. We have been married for 14 years and a lot of our things are worn, outdated, hand me downs, or are just flat out overdue for replacement. This time, however, the company is paying for
relocation services, with
professional movers and
insurance. I wish someone had told me
YOU NEED THESE if you're moving across the country. If the company doesn't offer it, I would highly suggest you try to negotiate it. It's a small price for them to pay for you uprooting your entire family and moving across the country. Starting over in a new foreign place, with a moving truck full of broken and unusable stuff, is really no way to start over, if you can help it.
What are your best moving tips?! I'd love to hear them in the comments.
