Moving, they say, is one of life’s stressors. As we get older it doesn’t quite have the excitement that it did in our twenties and thirties. Then there’s this innocent feeling of excitement about uprooting yourself and starting over in a new living situation, now there’s more awareness of what it takes. According to PsychCentral, ranks in the top 20 life stressors that can trigger anxiety and sadness. No wonder many of us avoid it as much as we can. Still if you are to have a home-mate, moving is necessary. It’s all a part of finding a good housemate.
Cost and Time of Moving
Moving is expensive and time-consuming, more so if you work and need to take extra time off. There are several moving options from the most the expensive to the least. For example, the most expensive and fastest option is to hire movers who do it all for you–from packing to carting your belongings to your new home. If you’re on a budget, you can save money by hiring a “man with a van” and have him drive your belongings to your new residence. The caveat to that is if the van isn’t large enough to hold all your belongings there might be several back and forth trips, which can increase the man hours, gasoline expenses, and the hourly rate of the movers after a certain time. The least costly alternative, assuming your new home is within driving distance, is to make several trips to your new domicile where you’ll be able to bring smaller household items that can safely fit in a car and that you can carry yourself. The bigger items, such as furniture, can be transported in a U-Haul truck, and if you have a group of friends or relatives, they can help load and unload.
To Keep or Not to Keep, That is the Question
If you expect that your new living arrangement will be long-term consider how your living space will accomodate your “stuff”. Determine what items both you and your home-mate have that are duplicates and decide which items to keep. The more household items, clothes, books, and other tchotchkes that you can donate or throw out the better. (Take a look at this post on Managing Stuff.) Presumably, before you even hire movers or rent a truck, you will have gone through this step. However, keep in mind that sometimes long-term living arrangements might not work out as expected. If there’s a niggling of doubt, you are probably better off temporarily renting a storage unit for larger items just in case you find yourself going through another move.
Home Sweet Home
As you move into your new home and settle into your new space, enjoy setting up your new home. Get to know your home-mate and create a home that will give you financial security and ease. That’s the whole point, right?
Learn more about how to start sharing housing: Shared Housing For Seniors , Calculating Housing Costs
Great article clarifying options for managing the move. My suggestion, based on personal experience, is the more you can get rid of the better. You can replace a lot of household goods at thrift stores if it doesn’t work out. I may be too frugal, but I think paying for storing “stuff” is an abomination!