Several weeks outside the move, it’s important to take
inventory of all the stuff you want to take, and most importantly the
stuff you are not keeping. It’s amazing how stuff tends to accumulate in
our lives, and lugging all of it around from place to place can be
exhausting. Identify everything that is not necessary to keep and make
arrangements to sell/donate/trash those items. Doing this far ahead of
time is necessary, as it takes some time to coordinate with those
services and you don’t want to get stuck moving something you don’t
need.
Once you have whittled your possessions down to
necessities, start thinking about how you’re going to transport all.
Unless you are lucky enough to know someone willing to lend you a truck
or van, you are going to be renting a vehicle. This can get expensive,
so it’s key you find an option that fulfills your needs and doesn’t
break the bank.
First, take accurate measurements of your belongings so you
know how much space you will need in your vehicle. It’s also important
to think about how many trips you want to make back and forth between
your old place and new place. If you are moving to a high traffic area,
it might be better to get a bigger vehicle to cut down the number of
trips down, as well as gas costs. Don’t forget that U-Haul is not your
only choice in the matter of renting. Check with businesses that have cargo vans for sale or step vans for sale, as many will also have the same vehicles for rent as well (Source: Step Vans for Sale by Hengehold Trucks). These companies have a wider variety of vehicles available, like flatbed trucks, and might be able to offer more competitive pricing.