Relocating from one residence or business address to another is a matter of course for many Americans today, and the choice to move can be done because of new job opportunities or a change in lifestyle, or if the old home has become too small for the growing family or simply for a change of pace and scenery. A local move will involve hiring local movers and smaller moving services to pack up a household’s items and furniture for the relocation, and for long distance movers, the right companies can be hired for that too, which can handle long distance travel for the moving procedure. Small companies can also make use of a moving service to relocate their furniture, computers, fax machines, and copiers, as well as conference room chairs and tables. Some small businesses may decide that another address is better for business, or they are moving into slightly larger premises. Overall, moving companies are ready and willing to help families or smaller businesses pack up their gear and make a local move. How can the right moving company be found, and what are some trends for American families and small businesses moving?
Who is Moving?
It has been found that most American adults will move several times in their lives, often 12 or so times on average, and by age 30, an average American will have moved around six times. Renters move even more often, with 33% of them choosing to relocate every year, especially since they do not have mortgages to think about and finding a new place to rent may be simpler and easier than finding a property to purchase. A local move may often take place in the summer, which has proven the most popular time for moving, usually between the start of May and Labor Day in early September, and December has proven to be the lightest month in the year for moving. It has been found that most often, an average mover is one person in a couple aged 18-34 years old with one or two kids at most. Generally, as people age, they will move less frequently. Young adults, by contrast, may move much more often, since they tend to be renters and they will have fewer things grounding them. Those aged 18-30 may change jobs often, want to live with different combinations of friends, will move for college, and probably will not have a mortgage, marriage, or kids tying them down to one place. Once these things are in place, a person will move less often, and when they do make a local move, it will be a very deliberate choice.
The Process
Young or old, when a person is ready to move, there are some steps to follow. For one thing, a local move may call for trimming down the home inventory. The average American home has over 300,000 items in it, big and small, and even for households with smaller collections of items, giving away or throwing away excess items will make the move both faster and cheaper. The household’s members can gather all their items and put them into piles by category (rather than room of origin) to get a total inventory of what they have. For each pile, the family members can determine what they really want and need, and what can be discarded or donated. Unwanted clothes can be given to local charities, kids’ toys and furniture can be given to thrift stores and the like, and broken or damaged items can simply be discarded or recycled.
Close to moving day, right before a local move, the family can pack their items into boxes, sorted either by room or category, and a local moving company can be hired to lend their trucks, trailers, and crew members for help. A customer can contact several local companies and compare their rates, availability, and customer reviews to find the best company for the job, and the boxes of items and furniture pieces can be loaded into trucks or trailers, preferably packed tight so nothing falls over or scrapes against the others. Small businesses can make use of moving companies in much the same way, packing furniture and large devices like copiers, fax machines, and computers.