This week I will be sharing some
tips on how to move into your first house/apartment cheaply and easily. Moving
is exciting, but can be very stressful so being smart about your move is very
important. I recently packed up all of my things into duffle bags and suitcases
and moved into an empty four-bedroom house on the opposite side of the country,
thousands of miles away from home. I had been planning the move for over six
months with hours of research and emailing, and still had unexpected kinks
arise. The key is to give yourself enough time in advance for these things to
happen, and for you to be able to change your mind if better things come along.
I had my heart set on about four different houses before I finally decided on
the house we live in now, and I am happy with my decision.
It also really helps to have some
sort of helper in the place you are moving to. I was very fortunate to have a
wonderful friend (thanks Charity!) to help me with things I was not able to do
myself in Arizona when I was still in New England. I also had some very nice
people help me that I am still yet to meet, that I got in touch with on the
military wives page here in Yuma. It is possible to do a move unseen, though a
lot of landlords are hesitant to rent to someone that hasn’t seen the property
until move-in.
When it comes to research and
actually finding a home in the place you will be moving to I highly suggest
utilizing more than one search engine in order to give yourself the most
variety possible, and find which one has the best fitting housing for you. I
used craigslist, Facebook renters and real estate pages, Zillow, Trulia, and
Military By Owner, when I was looking for a house, and found our current house
on a craigslist ad just a few weeks before I flew out to Arizona. You want to
make sure that have an idea what you are looking for in a home, whether you
want an apartment or a single family home, a condo, or even a home share. Think
about home many bedrooms and baths you will need, if you want a yard, and if
you want to be in a private neighborhood or just in a residential area. Your
list can be extensive as you would like when it comes to specific preferences,
mine was pretty long, though some things you will probably end up having to
negotiate on, because let’s face it, everywhere has its faults. A lot of real
estate search engines give you the option to narrow your search by preferences,
for example, number of bedrooms or baths, square footage, swimming pool on
site, or style of home (condo, apartment, house, trailer).
Once you have found a place you are
interested in you can then go ahead and contact the assigned agent. Be specific
and don’t hold back with your needs and abilities, you don’t want to waste your
time if they aren’t willing to work with you. It is a great feeling when you
find someone that has exactly what you are looking for, and is willing to help
you find a comfortable rate and lease period.
At this point all of the long hours
of research have finally paid off and you are ready to start the physical move.
Downsizing is key when moving. I gave away many things, and sold a lot as well,
which really was to my benefit, because I was freed from worrying about moving
furniture, and I made a little money to buy new things for my new home. I am a
very thrifty person so this was somewhat easy for me, but I can see how it can
be hard for others. Once we were physically in our new home we began searching
for new furnishings and supplies, but took our time doing so. This can be a
really fun part, but you should take your time doing so, because it can get
quite expensive. We either got our supplies and furnishings as gifts, or found
them second hand (and quite cheap), at thrift shops, and it has been so fun! Both
my husband and me are absolutely in love with second hand shops, something I
will get into at a later date, but it has really helped us stay in our budget
while making our house homey!
I hope this
was helpful! Leave a comment below with your experiences or tips on moving, I
would love to hear from you! Have a wonderful week!
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