It’s my experience that people who are moving [1]come in three distinct varieties:
1. ‘We don’t need no stinkin’ plans’: These folks just kinda wish their move happens but put off planning til the day before moving day [2]. It never ends well.
2. ‘Please don’t scam me’: These folks are mostly concerned about finding a good moving company [3], but they don’t put much effort into the rest of their move. They don’t get scammed, but they don’t enjoy an efficient move.
3. ‘The Planners’: They plan every aspect of their move to the finest detail. These meticulous folks might be annoying to the less organized among us, but they get the job done.
I recently came across a book that would appeal to The Planners, as well as the ‘Please don’t scam me’ group (the non-planners will never be bothered with reading a book on relocation [4]).
Jodi Velazquez’ book Slick Move Guide [5]is a nice read because it doesn’t overwhelm you with tips and guidance, yet it gives you just enough information to help you succeed in every facet of your move.
Finding Movers: A comprehensive backgrounder on the moving industry, and how to go about finding moving companies [6] you can trust. Her ’25 Questions for the Moving Companies’ is particularly good.
I doubt many people will actually ask all 25, but even if you ask a majority of them, you’ll know a great deal about the company and it will help you make an informed decision. I also think it serves as a good checklist to use after you a choose a moving company [6], to ensure you’re aware of all the particulars of your move.
Packing: A lot of good tips, with ‘green-friendly’ advice specifically marked as such, with a ‘Things to Buy List’ that’s particularly thorough and helpful. There’s a wealth of information on how to pack a variety of different items.
There are also storage tips [7](which are useful because most moves involve storage), checklists to track your progress planning your move, a very helpful ’10 things to do before moving day,’ and a list of items to take care of at your new home.
What I like most about the book is that it includes real-life examples from the author’s move. That’s critical: it’s much easier to learn from someone else’s experience (both successes and failures), and in that, Velazquez’ book is a winner whether you’re moving, or know someone’s who’s moving.
Related Articles:
Our Readers’ Biggest Moving Challenge, and How They Tackled It [8]