Tips for Moving a Short Distance in Bradenton and Sarasota

Moving across town can't be that hard, right? There's no long plane ride or trek across state lines, but the misconception that a short-distance move is simple gets a lot of people in trouble. Even if you're only moving 10 or 20 miles, you should take the time to properly plan and execute your move to avoid potential disaster. Here are some tips to get you started:

Scale Down Possessions Before Packing

Even if you're not moving far away, toting those extra, unneeded items to your new home may mean you have to rent a larger moving truck and spend a lot of extra time packing. A few weeks before your moving day, start sorting through your items and getting rid of extras. If you haven't used something in over a year, chances are you don't need it. Donate, sell, or throw these items away rather than letting them complicate your move.

Consider Renting a Moving Truck

While you can save by using you own vehicle instead of a moving truck, there are items that just don't fit. Plus, you'll be pretty exhausted by the time you've taken several trips from your old apartment to your new one. Renting a moving truck for one day is well worth the cost since you can move everything—big and small—in a single trip.

Communicate with Landlords or Apartment Management

You don't want to get stuck sleeping on a friend's couch with a packed moving truck in the driveway because your move-out date was three days before your new apartment was ready. As soon as you know where you'll be moving, make plans with both of your landlords to ensure you can move out of one place and into the other on the same day. If possible, see if you can schedule your move-in date about a week before your move-out date to give you a little extra time to clean up your old space and settle into your new one.

Protect Items with Boxes and Packaging

It only takes one harsh tap on the brakes, and your boxes can go flying across the moving truck, and this can happen just as easily on a short drive than a long one. Even though you're only moving a few minutes away, take the time to pack everything well, using plenty of paper or bubble wrap for padding.

Choose Your Helpers Wisely

Having friends and relatives nearby to help you pack and unpack is certainly convenient, but if you have too many helpers, they might end up tripping over each other. Ask a few strong, responsible friends to help instead of extending the invitation to your whole network.

Do you have any additional short distance moving tips? Feel free to share them in the comments!