How To Prepare for a Military Relocation
When serving in the military, you may receive a permanent change of station (PCS), which is essentially an order to relocate. A PCS can happen multiple times throughout your career, requiring you to relocate to a completely new area. There are many ways to make relocating easier for you and your family. Whether you have to make a last-minute move or have time to pack up your belongings, a military relocation can cause challenges.
To make the relocation process as smooth as possible, follow these tips. Moving is always stressful, but with this helpful advice you can make the process as easy as possible.
Tips To Prepare for a Military Relocation
Military Relocation Packing Tips
Whether this is your first military relocation or you have moved several times, packing is often a challenge. These tips can help to keep your belongings organized and safe during your move.
- Take pictures of the inside of boxes. A great way to ensure you know where everything is is to take pictures of the inside of a box. You can print the picture out and tape it to the box. When you’re unpacking, you can have a better idea of what is inside each box. Also, labeling the outside of the box can help you identify what’s inside.
- Get rid of items. Moving is a great reason to purge items you no longer use. If you realize that you haven’t used something in a few years, you shouldn’t take the energy to move it to a new place. You can get rid of belongings you no longer need or want by throwing them away or donating them.
- Start early. Hopefully, you will know about relocation well in advance. Once you find out, begin the packing process. The earlier you start, the less stress you will have as you get closer to the move. If you’re moving in the summer, packing winter items you won’t need is a great way to get started.
- Keep essentials with you. For the items you use every day, it’s best to keep them with you during the move. You can pack these items in a small box or a bag and keep them in your car. That way, you can find them easily when you get to the new place.
Military Relocation Moving Tips
There are a lot of factors that go into a successful moving day. Even the best planners can find moving days challenging. Fortunately, there are moving tips you can follow to help everything run as smoothly as possible.
- Book movers early. One of the most important aspects of a move is to find the right moving company. Many moving companies are booked out far in advance. Read reviews and do research on moving services, and book them as soon as you can to ensure you get top-quality movers.
- Have everything ready. When the movers arrive on moving day, make sure everything is packed and ready to go. Movers charge by the time they work, so if they have to wait for you to pack, you could waste money.
- Have extra moving supplies ready: If you end up needing more boxes than anticipated, it’s helpful to have extra moving supplies on hand. You won’t have to waste time going to the store to get more in the event you need more.
When the movers have packed everything up, do one last walk-through of your home to ensure you’re not leaving anything behind. Looking through all the drawers and cabinets one last time can give you the peace of mind that you brought all of your belongings with you.
Utilize a Self Storage Unit
A self storage unit can significantly improve the moving day process, especially if you aren’t sure how long you will stay at your new location. You can rent a storage unit to keep your belongings if you aren’t quite ready to move to the new home.
Benefits of using a self storage unit during a move include:
- You can move your items in multiple stages. If you’re able to make an early trip to your new city, you can bring an initial load of items with you to save time and money come moving day. Once you’ve moved into your new home, you can slowly move those items back into your home, or keep them in storage to save space.
- It encourages you to get organized. With more space and time, you can better organize your items.
- It’s a safe place to keep your belongings. Our storage units are equipped with security cameras so you enjoy the peace of mind that your belongings are safe while you store them.
Make Your Military Relocation Easier With Storage King USA
At Storage King USA, we have many self storage unit sizes so you can get the perfect amount of space you need for your move.
If you’ve found out about a military relocation, make your move easier by getting a self storage unit. We make it easy to find a self storage unit with easy payment options and accessibility features. Rent a storage unit online today!