Planning a Move? Some Tips from the Folks at Sam A. Byers & Sons

Photo by Kim McKinney

I've been moving. I hate moving. There were so many things I did wrong in the process, but one thing I did that was so very right. I hired the folks at Sam A. Byers & Sons, of Troutman, NC, to help me out.

I chose the Byers to move me because they are one company I knew had moved many people (including my mother) and had never heard a negative comment. It's a family business that's been moving folks all over the country since 1935. They have a good reputation because they have worked for it.

Owner Helen Byers set up my move originally and when she talked to me on the day of my move I was panicking because I knew I did a poor job telling her what I needed, Her calm approach made me think everything just may turn out OK. The company tries to treat each customer as family, and I felt as though she cared for me as she found a solution. I felt the same from every person involved in my move.

Photo by Kim McKinney

I never used to think of myself as a packrat, but maybe that title applies. I wasn't ready for the show "Hoarders", but there were boxes I had never unpacked since I moved in. True confessions, some of those boxes may have been from the move before.

I've recently loosened my hold on "stuff" and found it much easier to get rid of things this time. I get paralyzed with the moving process, though, so it was a slow one. My wonderful friends helped, but when moving day came and I realized I had underestimated what a big job moving me was going to be.

Thanks to the professionalism of the folks at Byers, and a bit of luck when someone who had arranged for a move with them was already moved when they showed up (don't do that to a business, especially a small one!), I had a legion of professionals who encouraged and consoled me, but most of all got to work and got it done.

Photo by Kim McKinney

We talked during the day and I asked for some ideas from Helen Byers and Paxton Byers about the top mistakes most people make when we are making a move. I made a lot of these, even though they are common sense. I want you to do better.

1. Eliminate unused items before you move. The best part of moving is a chance to do a big decluttering and only move those things that you want in your new place. Getting rid of it sooner rather than later means you touch it fewer times. It will take less time to set up your new home. It also means your move will cost less because you will have less to move.
2. Don't forget to call the moving company in plenty of time to schedule your move, especially during busy times, such as the summer. If there is a specific date you need, secure that date before others do or you may add a lot of stress to your life. Moving companies have a limited number of trucks and personnel, and the best get booked early.
3. Let the movers know a description of the sites for the move on each end. Unexpected on-site revelations can make everyone's day difficult. Is there room for their truck to get in? Will they have to walk a long distance? Are there any obstacles that may make the move difficult (a small driveway, a lack of room for large vehicles to maneuver, street parking only, no parking close by, hills, gates, stairs)?
4. Remember everything else does not stop because you are moving. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare. As Paxton Byers says, "People forget life still happens." In the few weeks prior to my move I was out of town for a week and we unexoectedly put my mother in a memory care unit. Put extra time in your timetable for unanticipated events.
5. Pack well. Learn the right size box for the right items and pack it at an appropriate weight to allow movers to move you quickly, but also not suffer back injuries. For example, liquor boxes are very strong and often people want to use these for a lot of their items. Often the boxes are too small,though, resulting in way too many trips required by the movers. Conversely, some people pack large books in large boxes, making lifting difficult (and boxes potentially breaking). Make sure fragile items are packed with care so even if a box drops, they would be protected. (Consider transferring fragile and sentimental items yourself.)
6. Put up your animals before movers arrive. You may be used to dodging them, but they put additional stress on the movers.

Photo by Kim McKinney

A few hints from my own move.

• Start the decluttering process early and be ruthless. I started early, but not early enough. I donated many items, but towards the end too much went to the landfill that with more time I may have found a home.
• Move in plenty of time before your old house closes. My closing was scheduled four days later than the date we ended up closing. I had scheduled the Byers to move me a week before the original closing date, so I was able to agree to the earlier sale date (though having that full week would have been easier on me). If I had planned my move the day before the sale, it would have been impossible.
• Consider hiring a professional cleaner after you move out so things are ready for the new owners. Having moved into a house that had not been cleaned well after the prior owners moved out (their hair was in the shower drain, for example), I vowed I would never do that to anyone else. (Be kind.) After doing all of the things necessary to move, I was exhausted. Hiring someone else to clean meant I could meet my obligation to the new owners, yet not have that stress hanging over my head.

Photo by Kim McKinney

Moving will never be something I enjoy, but it's the way many of us progress to new dreams. Even in the midst of the pain (and for me it did seem painful), I knew it was the right thing for me to do. Now I am moved, and my house has been sold, there is a certain lightness. But there are also a lot of boxes for me to unpack.

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