May is NATIONAL MOVING MONTH and kicks off the busy moving season, with more than half of residential moves taking place between May 1 and September 1. Allied Van Lines, one of the largest household goods moving companies, ushered in the start of NATIONAL MOVING MONTH with some tips from recently-moved bloggers on how digital and mobile resources are changing the moving process.
"The moving experience has definitely gone digital," said Lesli Bertoli, vice president and general manager, Allied Van Lines. "Today, the first stage of the home buying process is done online in most situations, with families identifying potential residences, selecting neighborhoods and researching moving companies from their computer or mobile device."
According to the 2014 study by the National Association of Realtors, 92 percent of buyers use the Internet in their home buying search and 50 percent use a mobile site or app.
From Finding a Home to Finding New Friends
"In our last move, I easily spent 50 hours doing research online, using apps and websites like Zillow," said Trisha Haas, owner of the blog MomDot, who has moved five times during her adult life as part of a military household.
While online research is key, Haas says it doesn't replace the human experience. "At the end of the day, you still need to walk in the door and see the house, you need to walk the neighborhood and meet people."
In recent years, families have used the Internet to search home listings and get moving company quotes online, available at allied.com. The ability to do moving research online has been enhanced through mobile apps featuring reviews and geopositioning, like Yelp and AroundMe. "Finding a good restaurant or nearby dry cleaner is an important first step to feeling at home," says Paula Rollo, who blogs at Beautythroughimperfection.com.
Kristina Agar says that moving six times in eight years has sharpened her online and mobile research skills. "It goes beyond just finding the house," said Agar, who blogs at MovingMommy.com. "School district data, census data, and finding playgroups and classes for my young children were top on my priority list. Being able to research all of these ahead of time made our move less stressful."
Selling or donating large items before the move was another recommendation from our bloggers, and sites like Craigslist or Facebook swap groups are smart ways to sell your unneeded items. Donating items to charity – instead of paying to move items you no longer need – is another way to reduce costs and moving stress. Allied Van Lines has begun a new partnership with The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers to provide a simple way for families to donate to those in need and transform lives in their communities. To learn more, visit www.allied.com/partners/salvation-army.
Last piece of advice? "Make sure the neighborhood you move to has excellent internet service!" said Haas.
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