If You Just Got Your Permanent Change of Station Orders, You Should Keep Reading
Did you know that peak move times for military families happen during PCS season? PCS stands for Permanent Change of Station, and between the months of May and August a lot of military families are receiving their PCS orders. If you find yourself in this situation, then it is important to know how best to handle your impending move to save you and your family time and money. Approximately 700,000 members of the military get reassigned each year, so there is a wealth of information available!
- Be prepared
- Make use of moving pods.
Whether you are moving long distance, or just across town, every family can benefit from having a comprehensive checklist. With so many things going on, it is easy to forget about those power tools that you have stored up in the attic, or that one closet that has all those empty boxes in it, but also that one box that contains your family heirlooms. Before you move, you can go through your house to declutter it, and also figure out what needs to go on your checklist.
The decluttering process is important, because it is easier to move the fewer unnecessary items that you have. It is also important to thoroughly research your moving company. Note that moving companies must provide liability coverage for what they transport. You should determine how much liability coverage is offered so that you do not duplicate any coverage, or fail to take any extra precautions.
The average family will need two pods storage containers to move all of their items. With pods moving is made easier because you can pack everything at your leisure. Any valuables should, however, be either carried with you, or sent ahead of time to your destination with shipment tracking. You should have each family member bring personal essentials with them in a suitcase if you are making a long distance move.
Additional tips for moving with pods include packing flat breakable items, such as mirrors and pictures, between the beams of the containers to protect them and save space. You should also mix together small and large boxes to efficiently fill a space. Saving all of your small boxes for the end will create a more difficult packing scenario.
A military move can be fairly stressful. Picking up your life and relocating is jarring, no matter what your profession. You can make the military move easier by being prepared, and following these tips for moving with pods.
These are good tips. We have moved two or three times now and it is always a total rat race.