When many people hear that they’ve been given relocation benefits, they imagine that they’ll get a moving truck and perhaps some help in finding a place to live in their new home. But in many cases, your benefits will go far beyond that. Here are a few things to look out for when looking through your relocation package.

Scouting Your New City: If you’re moving to a new city, it helps to know something about the area before you purchase or rent a new home. Without spending time in the city beforehand, it’s difficult to determine what neighborhood is right for you and your family. Some relocation packages offer a paid trip to your new city so that you can look for a new home in person before you decide to move.

Temporary Housing: What happens if you find the home of you dreams, but it won’t be available before you need to move for your job? Sometimes, companies will include an allowance for temporary housing that can be used until you have a more permanent residence to live in.

Premium Moving Services: Depending on what your new employer is willing to splurge for, you might find that you don’t have to do nearly as much work during the moving process as you might have expected. In many cases, you’ll be entitled to utilize packing and unpacking services with the moving company that has been hired. Your employer may also cover the cost of moving one or more of your vehicles to the new city.

Moving Out: While moving to your new home can be costly without help, it’s also true that there are expenses tied to leaving your old home. If you owned a house, many companies are willing to help pay the feels associated with selling that home. If you renter and are required to break a lease in order to move, it’s likely that your employer will cover those costs as well.

In addition to these common benefits, there are numerous miscellaneous extras that a new employer might add in to help make your move a little easier. For instance, they might be able to help with child care during the move, or help your spouse find a job in the new city. If there’s something that would be of particular help to you, don’t be afraid to ask a new employer – they’ll often be willing to help you out to ensure you’ll join them, especially if the request won’t cost them an exorbitant amount of money.

But what happens when you have an extra car to transport, or you feel the need to self-move your belongings and plan to take a moving van? In these cases, it may be a pain to drive your car, motorcycle, or other vehicle to your new location. This is especially true when it’s a long trip, in which case drafting a friend or relative to drive your car might not be a reasonable solution.

This is one area in which your moving company is likely to be able to help you out. Some moving companies personally have services to help with the vehicle moving process. If they don’t, most moving companies will still have partnerships with other groups that can handle transporting a car to your new home. Regardless of the specifics, though, you’ll need to be diligent to make sure you get the best service possible.

In most cases, your moving service will present you with a number of bids from competing companies who will be welcome to transport your vehicle. While it’s tempting to simply choose the lowest bid, this might not be the right solution depending on your needs. You’ll want to see what the various bids offer in several areas, including:

Insurance: What kind of damage will be covered by the vehicle hauler? In many cases, while major damage is covered, small dings and scratches may not be.

Open or Closed: One way to lessen the probability of suffering damage of any type is by using an enclosed vehicle moving service. These enclosed trailers offer protection from the elements, but comes at an added cost. Using an open car carrier is a significantly less expensive option, and is definitely the most common way to transport a car.

Level of Service: If you want to make sure your car arrives by a certain date, you can spring for a full service option that guarantees your car is shipped when you want it. To save a few dollars, though, you can choose an economy option that will ship your car when space becomes available.

Finally, if you’re moving to a city such as Calgary and bringing your car will be expensive, it’s worth at least considering selling your car. If you plan to live and work in the city, you may be able to rely on public transportation. This is an especially palatable option if your family has multiple cars: in a city, just one vehicle may be more than enough for your needs.

But in all of that excitement, it’s easy to forget that you’ll also be leaving your own home – and if you owned your own place, that means you’ll now be selling it. Getting a little extra value out of your former home can help make the transition to your new home a lot more comfortable, so it’s important to take steps to make your home as inviting as possible before you sell. Of course, it can be hard to do that when you’re busy planning a move, but that doesn’t mean you just have to hope for the best. Here are a few tips to improving the value of your home quickly and easily.

First Impressions: Make sure everything in the home’s entrance is up to snuff before you start bringing in potential buyers. Is the front door chipped and faded? Give it a quick paint job to make it seem fresh and new. If you have a porch, make sure any furniture there is in good condition, and that you aren’t storing junk or other items out there. And it should go without saying that you’ll want to make sure you keep your lawn neatly mowed throughout the whole sale process.

Make Room: One place where you can impress potential buyers is in the amount of storage space your home contains in attics, basements, and garages. There’s only one problem: you’re probably already using that space yourself, which can leave the impression that these areas are smaller than they actually are. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to start clearing them out even before you start bringing in prospective buyers. We’ve talked before about the importance of holding garage sales or giving things away to friends, family or charities in order to make your move easier – this is just another reason to start the process of beginning to pare down your belongings a little earlier.

Let There Be Light: Even if your potential buyers aren’t afraid of the dark, the best features of your home are almost certain to look better in the light of day. Make sure they all of your lighting fixtures are in working order. If there are areas of your home where a little extra lighting might highlight the size of a room or some beneficial feature, don’t be afraid to throw an extra light source in that room, either. Finally, keep those blinds and shades open to let in as much natural light as possible, too.

In some cases, you might be lucky enough to have an employer willing to foot the bill for your relocation. However, if that’s not the case, there are still a number of tips you can use to cut down on your expenses during the moving process. Here are a few easy ways to save a few dollars when you move:

• Check the Fine Print: We’ve talked before about the importance of doing your research when choosing a moving company. However, even if you find a company with an excellent reputation and a reasonable price, there may be hidden charges that can quickly increase the cost of your bill. Check for charges based on how difficult (or far) it is to get from the moving truck to your home, extra fees for heavy items, or higher rates if specialists are needed for special jobs such as disassembling furnishings.
• Be Careful With Your Old Home: One expense that is easily avoidable is a bill for damage done to your old home. If you’ve sold your old home and then create noticeable damage while on your way out, the new owners may ask for money back as compensation. If you rented your previous home, the landlord could hold part or all of your security deposit in response to discovering damage to your unit.
• Consider a Self Move: If you think you can handle your move without professional help, this can be a great way to save some money. Storage pods and rental trucks are almost always cheaper than hiring a moving service, though you’ll have to weigh that against the possibility that your move might feel even more stressful if you have to go it on your own.
• Check Your Insurance: As a precaution, it’s always best to make sure you have insurance coverage for every part of your move. Make sure you purchase insurance that covers any of your belongings that may be damaged in transit. In addition, if you are driving a moving vehicle yourself, make sure you have auto insurance that covers these vehicles (this can usually be purchased from the rental company).

Obviously, trying to compare all of these different neighborhoods would be nearly impossible, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a better idea of what’s out there. The following is a quick look at a few popular communities that should give you a fairly good idea of what’s available in the Calgary area.

Brentwood

In Calgary’s northwest, Brentwood is a university area that’s close to the University of Calgary and a handful of other colleges. This gives the Brentwood area a mixture of single family homes and apartments, with most of the apartments usually being occupied by students attending one of the area schools. Brentwood is also a great home for those who like a view, as the neighborhood overlooks downtown Calgary.

Bridgeland & Riverside

If you’re looking to be right in the heart of Calgary’s history, you can’t beat the Bridgeland & Riverside area. Historically, this has been the home for many of Calgary’s large immigrant populations, and now features a multi-cultural community that sits just to the northeast of downtown. If you enjoy going out to eat on a regular basis, this area of the city also features numerous international restaurants.

Elbow Park

Want to live in an old neighborhood with large, beautiful homes? If so, Elbow Park is a great choice for those willing to spend what it takes to get into this pricy area. Located south of downtown Calgary, Elbow Park features all of the amenities you’d expect from an upscale community, including art galleries, restaurants, good schools and plenty of outdoor sporting opportunities.

McKenzie Towne

This area to the southeast of Calgary serves as something of an independent town within the city itself. This town has a variety of affording housing options, including both apartments and homes, and mainly appeals to younger residents.

Sunnyside

If you’re looking for a trendy inner-city area to move to, Sunnyside might be your best bet in Calgary. While houses here are a bit on the expensive side, it’s a popular area for renters as well. Sunnyside is also a central area for arts, education, restaurants and bars, helping make this a vibrant and exciting place to live for those new to the city.

But there’s still one more important step to take before you can truly say your move is completed: you need to unpack! While having a few pieces of furniture is enough to sit down and relax, your home won’t truly be your own as long as there’s a pile of packed boxes everywhere you look.

At first glance, unpacking can look like an endless task, especially if you’ve made a big move and there are half a dozen rooms or more to work through. It’s important to remember that the unpacking process doesn’t have to be completed quickly, though; think of it instead as a large number of smaller jobs, some of which should be done right away, and others that can wait for a later day.

The first boxes to unpack are those that contain items that are essential to the daily routines of you and your family. For instance, you’ll want to quickly unpack mattresses and blankets so that everyone will have a place to sleep on your first night in the new home. Note that this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have a complete bed to sleep in on that first night; if your beds need assembly and there just isn’t the time or space necessary to complete this right after a long and tiring move, just having a comfortable mattress and some pillows can be enough to give you a good night’s sleep.

Another critical area to unpack early on is your bathroom. Again, you don’t need every single item in your bathroom right away, but toiletries and essentials like toothbrushes and soaps should be among the very first items out of the boxes.

One often overlooked area is the kitchen. Unpacking just a few basic items so that a few staples can be cooked is a great idea, and the kitchen table might be one of the first areas you clear out. Having a place where everyone can sit together and eat or talk will help make the whole process go a lot more smoothly – even if you just order a pizza for dinner on that first night.

Once the essentials are unpacked, you can have fun choosing how to unpack the rest of your belongings over the next few days. You’ll have the freedom to lay out your new home in the manner you prefer and at your own pace, without any pressure to unpack the important items that you took care of on the first day.

How can having fewer things to pack actually cause more problems? It can become an issue if you wish to use a professional moving service. Most moving companies charge customers based on the distance you are moving, the weight of your items, and the types of services you request. More importantly, these companies almost always have a minimum weight requirement, which can be a major headache if you have minimal belongings to move. Either you won’t be able to get service from these moving companies, of you’ll have to pay for the minimum weight they offer even if your items weigh much less.

This is where so-called “small movers” can come in handy. These companies exist to fill the gap between self-moving a few boxes in your own car and the more comprehensive large-scale services offered by traditional movers. Small movers will generally price your move based on the calculated weight of your items, giving you one simple, flat quote for everything you need shipped to your new home. While this rate is generally higher per pound than a traditional mover, this is easily made up for during small moves by the lack of a minimum weight.

Small movers generally have no trouble shipping items either short distances or internationally. There are numerous small movers who operate in Alberta, particularly in the Calgary area, as well as several national and international companies that can help you move between provinces and to (or from) the United States.

There are other uses for small movers, too. If you have a few unusual items that you’d like shipped separately (such as antiques or fragile valuables), you may have better luck shipping with a small mover than a general moving company. They can also be used to get the “moving service” treatment on what would normally be a standard shipping order; again, this can be a great alternative if you are shipping something valuable to a new location. Often, small movers offer some level of insurance on your items as part of their normal service, which can give you a little added piece of mind about your important items arriving safely at their destination.

1. Forgetting to Measure Doorways: This one is very easy to forget, yet extraordinarily frustrating if it affects you when you reach your new home. Make sure to figure out the measurements for all of the openings into your new home before you start packing. There’s nothing worse than taking a sofa to a new apartment or house and then finding out that there’s absolutely no way to get it into your living room. Taking measurements and figuring out what will fit into your new home will allow you to decide whether to pack or sell some of your larger items.
2. Not Accepting Free Stuff: Let’s face it – packing supplies can quickly get expensive. But why spend hundreds of dollars on boxes, crates, packing peanuts or special foam? You probably have a fair number of boxes in your current home, and your neighbors, friends, and family undoubtedly have plenty more they’ll be happy to throw your way. And there’s no reason to pay for specialty packing supplies when newspaper will usually work just fine for insulating and protecting your fragile goods.
3. Taking Your Movers for Granted: Your move is a busy and stressful experience, so it’s easy to overlook the people who are helping you get to your new home. Make sure to provide refreshments for your movers, regardless of whether it’s your family helping you or a professional moving service. If it’s the latter, make sure to give them a tip at the end, too. The nicer you treat your movers, the nicer they’ll treat your belongings!
4. Picking the Wrong Boxes for the Wrong Items: Here’s a quick tip that’s invaluable to keeping boxes safely packed. The heavier the item, the smaller the box you should try to put it in. It is fine to pack lots of light items in a large box, but even a single heavy item could cause a bigger box to split open (or make it extremely difficult to carry).
5. Being Careless with Paperwork: You should always keep a copy of your contract with your movers handy. This contract, known in Canada (and the United States) as the bill of lading, will outline what is expected of the movers and the cost of all services they’ll be providing. Having this around will prevent any unexpected disputes from arising during the move.

Depending on the circumstances of your move, the best type of temporary housing for you or your family might vary. The most critical factor in your decision is likely to be the length of time you’ll need to stay in the temporary housing.

For instance, if you’ll need a place to list for several months, you’ll probably be best suited by finding an apartment to rent in the area in which you’ll be moving. Conversely, this would be a silly choice for a situation in which you’ll only need to cover a few days before you can move into your new home; in that case, simply getting a hotel room is probably the way to go. For temporary housing that needs to last a few weeks, an extended-stay hotel room might be a good compromise.

Regardless of which of these options is best for you, there are a number of different questions you’ll want to consider before choosing your temporary housing. The following checklist should help you tie up all of the loose ends involved in the temporary housing process.

• Location: Where do you need your housing to be located? If you’ll need to commute to work during your stay in temporary housing, you’ll likely want to be near public transportation or your offices. If you have children and your temporary stay will be for a significant length of time, you’ll probably want to be near a school they can attend. Most cities will have resources that allow you to locate local schools; for instance, the Calgary Board of Education maintains a website that maps out the schools throughout the city by area and grade level.
• Budget: Make sure to look into options that you can realistically afford, but don’t sell yourself short, especially if you’ll be spending more than a few days in your temporary residence. Also, if your move is work-related, check to see if your company offers moving assistance, as that might help cover your temporary housing expenses.
• Amenities: Is there anything you’ll need to have taken care of while you’re in your temporary housing? Common needs to consider include laundry, day care services, or full kitchens that will allow you to cook meals. Keep in mind that hotels are more likely to offer “free” amenities like housekeeping and cable television, while longer-term solutions such as apartments are likely to come equipped with kitchens, but require you to pay for many other amenities.

In any of these situations, a self-storage unit can be the answer to all of your problems. There are likely to be several self-storage facilities near your current home (or in the area where you’ll be moving) that can help store your belongings until you’re ready to move them into a new house or apartment.

It can be difficult to choose between different self-storage companies, however, and many people make mistakes when packing their units. Here are a few tips that can guide you through the self-storage process:

- Get Details: When you first contact a self-storage company, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting. How large are the units? How much do they cost to rent? Will you have 24-hour access to your unit? Are there adequate safeguards against damage from water, heat and insects? Don’t choose a storage company until you feel comfortable with the answers to all of these questions.

- Pack Safely: If you’re filling a storage unit, it’s easy to just start stacking things from the floor to the ceiling until you’ve filled the entire space. This is especially common when packing more than one unit; many people will first fill a unit entirely, and then move on to the second storage space. Instead, be careful not to pack too high, where it could be difficult or dangerous to retrieve your boxes later. In addition, make sure there’s plenty of room to move around in the storage space so that you can easily get to individual boxes if you should need them.

- Label Everything: Speaking of getting to specific boxes, it’s important to label each box that you’re storing. However, simply marking each box isn’t enough; you’ll also need to ensure that all of the labels are facing outwards so that you can clearly read them.

- Check Your Locks: No matter how secure a storage yard may seem, the security is worth nothing if your individual unit can’t be properly locked. To ensure that you won’t be the victim of theft or vandalism, make sure that your locks are secure and that the storage unit closes tightly.