Are you gearing up to move to the lovely area of Knoxville, TN, in the near future? If yes, that’s a great choice! Knoxville is known for its superb southern food and as the Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains. We’re also known for our mighty University of Tennessee, one of the strongest sports universities in the US. (Go Vols!) Our beautifully renovated Downtown area is another excellent reason to live in Knoxville and offers many lovely shops and restaurants.
Of course, to take advantage of all these amenities, you need to get to Knoxville first. That means packing up your stuff, loading it on a truck, and moving it here, which is no small feat. To help you get through this busy, stress-inducing time, we gathered our tips for moving to Knoxville, TN, below. If making sure your upcoming move to Knoxville is a slam-dunk, read on!
Tip: Start Planning Early to Move to Knoxville, TN
Time flies, and when you’re planning a move, it seems to fly even faster. Moving to Knoxville is no different, so it’s essential you start sorting, planning, and packing early. Indeed, the earlier, the better when it comes to moving. So when moving day arrives, you won’t be running around like a crazed lunatic trying to get things done!
Tip: Pack Yourself to Save Money
Packing all your things into boxes is necessary when moving to Knoxville, TN, or, for that matter, anywhere. Of course, many people have a moving company pack everything, which can undoubtedly be a big plus. If you’re trying to save money, though, packing your things yourself is an excellent way to go. Below are some of the things that you should be able to easily and quickly pack on your own:
- Shoes
- Clothes
- Toys
- Linens like sheets, blankets, pillows, etc.
- Books
- Canned and dry food (unopened)
- Kitchen utensils
- Tools
- Sports Equipment
Tip: Find a Moving Company Near Knoxville, TN
If you plan to hire a moving company, getting between 3 and 4 estimates is important. The reason is to compare prices and choose the best one. Less than three estimates, and you won’t have enough to make a good comparison, but more than four could get confusing.
As with everything else when moving to Knoxville, TN, get those estimates as early as possible. That’s especially true if you’re moving in the summertime, a hectic time of year for most movers.
Pro Tip: Ask a moving salesperson you trust to compare your estimates with you in person. Their insight into the differences (and similarities) between them can be beneficial.
Tip: Gather Important Documents and Paperwork Together
Single, married with kids, or retired, everyone has documents and paperwork that are important in their life. Licenses, certifications, deeds, and more must be gathered up and kept together. That way, when you need one or more of them after your move, you’ll have them handy. Some of the most important documents to bring on your move to Knoxville, TN, include:
- School transcripts for high school or college
- Birth Certificates
- Car Titles
- Property Deeds
- Professional Licenses
- Medical and Dental Records
- Veterinary Records for your pets
- Retirement documents like 401(k) and others.
- Bank records
We recommend purchasing a lockable, waterproof, and fireproof container for your documents. Also, if possible, take them with you rather than letting the movers move them. (Movers occasionally lose things.)
Tip: Declutter Your Belongings Before Moving to Knoxville, TN
Moving is expensive, especially if you’re moving from out of state. Moving to the Knoxville, TN area is no different. So, unless you’re moving locally and doing it yourself, getting rid of stuff you don’t need, want, or use is vital. The reason why is simple; the less stuff you move, the less it will cost. That includes the cost of the boxes and packing material and the overall weight of all your things. Below are a few methods of paring down and only moving the stuff you genuinely need and want:
- Go through all your things and make three piles; keep, donate, and trash.
- You can pack the things you want to keep.
- You can donate things in the donate pile to local charities like Goodwill, your church, etc.
- The things you want to trash should be tossed or taken to your local recycling center or landfill.
- Sell more valuable items you don’t want on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
- Throw a garage sale to sell unwanted but usable stuff, but don’t expect to make much money.
Tip: Reserve a Storage Unit Before Moving to Knoxville, TN
If you don’t have a house or apartment yet, reserve a storage unit in Knoxville online. (It’s easy and fast, and there’s no deposit necessary.) When you arrive, you (or your movers) will be able to unload your thing directly into your storage unit. Then you can start house or apartment hunting while your stuff sits safely in storage. Need something right away? You can get into your storage unit whenever you like, no problem. One caveat: make sure anything you need is near the storage unit door and easily accessible. Otherwise, you’ll spend hours taking your things out and putting them back in again.
Here at iStorage, we have clean, safe, and affordable storage units in Knoxville, TN, ready for all your stuff. You can easily reserve one online before you arrive or rent one when you get here. You’ll find 24/7 security and our friendly on-site manager here too. If you have questions, you can also chat with us online at any time. Many new arrivals rent a storage unit so that they can take their time house-hunting. Other Knoxville residents use them for storing collections, antiques, supplies, and even cars and boats!
Whatever you need to store, big or small, iStorage can help. Contact us with any questions you might have and we’ll do our very best to help. Until then, we wish you a successful and stress-free move to Knoxville, TN. Once you’re settled in, we know you’re going to love it here, as we do too!