Moving Home

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August 17, 2020

moving, hiring movers, moving companies, buying your first home, when to buy a home, home decor, handled home, handled movers review

I’m officially home! This summer has been a rough one. I had to be out of the rental I lived in for 4 years in May, despite having nowhere to go. And after two months of bouncing around from house to house, I’m finally home. You might remember my post about renting vs buying in Atlanta – with sky-high rents and taking a break from traveling, it wasn’t a tough decision to make: I decided to buy a condo.

Having been a renter for so many years, buying something scared me. I don’t want to have to deal with surprise expenses and tons of maintenance. I’m not a house person—I love buildings and that city feel—so I knew I wanted a condo, preferably a loft-style condo. The idea of having no yard and having the HOA deal with most things was super appealing to me. The more I researched, the more I realized that a new build would be perfect for me. I’m under warranty for everything, so that lower level of responsibility is as close as you can get to being a renter. I will be painting these cabinets white though.

moving, hiring movers, moving companies, buying your first home, when to buy a home, home decor, handled home, handled movers review

moving, hiring movers, moving companies, buying your first home, when to buy a home, home decor, handled home, handled movers review

And just like I want my home-owning experience to be hassle-free, I wanted my move to be hassle-free. Since I had two months in between homes, the last thing I wanted was to move twice. And where would I put my things in the meantime? I did a ton of research and considered PODS and similar companies, renting a truck and getting my own storage unit, or a combination. And then I came across Handled. They literally handle everything for you, and I couldn’t have dreamed of a better scenario.

I actually almost went with PODS until it fell through at the last minute and I was left scrambling for a solution. Then I discovered Handled via an Instagram ad. I got a quote within a couple minutes and had something booked and confirmed within the hour—just 48 hours before my move! My concierge was great and kept in contact with me throughout the whole process. Not only did they move everything for me, but they also stored it all. Then just a few days ago they moved it all back into my new home. It was so easy! The total cost was under $1000 (my services were comped in exchange for an Instagram post and images; a blog post was not even mentioned, so this is all just because I loved the experience!) and I didn’t have to do anything. I will say that they probably underestimated the job during the initial move out. We got double the guys for the move in and it went much more smoothly.

After it was all said and done, I did have a few little damages: a nicked table and bed, some really dirty couches and chairs, a broken lamp. I’m working with the claims department to see what they can do, so I’ll be sure to update this post once it’s all figured out. I didn’t expect everything to be perfect and I’d be perfectly happy if they just send someone out to clean the furniture as I don’t think it’s permanently ruined. Fingers crossed it all works out!

Update: They sent someone to come clean the couches! Unfortunately, the cleaners did a horrible job and I honestly think it looked worse after the “cleaning.” I communicated this to Handled and shared photos and they replaced my couch. I couldn’t be more pleased with the service!

Regardless of the hiccups, I am so overjoyed to finally be in my own home. The home buying process was actually not as bad as I expected and I’ll be sharing all the details in an upcoming post, so please ask any questions you’d like to see answered! And definitely expect a ton of home content. I can’t wait to make over that kitchen!

What’s your best moving hack?

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Photos by Ryan Carpenter.