Ah the inter-city move; how I’ve nearly perfected you…
Last weekend, I successfully transplanted my life 3.5 kilometres away. This time the reason was not temporary or frivolous, but because I bought my own loft. A shoebox maybe, but a charming one in the heart of the city.
I realized that in five years since moving to the big city, I’ve had four different addresses! You could say that I’m acquainted with moving. But one of the things I’ve gotten better at is reducing the environmental impact of my move in three key areas:
Location
What’s the most important thing in real estate? Location, location, location! If you are moving within a city, take into consideration how close your new home is to where you work and play. If you can walk, bike, or take public transportation to work you may not need to own a car. Equally important is how close you are to parks and community centres, grocery stores and restaurants.
Home furnishings
Start by thinking about the things you want to sell, give away or acquire. I practically lived on craigslist to find the vintage teak furniture I was looking for. If you’re not into buying used, buy from local artisans and crafts people – especially ones who use reclaimed or sustainably harvested woods or other earth-friendly, low impact materials.
Transportation
Use online map programs to see the quickest route between you and the item you found on craigslist (see if you can coordinate pick up of all the items you want on the day you have a moving vehicle (e.g. a cargo van was sufficient for me)
Speaking of moving vehicles, I paid for my Autoshare cargo van by the hour and asked four friends to help me load & unload. The cost? $60 for a five hour rental including a trip to Scarborough to pick up furniture finds.
As I get settled into the new place, I continue to think about products and devices that will make my maintenance and repair work a little greener…more to come!
Resources:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites
http://maps.google.com/
http://www.autoshare.com
http://www.zipcar.com
