Long Distance Moving Tips

Long-distance moves differ from local ones since they usually fall 400+ miles away from your current home. For first-time movers, this is no doubt a big challenge considering you have little to no idea what to factor in your relocation plan to make it a success.

If you’re one of the many US residents rethinking where to live and considering a long-distance move, you’ve come to the right place. Our long-distance moving tips will acquaint you with the whole move phase so you avoid pitfalls and never have to spend unfruitful hours on a messy move.

1.   Pre-packing

As with any occasion or event, there’s always a preparation period when relocating. This period requires that you make plans, reservations, and schedules to make the relocation process possible.

1.1.Sketch Out Your Plan

Once you’ve made up your mind to change homes, the next step is to plan to get things sorted out. Don’t limit your plan to finding a new home or transporting your large furniture and home fixtures to the new place. In addition, make a plan that works for your kids, pets, family, utility, and every essential part of your daily life. This step helps you stay organized no matter the size of your move.

1.2.Engage Reputable Shippers

As soon as you have everything planned on your to-do list, find a moving company to cover your logistics. Every shipper won’t offer similar benefits nor do they have the same expertise, certification, insurance, and legitimate value. So, you need to engage a minimum of three relocation companies, compare their estimates, and research them before making any commitment.

1.3.Renew Essential Documents

Some documents, you just can’t leave without because they make your daily life convenient. So, if their legal value is limited, make sure you update them before D-day. These important documents you should consider updating include:

• Medical or veterinary records
• Driver’s license(s)
• Car registration(s)
• Insurance

2.   Packing

So, you’ve successfully completed the preparation stage. It’s time you start packing up for your relocation. Here are some useful moving long-distance tips to consider:

2.1.Pack with Your Essentials in Mind

Packing is no doubt the most tasking process in every long-haul move since you’re not just boxing a single room but the entire house. Due to how stressed this process leaves many first-time movers, they fail to remove certain items that will make staying the first few days in their new home convenient. Understand that no matter how well you arrange things to make them easily accessible when needed, the chances are that you’ll forget their placement pattern, and shippers might place the box in the wrong room. To avoid this, keep every essential item you may need days before and after the move close by – preferably, in a small carry-on bag.

2.2.Wrap Boxes Well for the Long Haul

A box is something you can’t do without since it serves as a compartment to house your homewares. However, you need to consider that you’re no longer changing homes to the next street or only 50miles away from your current place. You’re traveling further than 400miles; hence, the box you use, whether used or new, has to effectively hold the weight of each item to keep them safe. So, make sure you wrap the box well.

Use packing tape to hold the top and bottom openings and also on the edges of the box. Also, pad the box properly with packing paper to absorb shock and protect the items from bumpy impacts that will make them break.

2.3.Stay Organized

While you pack, make sure you pack by room. Avoid placing similar items in different rooms together because it might make unpacking twice stressful. Other ways to stay organized include:

• Toss away unnecessary items. Otherwise, donate or sell them.
• Label the boxes by room to know their content
• Pack fragile items in specialty boxes

2.4.Use Name Labels to Safeguard Your Valuable Items

Chances are that shippers will load the truck with several items from other people relocating to a similar region. The best way to avoid mix-ups is to write your name on every single box you intend to ship in a mover’s truck.

2.5.Get Creative to Save Cost

Whether or not you plan to move across the country on a budget, it’s always ideal to save money where you can if the opportunity comes. If you have the chance to get free boxes from the grocery or hardware store or family, friends, and neighbors, seize such an opportunity. You never know how much money you can save when you score free stuff until you actually go shopping and get intimated by their actual price. Also, search through your wardrobe for items you can sell. Otherwise, use items you have at home rather than invest in moving supplies.

If you’re enlisted in the military, you can save money by making a DITY move, which allows you to keep the costs down by handling all the moving arrangements, such as shipping household goods and renting moving equipment.

3.   Move

After the packing, comes the move. Now, you probably have less than a week to prepare for the big day. Use these tips to help set your move straight.

3.1.Choose the Less Busy Seasons

Summer is usually the most active season for shippers. Hence, their price tends to be on the high side. Plus, renting a house at this time can be quite expensive. To keep costs at a minimum, it’s best to plan the relocation for the Fall, Winter, or Spring months. Also, ensure the scheduled date doesn’t fall during the weekend as they are often packed.

3.2.Check to Ensure Every Item is in Their Box

Before movers arrive, triple-check your property to ensure you’re not forgetting any item. And, once shippers successfully load each box in the truck, don’t forget to check again.

3.3.Reward Shippers

If you’re thinking of relocating anywhere in the US, especially Chicago, you want to consider offering rewards to your shippers. Chicago is a busy place, and all cross-country movers Chicago offers know this.

They also understand you’re trusting them with your valuables, so they make sure to safeguard them well. Once they’ve completed the job, whether loading or unloading boxes offer rewards like tips or refreshments to lift their spirit.

Conclusion

Moving is 100% stressful and sometimes doesn’t turn out as expected. But with proper preparation and armed with the right tips for moving long-distance, you’ll always make the game plan for the move successful.