What does a long distance move mean? It means traveling more than 400 miles away from the current place called home and starting a new home in an unfamiliar area. This feeling of unfamiliarity may feel overwhelming, but it won’t seem more frustrating than when every preparation, planning, and timing doesn’t go as planned. Fortunately, there are lots of experienced long distance moving companies who can help you out by sharing some of their tips and tricks:
Some local moves won’t require any planning or preparation process. Simply throwing in homewares in the moving van will be enough to get things to the new place in a short time. Then again, the difference between a local move and relocation several miles away from home is the distance. Long distance moves require adequate planning and preparation to successfully pull it off.
The moving long distance tips below
Explain what a proper preparation process should include.
1. Begin with a plan
Everything starts with a plan. Without a solid plan, the chances of a failed relocation are high. So, get a calendar, pen, and paper, schedule the relocation date, do a walk-through of the house, take inventory of homewares, create a to-do list, and put the plans into action.
2. Engage reputable shippers
Whether or not to use shippers will also be finalized in the planning process. If hiring shippers is an option, start looking for cheap movers near me.
Contact at least three relocation companies, request their free quotes then compare prices. Be sure to observe the estimates clearly to find traces of scam acts before hiring shippers. Also, ensure they are licensed, insured, have a professional accredited certificate, and have a legit address.
3. Update important information
Before anything, update documents like car registration, driver’s license, identification card, and other valuable documents.
Most states in the US function with these documents. Updating important documents will ensure convenience in a state that requires them.
Tips for packing up the house
Moving long distances also means packing household items rightly. No doubt, homeowners often have several delicate items they often wish to ship to the new house. Without packing tips to help out, it may be difficult to get everything right on the first try.
These long distance moving tips on packing the house for moving across the country will get every household item to the new place safely.
1. Prioritize carryon household essentials
Simply put, pack essential items first before any other thing.
Once the packing process begins in full swing, it will be difficult to get those essential items out of the way without getting annoyed; annoyance also means the possibility of forgetting something important.
Get the toiletries, change of clothes, books, beddings, towel, plates, spoons, and cups that will make staying within the messy cluttered space when packing up the house comfortable.
2. Keep distance in mind when packing boxes
Most people often forget that how sturdy the box is will determine how well household items survive on the long drive.
So, when buying boxes, get ones with tears or patches. Also, make sure that after placing household items in the box, there is no room for air gaps or empty spaces. If there is, use packing paper, soft towel, or linen to cover these spaces. Make sure to tape the box after stuffing them.
3. Pack in an organized way
Unpacking items in the box will be less stressful and time-consuming if people pack and don’t just throw things randomly inside the box. Instead, categorize boxes by room and sections. For instance, in the bedroom, pack bedding in a separate box, casual home wears in another, and office wears in another.
4. Use name labels on the box
Anyone hiring a shipping company may feel restless because they don’t know how safe their belongings are. That’s understandable because shipping companies often ship the belongings of different people together as long as the delivery destination is the same.
The best way to feel at ease is to scrawl personal initials or names on the box. This way, movers won’t mistakenly deliver someone else’s item to the wrong house.
5. Save money where possible
Moving is an expensive process. From hiring shippers to getting packing supplies, buying a house, transferring utilities and connectivity to paying for updates, it will always take sown amount of money away no matter the stage. Fortunately, there’s always a way to cut down on costs. Consider DIY routes for packing and unpacking services, downsize belongings and sell them. Also, consider getting free packing supplies if possible.
Tips for Moving
After the preparation and packing, comes the actual move. Before traveling miles away from the current house, some good moving tips to consider include:
1. Avoid summer months and weekends
These two periods are called the peak season. During this time, more than 50% of US residents are planning to change homes. For this reason, shippers will always be in high demand, and renters will often queue to get accommodations. So, prices will be high.
To stay on a budget, choose a moving date that does not fall within the summer months or on weekends. Also, consider a middle-of-the-month move since people are less likely to schedule relocation at that time
2. Triple-check packed boxes before the movers leave
No matter how careful one may be, there’s always a chance of something going unnoticed in one corner. So, before movers leave the house, go through the checklist and boxes to ensure everything is as it should be.
3. Tip long-distance movers
There’s no law against showing appreciation for people who have worked hard. Before movers leave the house, offer them some form of appreciation. It must not be in cash. Tipping could also be a casual thank you meal or drink.
Conclusion
Relocating across the state is stressful and filled with unknown results. Sometimes, the most detailed people even fail at it. Hopefully, these tips for moving long distance will take away the stress and possible mishaps that comes with long distance relocation.
Also read: Packing and Moving Tips: How to Make Relocating Less Stressful