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July 27, 2020

6 Tips on Successfully Preparing for Long-Distance Moves

Long-distance moves can create a lot of anxiety for households. While any move has a potential for stress, moving across the country to an unfamiliar place can be intimidating, if not altogether scary.

However, if you take the right steps to ensure a smooth and hassle-free move, it can do a lot to improve your peace of mind. Keep reading for our top six tips on moving out of state.

1. Start Packing and Organizing Early

Planning ahead is one of the best things you can do to minimize stress during long-distance moves. We recommend starting the packing process early, primarily with non-essential items. This includes things like:

Out-of-season clothes
Keepsake items
Spare bedroom items
Decor

This will also give you time for sorting personal items more efficiently to help your movers on moving day. Keep boxes for each room separately labeled and organized to keep things simple for both the packing and unpacking process.

2. Downsize

Even when hiring a moving company, it may be beneficial to downsize your belongings before long-distance moves.

Downsizing your belongings is something to consider even if the house you’re moving to is the same size or bigger. Your movers will spend more time loading up their trucks with items that you don’t truly need or want — that in itself can be costly. The mover may require a larger truck to accommodate all of your stuff if you don’t downsize, which will also be more costly.

Additionally, moving out of the state provides an excellent opportunity to start fresh. Why not take this time to purge your life of things that no longer hold any practical or sentimental value. Selling them online would be a great way to make some extra money for the move.

3. Get Protection for Your Possessions

One of the biggest concerns for people during long-distance moves concerns the safety and security of their possessions. Fortunately, moving companies specialize in prioritizing the protection of your items during the loading, hauling, and unloading process.

However, you can also opt for full-value or released-value protection plans. Ask your movers about the plans they offer.

4. Take Care of the Utilities

We also recommend taking care of the utilities well in advance of your move. You can’t shut off the power and water to your home before moving out, but schedule a termination date for those services for the day after you move.

Just as importantly, make sure your home in your new location has power and running water the day you move in. Schedule those services to be turned on the day before your move to be sure that there aren’t any glitches.

5. Change Your Mailing Address

When people move, one of the most common things they forget to do is change their mailing address. However, the process isn’t difficult, especially now that everything can be done online. There’s a minimal fee of just over a dollar to do it online, which also serves to ensure that the change is authentic and not fraudulent.

However, it’s also a good idea to contact companies from whom you receive important mail to inform them of your new address. Be sure to include insurance companies, bank and credit card companies, loan providers, and on-line shopping sites, to name a few.

6. Keep a Box of Essential Items Separate

Finally, a long-distance move leaves a lot of room for things to go wrong. Whether there’s a change of plans or unexpected stops, you should keep an extra box or bag with you at all times full of some essentials. This includes:

An additional change of clothes
Personal hygiene items
Food and water
Pet supplies (if traveling with pets)

While you should always hope for the best, you also need to plan for less-than-ideal circumstances.

Looking for More Information on Long Distance Moves?

Moving can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Make sure you plan ahead and do what you can to streamline and simplify your long-distance move. And if you need more help, we’re here for you.