Don’t Forget These Essential Tips for Moving Across the Country
Moving across the country, whether it’s for work or for a change of scenery, is a big deal! You are uprooting your entire life and starting over. While we know it’s likely to be a significant emotional overhaul, remember that it will also be a physical overhaul. one more thing , when you want move , always find san francisco Professional movers .
Long distance moves require a lot of planning, strategizing and flexibility. Even the best plans can go wrong, so that last one is critical. If this is your first time moving across the country, make sure you keep these essential tips in mind before you hit the ground running. Good luck!
Insure Your Items
The farther away you move, the more risk there will be for your items to be damaged or stolen. The best way to enjoy peace of mind while also protecting your belongings is to insure your items. While the professional movers will offer liability insurance to cover damage or theft on their watch, oftentimes there can be issues with covering the full cost or a disagreement as to what the damage costs are. Additionally, if you have valuable items like art, antiques or collectables, you will need specialty insurance based on the value of those items. In any case, it’s better to have your own insurance so you know exactly what you’re signing up for and what you can expect is any of your items are damaged or stolen.
Move During Off Season
Moving is an expensive job, and moving across the country often costs even more. Save yourself some money by moving during the off season. Peak moving season is between May and September, because school is out and families often decide to move during this window. Because the demand is higher, movers are busier so quotes usually reflect that.
If you’re moving for work, talk with your employer to find an appropriate time ti move to keep the costs down. If they are assisting with relocation expenses, then they may be keen to heed your advice.
Make Arrangements to Move Your Car
Your car needs to move too. But do you really want to drive it out yourself? If you are moving 2,000 miles, that may not sound too appealing. You do have other options. You can either pay to have it hauled, which can cost anything upwards of $800. You can also pay someone to drive it out for you. This job is appealing to those who want to see more of the United States whil they’re working. Pay for gas and make sure the car is serviced before departure, and you could have a win-win situation on your hands.
Be Realistic About What You Can Take
You’re not moving down the street -- you need to get everything to your new location in one shipment. This may sound overwhelming if you have a lot of stuff. But don’t stress out too much. This is an opportunity to get rid of items you keep holding on to for sentimental reasons (or plain laziness).
Take a look at your furniture and larger belongings. If you have been meaning to get a new sofa anyway, post it for sale and buy a new one when you arrive to your new home. Moving across the country is a fantastic opportunity to start fresh and ditch items you’ve been holding onto for years.
Create an Inventory of Your Belongings
Once you purge your home of all the stuff you labeled “no-go” then take an inventory of everything that is coming. An inventory allows you to double and triple check that your items are on the truck and packed safely for shipping.
Organize Belongings While Packing
The more intentional you are with packing, the easier time you will have when you need to unpack. Do your best to organize your belongings as you pack them. Keep your kitchen appliances together, for example. Wrap your silverware so they are easily identifiable and retrievable when you need them. Believe us, it’s a lot more satisfying to unpack organized boxes than it is to dump the contents of a junk drawer from the box to some other drawer. When you don’t organize beforehand, you’re only procrastinating. Help your future self out!
Pack For the Long Haul
Packing for long distance moves is a little different than packing for same-city moves. For one, your items are traveling a lot farther, which means there’s more jostling and potential for damage during transport. Make sure you wrap and protect your items securely before packing them. Even slight movement can cause something to break during transport. Remember, any trip across the country has more risk, so you want to prevent that risk as much as possible by packing well.
Label Your Boxes Appropriately
Don’t rely on your memory to know which boxes belong in the kitchen and which belong in the living room. Save yourself some time during the unpacking phase by labeling boxes by room and owner, if there are multiple people in your household. Make sure to also label boxes with hauling notes like “Fragile” or “This Side Up.”
Update Important Documents
If you’re moving out of state, that means some important documents -- like your ID, passport or health insurance cards -- need to be updated with the most current address. If you also receive most of your billing statements by mail, you will need to change your address on those as well. You can also switch to paperless billing to save yourself time in the future.
Check Outdoor Furniture and Appliances for Critters
Some states can be pretty strict about transport certain insects and animals across state lines. Check your outdoor furniture and appliances for spiders, insects and other critters that could cause you to get a fine if state employees find them as you cross state lines. Better to be safe than sorry.
Invest in Speciality Boxes
Some items are going to transport a lot easier if you invest in specialty boxes. For example, dishes can make it safely if you buy boxes with separators in them. Mattresses are also a great item to box up. Grab a mattress box to protect your mattress from grime, weather, and wear and tear during transport.
Make Sure Essentials Are Easily Accessible
It’s so easy to pack the stuff you use most often first, simply because it’s front of mind! But make sure you do the opposite. Pack the essentials last so they are the most accessible off the truck or in your vehicle. Only you know what those essentials are -- maybe it’s the coffee maker, or maybe it’s your desktop computer. Whatever it is, make sure it’s packed well but easily accessible for your arrival.
Leave Food and Liquids Behind
Sorry, but you’re going to have to go grocery shopping when you arrive at your new place. It’s a risk to bring food along for the ride, due to food decay and any bugs or critters that find their way on the truck. Even cans can be iffy, you don’t want to have a box drop and a can of beans explode all over your stuff. It’s a better call altogether to skip the food and donate to a food bank or give your canned goods to friends who can use them before you leave.
Quote Several Moving Companies
Don’t settle for the first moving company with the cheapest quote. There are a lot of details to consider when choosing a moving company for your long distance move, so make sure you vet their credibility by researching reviews and checking out their insurance and liability plans. Make sure to also ask about additional fees based on distance and weight of the truck.
Talk to Your Movers About The Delivery Window
When moving across the country, it’s nearly impossible for movers to predict the exact time they will arrive at your location. Between weather, traffic, and other unforeseen delays, it’s important that you remain flexible with your movers in terms of their arrival time. This is why professional movers provide a delivery window, so you can have a rough estimate of when they will arrive.
Tip Your Long Distance Movers
Your movers are travelling a long way to ensure your belongings arrive safely and on time. For such a service, it is common practice to tip your professional movers. Anywhere between $4-5 per hour per mover is standard. But of course, a tip is a tip, so however much you feel your professional movers deserve, that’s just fine!
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