How to Prepare for a Long-Distance Move

Whether moving to another country or across the state, it is always hectic and disruptive. From purging the whole house to packing, loading, and unloading belongings, a lot can create stress.

Among many moving-related troubles, one thought that distresses most people is whether their stuff will survive the move and reach the destination safely.

You can ensure the safety of your belongings and a hassle-free move by planning extensively and ahead of time. Secondly, you must execute the plan conscientiously and meet your timelines.

If you are about to make a long-distance move, this article can help you with this process by providing moving-related steps to prepare for a smooth long haul.

Consider the living cost

Living cost varies across different cities and states. For instance, the living cost in Phoenix is slightly lower than the state average and 4% higher than the national average, according to PayScale. Compared to cities like San Francisco, where the cost of living is 79% higher than the national average, Phoenix is very affordable.

Considering the living cost helps you plan when renting or buying a new house in a new city or spending on other stuff such as furnishings. It also lets you calculate how much you need to save before moving to the new place to meet your expenses in the initial days of a move. 

Hire a moving company

Moving over long distances becomes a troubling experience if you don’t hire a moving company. An experienced moving company knows all the ins and outs of moving your belongings safely over long distances. In cities like Pheonix, moving companies also ship your vehicles along with your stuff. Renowned and experienced long distance movers in Phoenix typically offer route planning, packing, loading and unloading, and other aspects of the moving process. As a result, even a long-distance move can become stress-free.

Research various moving companies.

When selecting a long-distance mover, compare the services, prices, experience, and customer reviews of several companies to select the most suitable one. We recommend contacting shortlisted moving companies at least one month before the departure date so you have enough time to select the right one.

You can ask these companies about the packing material they use to be confident about the safety of your belongings. Also, look at their license. A reputable moving company won’t hesitate to show you its credentials. You don’t want to work with a company that is professionally unqualified to do the job.

Besides checking the company’s license, you can visit their social media pages and look for previous customer experiences. A company with extensive positive feedback from previous customers is suitable to work with. Don’t work with a company with more negative reviews than positive ones.

Comprehensively researching a potential moving company is important to save yourself and your belongings from theft and damage.

Make a list of tasks and follow your schedule.

When moving your stuff over long distances, you must plan extensively to ensure that everything reaches the final destination safely. One way to keep track of everything you must accomplish before moving is to make a list of the tasks.

Alongside each activity, mention a potential deadline. This small but helpful step prevents you from forgetting important moving-related tasks and ensures everything is done on time. You can also set reminders on your phone.

Purge your house

The amount of stuff you move over long distances almost always directly affects the moving costs. Therefore, paying for moving things that will lie in a corner at your new place isn’t the best idea. Hence, purge and declutter your house before moving, and dispose of unwanted items.

If you are moving to a city with warm weather year-round, you will probably not need snow jackets, so it is useless to bring them over. Think the same way about other stuff in the house. Make arrangements for kitchen items you haven’t touched, electronics you don’t intend to use, furniture you cannot bring to the new place, etc.

You should get rid of books you don’t intend to read, as books can be very heavy when packed and carried. They are going to be heavy on your moving budget too.

Sell the extra stuff by organizing a yard sale. Or you can donate the unsellable items to a charity. Purging the house and removing the excess stuff saves a lot of time on packing and moving.

Use appropriate packing material.

Moving long distances means your stuff will remain on the truck for a few days. Therefore, use appropriate packing material such as special boxes, tapes, and wraps to prevent your belongings from getting damaged.

For wrapping fragile things such as decorative items, mirrors, etc., use towels, soft T-shirts, bubble cushioning rolls, and blankets.

Pack an open-first box.

When packing your stuff, keep in mind that you will not open all the boxes and arrange everything at its proper place as soon as you reach your new place. Unpacking and organizing stuff in the new house can take longer than packing. So, you must have a separate box that includes everything you might need during the first few days of reaching the new house.

Things to include in the open-first box are towels, bedding, a few pots and pans, etc. Also, make a suitcase that contains everyday use clothes, toiletries, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other personal items.

Make a list of the inventory.

You must know what you are shipping when moving things over long distances. Since you cannot remember everything down to the smallest items, make a detailed inventory of everything you are moving and keep it with you.

You can use an app or resort to the time-tested pen-and-paper method to comprehensively list everything you have packed in each box. This way, you won’t have to recall what you packed at the time of the move. You can simply tally the shipped items with your list and make a claim with the mover company if anything gets damaged or stolen during transit.

Conclusion

Making a long-distance move becomes extremely hectic if you don’t follow a plan. On top of that, it becomes risky if you are working with an inexperienced and incompetent professional moving company. On the contrary, activities like planning your move ahead of time, selecting a reliable moving company after proper research, buying moving insurance, and making a list of inventory can make even a long-distance go by smoothly.