Long Distance Moving Guide

The moment you realize you will have to move far away from home is a scary one. That place has been your humble abode for years, maybe even decades, and the prospect of calling a new city home seems like a nightmare. Then there are those who could hardly wait to start over, and wish to get this relocation done as soon as possible. No matter which group you belong to, you will need a long distance moving guide to help you prepare for what’s to come. And who better to help you survive this process than the best long distance movers around? At Best Cross Country Movers, we’ve combined our experience with extensive research, and we made sure our guide leaves no area uncovered. Let’s begin!

Start by creating a thorough plan

Surviving a long distance relocation will be a logistical nightmare. You will have to cram in a number of different tasks that need to be done, all the while making sure your daily life goes uninterrupted. It’s something that will be hard to achieve, but it can be easier if you make a good plan. Plan out the next few months down to the smallest details, and you will minimize the chance of failure.

However, a detailed and thorough plan will mean little to nothing if you don’t stick to it. There is a high probability that you will be tired and won’t feel like going out to buy packing supplies after the day at work you had. You will be tempted to skip it and deal with it the next day. And that’s when you’ll make an irreversible mistake.

Find good long distance movers as soon as you can

The moving industry is a lucrative one these days. In 2019 alone, the industry has garnered 12.6 billion in revenues. As much as 69.6% of that sum was earned on local and long distance moving services. Storage and warehousing brought in staggering 20.2%, packing services 7.5% and other moving services garnered as little as 2.7%. You can conclude that local and long distance movers Florida, New York, LA (insert any other place in the USA) are always busy and booked to the max. That’s why you don’t have the luxury of waiting for the last minute to book your mover. How does the process of finding a reputable long distance moving company work?

1. Start by sitting down at your computer and research the moving companies in your area.
2. Pay attention to their websites and the moving services they offer.
3. Make a short list of 3-5 candidates which seem to be satisfying all of your demands and contact them.
4. Request a moving quote for your particular situation.
5. Once you receive the quotes, compare them and choose the best option for you.

WARNING: The worst thing you can do is to choose the lowest estimate simply because that one is the cheapest. You are looking for an affordable moving company, but you are also looking for the one that will be able to meet all of the requirements. Look at both the price and at the services included in the price.

Moving insurance is a must on our long distance moving guide

You may be lucky enough to hire the best long distance movers North Carolina for your relocation to the other part of the state. And that will give your relocation a good chance for success, for sure. But not even the best of movers can promise that absolutely no harm will come to your items. That’s something impossible to guarantee as the road ahead is a long one, and plenty of unexpected things may happen. But you can do something about it and purchase moving insurance ahead of the move.

In essence, moving insurance guarantees that, even if some harm does come to your items, the insurer will reimburse the damage. How big of reimbursement you’ll get also depends on you. More precisely, it depends on whether you opt for Full Value Protection or Released Value Protection. Weigh out your options and decide what’s best for the wellbeing of your items.

Updating your documents is something you shouldn’t leave for the last moment

What type of a long distance relocation guide would this be if all we talked about were movers and their services? It’s time to mix it up and remind you that there’s one critical task to take care of in due time – updating your documents of importance. Every move, even if you are just moving next door, requires that you update your information in plenty of different places. Not only do your bank and employer need to know about your whereabouts, but you also need to switch utilities. You don’t want to pay for something you are not using, right?

But, things get even more complicated when moving long distance. In this instance, you might have to update your driver’s license and registration, which will take some time. Not to mention that it will be an additional hassle on top of everything else. But this is something you can’t ignore, and you must do it with plenty of time to spare. It’s a very important entry in our long distance moving guide, as you might need your vehicle to get you places right away!

Purge your home of all the unnecessary items

We all like to keep the items that remind us of better times. Like when you were 18, and you could fit into that incredibly tight prom dress. Or the football jacket that reminds you of your glory days. But when moving long distance, the truth is straightforward – the more items you bring, the more money you will have to pay. Oh, and the more headache you’ll have while packing and unpacking. So, it really is high time you stopped and let go of your sentimentality. It won’t do you any good during this complicated and time-consuming process.

Now, we won’t lie to you – decluttering your home will be one long and tedious process. Luckily, people all over the world have struggled with that same problem. That’s why, today, we have countless decluttering methods which will be able to help you purge your home. We present to you our three favorite ones:

1. The four box method – the fact that the simplest things are always the best ones can be seen through the four boxes method. You are supposed to take four boxes and label them with KEEP, THROW, DONATE, UNDECIDED. It’s pretty clear what needs to be done. But try to limit the number of items you keep – the point is to declutter.
2. Packing party – invite your friends over and pack up all of your things into boxes. Leave the boxes packed, and throughout the next few months, unpack things as you need them. All the items that were left unpacked should be thrown away. It’s clear you had no real need for them.
3. Minimalist game – throw away a number of items corresponding to the day of the month. For example, on the first day of the month, you will throw away one item, on the second two, and so on.

You can even earn a few bucks from decluttering

Our long distance moving guide can not only help you move to your new home hassle-free, but it can also help you make some money in the process. Organizing a yard sale is an excellent way to expand your relocation budget or earn some extra cash. And it never fails! It’s important to remember not to become greedy. It’s better to lower the price of an item and at least make some profit. There will be no profit if you throw the item away, which you’ll have to do once it doesn’t get sold.

Once your house is decluttered, make an inventory list

One can never underestimate the importance of a good inventory list when moving. Whether you hire long distance moving companies Texas or Idaho, the procedure will be the same. Your long distance movers will make an inventory list of their own. But, since it never hurts to be safe, you should make one yourself. Far be it that we are suggesting your movers will try to scam you on purpose. It’s just that movers are people as well, and they are not immune to mistakes. 

Moreover, once you take into consideration that as much as 20.1% of all relocations were long distance, it’s clear that your movers might make a mistake – they are overbooked and overworked. As always, local moves take the first spot with whooping 61.4%. Interstate relocations happen in precisely 15% of cases, while international moves are the least common ones – only 3.6%.

Consider the new layout of your home

What could be more exciting than decorating a brand new home? Consider this like your do-over to change all the things you didn’t like in your old house. And if you have a yard in your new home, the situation quickly becomes idyllic. But, now is the right time you started thinking about the finishing product and the look of your new home. You may think that the easiest thing will be to transfer all of your possessions and then just wing it. It won’t be! You will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of boxes, and you won’t have a clear image of the size of your rooms.

Of course, we are assuming you already went to see your new home at least once. If you haven’t, you must do it and take measures of the rooms and doorways. Imagine if you followed our long distance relocation guide to the smallest of details only to find out your furniture can’t fit through the doors at the new residence. It’s a nightmare to even think about it!

Think about renting a storage unit

Speaking of your new home, there is a real chance it won’t be able to fit all the items you own. If there is no option for you to leave them behind, you will need to look for a storage solution. The main question, though, will be whether to rent a long term storage unit or a short term one. Assess your needs and possibilities and make an informed decision.

Guide your kids through the process

Your little ones won’t benefit much from any guide for long distance moving. All they have to rely on will be you. Not only should you spend some time with them, but you should also be very understanding of what they’re going through. Don’t think of them as kids who know nothing. Think of them as your companions, and you should be honest with your helpers.

Moreover, don’t shut them out of the process. That’s when of the worst mistakes people make when moving with kids. No one is saying that you should burden them with packing and cleaning. But you should also let them help you out as much as it’s appropriate for their age. Let your kids at least lend you a hand with their toys and bedding. Both parties will be able to profit from that.

And make sure you choose a good school for them

There is a reason why a long distance move with a baby/toddler or a school-aged child is considered to be the most difficult one. As a parent, you are programmed to worry about your little ones at all times. And receiving an excellent education that will open up many doors for them is your primary concern. For that reason, a long distance relocation guide simply couldn’t be complete had it not included finding a good school. The best thing would be if you already bought a house in a good school district. But even if you didn’t, not everything is lost. With good grades your kid must have, he or she will be a shoo-in wherever they apply.

Let’s briefly take a little detour…

The joys of having a long distance moving guide are in it giving you all the information you need about this process. In case you have yet to decide which place to call home, perhaps some data on the locations Americans are usually moving to could be of help! 

Top 10 States Americans are moving to

1. Idaho
2. Nevada
3. Arizona
4. Oregon
5. Montana
6. South Dakota
7. North Carolina
8. Vermont
9. Florida
10. Colorado

Top 10 States Americans are leaving

1. Illinois
2. Alaska
3. New Jersey
4. New York
5. West Virginia
6. North Dakota
7. Connecticut
8. Kansas
9. Pennsylvania
10. Maryland

Take into consideration that there must be a good reason for this trend. People aren’t too keen on leaving something that’s great and vice versa. Of course, there are exceptions, and you just might be one!

No long distance moving guide would be complete without packing

How tedious and tiresome the prospect of packing is! Who loves the thought of packing all of your belongings, down to the last pen you own, only to unpack it all again days later? In case you didn’t opt for packing services, where you would have pros do it for you, you are now in front of a very tough mission. But nothing is too difficult or impossible when you have the right help by your side.

Have a clear purpose

The worst thing you can do is frantically start putting your items inside boxes. Packing is a discipline and, as such, requires a systematized approach. All the professionals suggest that you begin by choosing one room as the first place to pack. If you wish to get the worst one out of the way first, start with the kitchen. Those who’ve composed this guide for long distance moving know what a hassle packing a kitchen is.

Use only high-quality packing materials

Local moves are expensive – but long distance relocation is something else entirely. It will seem like every move you make will demand of you to spend cash. And cash will undoubtedly be one thing you will lack during these moments. While we’re always the first ones to suggest being frugal and saving, don’t even think about doing it when it comes to the packing materials you’ll use. All it takes is one box to rip open and to leave your fragile items scattered and broken on the ground.

Also, don’t save on the quantity. You will need packing materials in spades. Let’s be honest – an item can never be too safely wrapped, but the opposite could easily happen.

Always label your boxes

Step by step, and we got to the end of our long distance moving guide. All that’s left now is to marvel at your neatly packed boxes and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. But before you start loading up the moving truck, remember to label your boxes. That’s especially important for the boxes carrying fragile items. Everyone involved in your move should know that they should treat that box with care.

Pro tip: never mark a box that is carrying valuable items by writing VALUABLE on it. That’s like an open invitation for theft, and you are and should be smarter than that.

Don’t forget to relax and enjoy the moment!

That is not exactly a part of our long distance moving guide that covers all the upcoming tasks. But it might just as well be the most important part. Moving is a complex process, and it’s one that will take a lot of your energy. In all that chaos, it’s very easy to forget one thing – you are making a considerable change and getting a chance to start over! Usually, that’s something people would be happy about!

What relaxes you? Is it a long walk on the beach? Are you reading a book next to a fireplace? Candlelit dinners prepared by you? Whatever it is that makes your heart and soul feel happy; you should do it during this period of time. Whether local or long distance, residential moving will turn into a bad experience if you don’t channel all that stress and frustration you are feeling. And with our years of experience, we are positive you are and will be stressed. Don’t let it build up and you and everyone around you will survive this long distance move.

Follow our long distance relocation guide and have a seamless transition to your new home

We’ve given the best tips we have collected over the years and composed them into a long distance moving guide. We hope our experience will be able to help plenty of people out there who are worried about the outcome of their impending move. Follow our tips, have some faith in us and what you’re doing, and we promise everything will don’t out just fine. Of course, follow each step, as otherwise, we can’t guarantee you will have success. But, most importantly, don’t forget to have some fun in the process. Don’t let the stress of the whole ordeal get to you and ruin your new beginning. That’s solely up to you!