Do you need tips for moving across the country?
Planning a move can be extremely stressful no matter the distance, especially when your family or career is involved. However, moving across the country also requires extra planning that can often be overlooked. Unlike moving a short distance, it’s much harder to resolve issues at an old location if you’re on the other side of the country.
To help you, we’ve put together an extensive guide with all of the most practical tips for moving across the country. When you’re ready, we’ll guide you through the entire process.
Read on to start planning your move with these tips!
1. Create a Budget
When planning a long-distance move, one of the most important things to do is set a budget. Doing so will ensure you have enough to move everything without any issues.
Determining the moving cost and an appropriate budget will vary depending on the services you need and your financial situation. If you’re planning to move in several months, you’ll have enough time to research options and save money. Yet, a relatively last-minute move can be harder to manage.
Keep in mind in order to use the best services, you may need to spend more. However, if you don’t plan on taking many things, you may not need much money.
2. Sell and Donate Unwanted Items
Regardless of the reason for your move, you should look at all of your belongings and determine whether some of them can be given away. If you’ve been at your property for several years, there’s a good chance you have things stored you’ve completely forgotten about.
Instead of throwing unwanted items away, try to sell them in a yard/garage sale or on the internet. This will give you some extra spending money to fund the move.
If you already have a solid budget and want to save time, you can look for places to donate your items. For example, Salvation Army and Goodwill are great places to donate clothing, household goods, toys, and other small items.
3. Pack Efficiently
Packing efficiently is necessary if you want to make your move simple while saving money. Fortunately, various types of packing materials can help you take up as little space as possible and protect your belongings.
It’s best to organize everything into categories to make the most out of your boxes. For example, you can pack all of your clothes into one box and kitchenware into another. You should also label each box so you know which ones are fragile.
When it’s time to load everything into a truck, you can place the fragile boxes on top of everything to prevent their contents from breaking. However, if you have a plethora of fragile items, it may be best to take them in a separate vehicle.
4. Clean Your Property
You should never leave your old property without cleaning it, especially if you rent it. If you don’t clean it and the lease agreement states you must, the landlord may charge you.
If you own the property and plan on selling it, cleaning it when you move is a great way to prepare it for a quick sale. As soon as you leave the property, your agent can start meeting with potential buyers and show them the interior.
If your budget allows for it, you should hire professional cleaning services to ensure the home gets cleaned properly. Take your time to choose the right cleaner, and make sure all of your belongings are out of the home beforehand. This will also be a great time to double-check whether you left something behind.
5. Consider Transportation
One of the most common problems people face when moving is figuring out how they’ll transport everything. Aside from that, it’s necessary to consider how you’ll get to the new property.
A simple method you can use is renting a large truck and having another person drive your regular vehicle. However, if you aren’t moving many items, it may not be necessary to rent anything.
Depending on where you’re located and where your new property is, you may also transport everything via boat. Many people choose to do this when land transportation would take too long.
6. Hire Reliable Movers
Should you decide to hire professional movers, you must ensure they’re reliable. You can do this by reading customer reviews, speaking with several companies, and comparing rates.
If you don’t hire reliable movers, you’ll have no way of knowing whether your belongings will get to your new property. You may also end up paying too much for lacklustre service.
Fortunately, Parkview Moving Co. can take care of everything for you at an affordable rate.
We understand that travelling across Canada can be challenging, but our long-distance moving services can help you. Whether you’re moving to the other side of Canada or the US, we can ensure your belongings get to your new property safely.
With a flexible budget, you can use our services and take a flight to your new city, which will guarantee you can get things organized quickly. Even if you plan on driving but don’t have much space in your vehicle, we’ll help you figure out what your best option is.
7. Rent a Storage Unit
If you think you’ll need to take several trips or must leave your property soon, you should consider renting a storage unit. Doing so will give you time to organize things without having to worry about where you’ll store everything.
You can find storage units of all sizes in many cities, and the rates vary depending on size, location, and how long you’ll rent.
Consider the number of items you’ll take and visit a few storage units in your area. If you intend to store everything while transitioning to the new property, ensure you get a larger unit. While this may cost you more money, it’ll prevent you from having to find another area to store things.
8. Research the New Area
It’s never a bad idea to research the area you’re moving to, but it’s more important than ever when moving across the country. If you’ve never been there before, you’ll experience an entirely new culture that may shock you.
Some of the main things you’ll want to learn about are local attractions, businesses, and the cost of things. If you don’t already have a job, you should also start looking for opportunities immediately. All of this will make entering the community much easier, and you’ll be able to make better decisions for your family.
9. Separate Documents
While you may have a plethora of important things to store, keeping your documents separate from everything is essential. Things like passports, birth certificates, vehicle information, legal documents, and financial records should all be stored in a separate folder or small box.
When travelling, you should keep these with you at all times. For example, if you hire a moving service, ensure you take the documents with you instead of storing them in the service’s vehicle. If you lose anything, you may end up spending a ton of time and money to get it back.
For further security and better storage, consider buying a small briefcase. This will make travelling with them easier, and the briefcase will be much harder to lose than a folder.
10. Plan Early
The last tip we’ll give you is one of the most important ones: the earlier you plan, the better your move will be.
Some people may deal with last-minute moves due to a variety of reasons. However, most know several months in advance they’ll be moving. When you decide to move across the country, you’ll need to start planning things from that very moment.
Planning early not only gives you enough time to handle things accordingly, but you’ll also save yourself a ton of stress. You’ll have more time to save money, find reliable movers, research the area you’ll move to, clean your home, and pack things.
If your move is last-minute, you should prioritize figuring out how to fund it. After that, start packing and hire a moving service.
Use These Tips for Moving Across the Country Today
Now that you know about the most practical tips for moving across the country, it’s time to put them into practice. Regardless of where you’re moving to, all of these tips will help you make the process seamless and you’ll feel at home quicker.
When you’re ready to start planning, create a moving checklist based on these tips for moving across the country. Afterwards, you can hire Parkview Moving Co. to care for your storage and transportation needs.
We provide assistance to Canadians who want to move anywhere in Canada and the United States, so your location isn’t a concern. Even if you have a tight budget, we can offer you an affordable service that will make your move easier.
So, are you ready to start this new journey? Contact us to find out how we can help you today. We’ll be glad to answer all of your questions!
