Are you preparing for a cross-country move and wonder what the best way to do it successfully is? Check out our article on the things to do before your big move to help answer all of your questions about an interstate relocation.
Relocating can have you experiencing both excitement and the feeling of being overwhelmed. More planning, preparation, and organization will help ease your transition when moving your life and belongings long-distance.
Read on to discover our tips to ensure a smooth and safe relocation!
1.Start Planning Early
Preparing and planning for your move is a crucial first step that we encourage you to take early to ensure your interstate move goes smoothly.
Long-distance relocation can be much more complicated than a local move. It takes a lot more time to plan and successfully execute such a big task.
Planning will ensure ample time to find reliable movers, create a timeline for packing, change your address, and arrange other services you and your family may need for the move.
If you’re unsure where to begin, start by decluttering your home of the items you no longer need or use. You can even start packing the belongings you don’t use every day!
Starting this process early on will significantly help you stay on track.
2.Find Reliable Movers
Any move is difficult to pull off by yourself, but for a cross-country move, we recommend hiring professionals.
Start your search for reliable movers months in advance. Why is this important?
Depending on what season you’re planning to relocate, moving companies are at times overbooked and your desired moving date unavailable. To secure your desired moving date, start your search early.
Our team at Zip Moving & Storage has years of moving experience. We understand the importance of finding a reliable company to move your belongings to your new home.
By starting early on this task, you will have time to compare potential companies, pricing, and services that suit your needs.
3.Consider Purchasing Moving Insurance
Moving insurance is something to consider when creating your moving budget. Insurance coverage, often referred to as valuation, takes into account how much value your belongings have in case they are damaged or lost during the relocation.
All moving companies must offer basic coverage or full value protection when relocating out of state.
If your items are valuable, you may want to pay an extra premium for third-party insurance, which offers more coverage for your belongings.
4.Forward Your Mail
In addition to sharing your new address with your friends and family, other institutions need to know by a specific date, especially if you’re moving cross country.
Forwarding your mailing address is a straightforward procedure. Simply go to USPS.com, fill out the mail forwarding form, and choose a date to start forwarding your mail.
Also, update your address with tax agencies, employers, and utility services.
5.Start Packing
If you decide to pack on your own, we recommend starting early. Your items will travel a great distance, so pack them properly in new, sturdy to ensure safe transportation.
Start packing room by room and label your boxes. Make the packing process more manageable by having a garage sale or donating items you don’t need.
Many moving companies offer professional packing services. The professional movers and packers know precisely how to pack your belongings and will save you tons of time.
Do not pack any valuables in the moving truck! You want to avoid your irreplaceable belongings being lost or damaged during the transition.
6.Moving With Children
Moving a long distance can be difficult for the whole family, especially the young ones. Relocating with children is a complicated process with many things to consider.
Check-in with your kids and talk to them often. Speak optimistically about the upcoming relocation, highlight the positive aspects, and reassure them that everything will be fine. The move is another exciting adventure for the whole family.
To choose the best schools for your children, start researching online and calling particular schools you’re interested in to ask the questions important to you. Make sure to involve your children in the entire process, to give them confidence and make them feel optimistic about the move.
7.Book plane tickets, organize transportation and a place to stay
Plan and arrange transportation to your new home ahead of time.
First, decide if you’ll be traveling by plane or with a vehicle.
CAR: If you are traveling by car, make sure it is serviced and ready to go before your trip. Book hotel rooms or an Airbnb if you are traveling by car because the drive will probably be a couple of days, and you’ll need a place to stay.
PLANE: Depending on the distance you are traveling, it might be easier to fly to your new destination. Research tickets and prices ahead of time, and discuss with your family to seek the best option.
8.Have A Family Meeting
With all the moving chaos, you still have your own lives to live and daily responsibilities like work and school. It’s good to get the whole family together and discuss moving details.
Get your checklist out, ensure that significant tasks have been completed, and assign the remaining tasks to each family member.
9.Day Before Moving
Get plenty of rest before the big moving day and stay hydrated. Whether traveling by plane or car, you’re traveling a long distance and need all the energy you can get. It may be the case you will need to adapt to different time zones.
Charge your phones, laptops, and tablets the night before.
As the moving day grows closer, the following tasks should be completed:
- Professional movers are booked, and the date is confirmed
- Each family member is assigned to declutter and pack a particular part of the home
- Your mail is forwarded to your new address
- You are staying on track with your moving budget
- Withdraw cash a day before the move
- Have all of your moving paperwork and necessary documentation organized
10.Moving Day
- Set up your alarm early – that way, you can wake up without rushing and welcome the movers.
- Moving paperwork – make sure to go over the paperwork with the movers and understand everything before the whole process begins.
- Overlook the operation – this will give you the feeling of control over your move.
- The last walkthrough – don’t forget to do one last walkthrough to make sure you didn’t forget anything.
In Conclusion
Moving cross country is an exciting adventure! However, it requires time and careful planning to have a successful move.
The expert movers at Zip Moving & Storage have thousands of long-distance moves under their belt and are happy to help you with your upcoming cross-country move. We hope this article helped plan your relocation. If you have any additional questions, you can always call our moving coordinator at 855-947-6543!
