If you're moving from one part of the country to another, it's as good as building a whole new life from scratch. Getting settled into your new home is not easy and can take plenty of time and effort. But with proper planning, the move can be smooth and seamless. Today, we've put together a series of moving across the country tips that will make the journey a complete breeze.
1. Plan from origin to destination
Where are you starting from, and where do you end up? Do you have a home sorted? Are you staying in a hotel or crashing on a relative's couch for a while? How is your luggage arriving? How about your furniture? Planning the shift from A-Z helps you answer or figure out solutions to all these nitty gritties.
Include finances in your pre-move planning, too! An extra financial cushion can make a big difference when you're in a new city. Adjusting to the new home, lifestyle, food, climate, and community can take a chunk out of your pocket until you settle in your financial sweet spot. Have a rainy day backup fund you can rely on to tide you through the change.
2. Consider a self-storage facility
One of the best moving-across-country tips we can offer is to look into self-storage facilities in your destination city. Sometimes you find that there's no obvious place to store certain items when you arrive. Therefore, it can be truly convenient to stash some boxes—or bulkier furniture items or things like bicycles, kayaks, etc.—in a climate-controlled self-storage unit. Self-storage units are available in most cities and are of great value.
3. Use a moving checklist
Packers and movers are professionals at getting your things from place to place easily, but that is no substitute for your own personal inventory. When you inventory, you can even plan how best to transport them and let them arrive in stages of your convenience. You can use this very list of moving-across-country tips to craft your own customized checklist!
4. Transfer your utilities
This is one of the most commonly missed steps. You move house but don't shift your bank, gas, electricity, and gym memberships — and end up double-billed. Not sorting out utilities can drain your funds, so make sure you disconnect and transfer your accounts when planning your move. This is one of those steps that takes very little time but avoids serious headaches later.
5. Donate/discard/clean out non-essentials before the move
Most people underestimate how much stuff they have unless they are hardcore minimalists. And most of it consists of things they no longer use! Before you move, make sure you clean the house first. Pull out everything you no longer need and can leave behind. Have a yard sale, or donate them. You travel lighter, and your budget and community will thank you for it.
6. Work with the movers — make use of professional help
From unplugging and disassembling things systematically to safely packing and securing them, packers and movers are professionals in what they do. Do your planning but rely on their expertise as well. By inventorying things in advance, you can devise a cost-effective plan and decide what you want your packers and movers to take charge of and what you can handle with your own arrangements.
7. Get insurance if you can
An often-overlooked moving across country tip is to get insurance. This is one of the best ways to safeguard your possessions. Most people ignore insurance to save money but regret it when items get lost or damaged in transit. Insurance has your back. See what policies you can pick for your possessions and read the fine print of what they cover.
8. Ensure safe receipt of your items
Your moving plans must match your travel and arrival into the city. The most straightforward reason is that you'll need someone to receive your stuff and inventory them on your behalf.
Figure out your new home/storage once you arrive in the city, and work with your local contact. And if neither works out, it helps to have a rented storage space for a day or two that your movers can use.
9. Pack strategically (emergency use + items in transport)
When traveling, pack a piece of separate travel luggage with all your essentials. Separate your and your family's emergency-use items the same way you would pack for a long trip. Consider work, medical needs, and more. Then leave the rest for your movers to handle.
10. Move your family in stages
In families, not everyone needs to travel together. One of you could start earlier to set up your new place and receive your luggage. The other members could sort out the remaining loose ends in the old home. Small children get antsy and uncomfortable during moves, so make sure to plan for their comfort. The key is to pack and prepare as diligently as you would for a month-long trip to have everything you need.
Moving your family also includes moving your pets! Moving is difficult for pets who need help adjusting to the new home. It's convenient to drive down with your pet, but if you're flying, plan the logistics of picking them up and have pet paperwork ready.
Also, while moving, many realize their new life/home doesn't have room for pets and choose to simply abandon them. Please don't do this. Your pet has been a faithful companion to your family. It takes just a couple of phone calls to place your pet in a safe shelter where it can be rehomed.
11. Unpack & inventory
The most important thing is to receive your furniture and examine it for damage. Report missing or damaged items and use your insurance to cover them.
Then, unpack in stages. Keep off-season things in storage a while longer (the packing material will protect them), and unpack essentials first.
12. Pay, review, and tip your movers!
Your movers typically give you a quote initially, but things change as everything progresses. Unforeseen issues crop up and affect the final pricing. Crosscheck everything with your movers and clear payment.
Don't forget to leave a tip and a review. Your movers often do the tireless heavy lifting to deliver everything safely, so acknowledgment for their efforts means a lot.
It's all about planning!
As you must have gathered by now, moving house is a multi-stage operation with a lot of planning involved. Being systematic and accounting for the unseen can make the process smoother. Packers and movers also love an organized client.
Moving to a new home need not be the mind-boggling operation everyone believes it is. A little planning beforehand allows you to shift pressure-free and enjoy your new beginnings in a new home. We hope these moving across country tips come in handy when you plan your journey.
Visit us at your local BuxBear Storage location to secure a climate-controlled storage unit for all your storage needs! And give us a call with any storage-related questions. We’re happy to help!