Tips For A Successful Long Distance Move

Moving across the country can be a time-consuming, stressful endeavor. Having a plan weeks in advance, along with help from professional long distance movers, can make all the difference. Moving is more than just packing up your belongings and throwing them in a truck: there are strategies and tools to help ensure that the process goes smoothly, without having your belongings broken or damaged.

Read on for more tips to make your long distance move stress-free.

Preparing For Your Long Distance Move

Big moves require a bit more planning than local ones. Follow these tips to help make moving day as stress-free as possible!

It’s Never Too Early To Have A Plan

Moving hundreds or even thousands of miles away requires serious planning. Once you know it’s happening, start making a plan! Write down every task you’ll need to complete, from contacting moving companies for a quote to tracking down packing materials. Should you need them, start looking at storage units, plane tickets, or map out the route you plan to drive. Use an app on your phone, an Excel sheet, or even an old-fashioned pen and paper to stay on track.

Create An Inventory List

A long distance move means your belongings might be moving across several states, or maybe even an ocean. For insurance purposes, you’ll want to make sure that you know exactly what you’re bringing with you. Mark down every piece of furniture so you can check it off your inventory list once it arrives at your new home.

Decide Where Your Belongings Will Go In Your New Home

Bigger items, such as a king-sized bed or a large sectional, take extra time to move and reassemble. It will be a big help to your movers if you can direct them exactly where to take them once they arrive at your new home. Depending on the square footage, you may not even be able to take certain items with you. There’s no sense paying for large items to be transported if they won’t fit in your new living space. This will not only save you money, but also a great deal of frustration later.

Declutter As You Pack

There’s no time to declutter, like packing up every single item you own. This will allow you to go through items that perhaps you even forgot you had, and consider whether or not it’s worth hauling them across the country. This is especially important to do if you’re downsizing your living space. Some items to consider donating or selling are books you’ll never read again, clothes you never wear, and toys your kids have outgrown. Consider hosting a garage sale in the weeks before you move. The extra money could even help pay for gas!

Give Every Box A Specific Label

Save yourself and your movers some headaches by labeling every box, so you don’t have to open each one to figure out where in the house it goes. But don’t just label each one as “office” or “kitchen”: be sure to include your name and address, too. This is because some boxes may be placed in a truck with those of other families. You’ll want to ensure that everything gets delivered to the correct location, or that it can be returned to you if it’s accidentally taken to the wrong house.

Consider Making The Trek During Off-Season

Many people move during the summer, which can make it a rather expensive time to hire professional long distance movers. Moving during the off-season, like winter, can save you a good deal of money. If this is not an option, consider moving on a weekday or in the middle of the month, which can still save you some money.

Make A Plan For Your Vehicle(s)

Some people drive their vehicles across the country to their new homes. Others prefer to fly and have their vehicles delivered. This is the only option for anyone moving to a different country (if they don’t sell the car altogether). If you decide to drive the distance, be sure to have it inspected to ensure that it’s in good enough shape. You don’t want to find out the day of the move that your tires are too worn down to be safe at high speeds.

Keep A Bag Of Essentials With You

If you arrive at your new home ahead of your moving truck, you’ll want to have some essentials with you. This includes extra clothes, toiletries, medications, your child’s favorite toy, and other necessities you can’t live without. Keep that bag in the car or plane with you, not in the moving truck.

Plan Around The Delivery Window

A “delivery window” is the estimated time frame that you can expect your belongings to arrive at your new home. This, of course, depends on factors like weather and traffic. Your bag of essentials will come in handy just in case it takes longer than expected. Because life happens, you may want to plan for a longer delivery window than what your movers tell you, just in case.

Plan to live the first few weeks without the items you have in the moving truck. In addition to extra clothes and personal items, that may mean having an air mattress and bedding, pots and pans, and some folding chairs.

Long Distance Movers In South Florida

If you’re moving across the country, don’t entrust your belongings to just anyone. Allegiance Van Lines, LLC has helped numerous families move to and from the South Florida region, treating your belongings with as much care as we do our own. From packing services, moving oversized items, to storage solutions, we have the experience and expertise to make sure everything arrives safely and timely.

Let’s get moving! Call today at 561-210-5120 for a free quote.