Are you worried about making a cross-country move? Moving to a place that lies hundreds or thousands of miles apart isn't easy. However, you can move safely and smoothly if you follow the tips that we will discuss in this guide.
Preparing to move across the country will require exemplary organization on your part. You must know what you need to do before making the move if you want to reap the benefits of each day that comes in between your moving date. This will help you reduce your stress and be as efficient as possible.
Prepare a moving checklist
You may need to perform innumerable tasks while you prepare for a long-distance move. This can confuse you so much that you might not know where to begin your preparation. Also, you should know the correct order for completing all your pre-move tasks and make maximum use of the remaining time.
Here we will create a week-by-week moving checklist that you can follow and ensure a successful cross-country move.
Moving Tips: 8 weeks before the move
Two months might seem to be a long time until you are preparing to relocate to another country. It would be a good idea to utilize each day preparing for the move, even if you have to do little work each day.
Here we have a few tips that will help you reduce stress while you prepare for the move:
Make files
- Most of your planning would be taking place online. We suggest you save all your digital records in Google Drive.
- You can compile your photos, quotes, and receipts in a separate folder and make it easily accessible. Perhaps, you will need to refer to it multiple times, while you are preparing for the move.
- You may even have paper files of your receipts, ensure to keep them in a convenient place. Mostly, you may need to refer to it, while deducting your moving expenses on tax returns.
Research and shortlist moving companies
In the case of a cross-country move, it is more than likely you would be hiring a local moving company. Moreover, if you are relocating for a job, your move would be sponsored by your employer. However, you need to check with your employer what their relocation policy would cover and what responsibilities you may have to fulfil your own.
Here are a few tips you must keep in mind while hiring a moving company for your move:
- Shortlist a few moving companies and check out their reviews online.
- Talk to your family, neighbors, and friends if they have any moving companies to recommend to you.
- If you have a large or specialty item like a piano or any costly piece of artwork to move, you may need to opt for safe transport. It would be a good idea to hire a specialty mover if your moving company doesn't provide this service.
Choose if you will fly or drive
There’s no one answer to this question as every situation would be different. Here’s what you might need to consider:
- You should calculate the actual driving time, family, pet’s needs, airfare as well as if you need to ship a car or not.
- Transporting a car is an exclusive process, you need to be careful in choosing a suitable auto transport company for your move. You should give yourself sufficient time in choosing the right car shipping company and it would cost thousands of dollars to transport your car.
- If you plan to drive your car, ensure to send it for servicing and make it ready for a long-distance journey. Car trouble would be the last thing you will expect during a cross-country move.
Estimate your moving expenses
Moving involves several expenses like packing supplies, rental trucks, gas, food, and car shipping if required. Also, if your company is financing your move, you may still have to bear a few unexpected moving expenses. For instance, your company's relocation package will not cover artwork, so you will have to pay from your pocket for its packing and shipping. Here are a few other expenses that you may need to pay from your pocket:
- Heavy items
- Additional insurance coverage
- Mileage
- Weight restriction overages
Categorize your items and start decluttering your house
The most cost-effective way to move across the country would be to take only a handful of possessions with you and declutter those you don’t need anymore. Here’s what you can do to make the entire process easier:
- Ensure to finish a home inventory as this will give you an idea about the items which you can move to your new home.
- We recommend you go to each room with a notepad or an electronic gadget in your hand and categorize your possessions as sell, keep, donate, gift, or recycle.
Tip: It would be a good idea to keep an eye on your possessions while you are decluttering them and try to look for packing supplies among them. For example, socks, old shirts, blankets, towels, and linens can be used as packing supplies.
Should you move heavy furniture across the country?
Mostly, a piece of furniture is heavy and big, you need to decide whether you want to move it to your new location or not. Generally, we will recommend you purchase new furniture for your new apartment as this would be more cost-efficient than paying for packing, loading, transporting, and then reassembling them in your new location.
Tip: It would be a great idea to move your furniture, only if you have an antique piece that you can't leave behind at any cost.
Moving Tips: Six Weeks before you move
By now you should have created a full-fledged plan for moving cross country. Now is the time to make some progress with your tasks. Here are some important things for you to accomplish:
Check your renter's or homeowner's insurance policy
- Ensure to transfer your theft, fire, or other personal assets insurance police. Also, check if your homeowner's insurance will cover your move or not.
- Your insurance company will have different coverage plans for your state, we suggest you check them in advance.
- By now you must have decluttered your belongings, we recommend you check if your insurance policy offers sufficient coverage for the items you need to move.
Click photos and videos of your possessions
We suggest you click the photos and videos of your items before you begin the move. This will serve as proof in case any of your items get damaged in transit by the movers. Moreover, you can even file a claim and ask the movers to compensate you for the damaged items. You may click pictures of your electronics to remember their setup as well as how it is wired. Possibly, this will help you to reset the same electronic in your new address.
Find boxes and packing materials
If you hire professional movers, perhaps you will need only a few moving boxes to pack your possessions and load them into your car. However, if you are making a DIY move, we suggest you create plans to get those moving boxes for free.
You can buy the moving boxes from a hardware store or a moving company, but it’s always good to save money where it’s possible. Here are some tricks that will help you save money:
- You can request a few retailers to provide you with the extra moving boxes they have.
- Talk to the grocery store, liquor store, office supply store, or department store to see if they can provide some spare moving boxes.
Tip: We suggest you start packing slowly as soon as you get hold of the boxes. Consider packing books and collectibles as you grab the boxes because you don’t need them frequently.
Measure the rooms of your new house
If you are a cross country buyer, mostly you will purchase a house either by seeing it once or not seeing it at all. However, it seems important to measure the important dimensions of your new house and check if your furniture would fit into it or get through its door. Here’s what you might need to measure:
- You need to measure each room that will accommodate furniture or appliances.
- Examine the layout of each room to identify any odd angles.
- Measure the height of all doors, windows as well as wardrobes.
- Measure any bulky furniture or appliances you have.
Tip: In case these measurements aren’t easily available, you can request your real estate agent to connect with the seller and help you get these measurements.
Moving Tips: Four weeks before you move
With just around a month to go before you move, you need to be serious about completing your tasks at the right time. This will prevent you from getting into trouble at the end moment of your move. Here’s a list of some important things to do before moving:
Change your address
With the advent of technology, you can change your address much more easily than before. Here’s what you need to do change your mailing address and ensure to receive all your snail mail:
- You need to click on USPS.com (United States Postal Service) and select the date from when you want to forward your mails to your new address.
- You can even change your bank account address and credit card billing address with just a click of a button. Other things you might want to change include:
- Insurance company
- Employer
- Financial advisor
- Car registration
Moving cross country with pets may require you to prepare them well for the moving day. Moreover, your furry friends will have their own needs and requirements, you need to invest some time and learn to manage them. This will help your pet feel calm and safe before as well as after the move.
There are no cross-country movers who can transport pets for you. We suggest you find out the best way to move your pets to another state. Here’s what you need to ensure before transporting your pets across the country:
- You must ensure that your furry friend is healthy before you start with the move.
- Make an appointment with a vet and do a thorough check-up of your pet.
- Try not to change the daily routine of your pets as much as possible before making the move.
Hire professional cleaners
Living in a rental house? Do you want to get your deposit back when moving out of it? We suggest you hire professional cleaners who would work on your house and clean it before the movers knock at your door.
- Collect your personal and medical records
- Keep all your personal records, like a birth certificate, with you during the move. Unfortunately, if such records get lost, you will have to pay a heavy cost for them.
- You should collect school transcripts, medical records, dental records, pet veterinary records, passports, and other legal documents.
- Don’t forget to take all the essential medications with you both for your pet and family. Otherwise, you will have to go hunting for a 24-hour pharmacy, in case of an emergency during the move.
Moving Tips: Three weeks before the move
Don’t panic as the moving day draws near, instead check if everything is going as you have planned. Here’s a brief checklist of the tasks that you should be doing this week:
- Schedule a turn-off date for utility services at your old house.
- Ensure to turn on the utility services at your new house before you reach there.
- Cross-check for any deposits or refunds you have on the following services:
- Gas and electricity
- Cable, phone, and internet
- Oil or fuel delivery
- Water
- House cleaning services
- Baby-sitter
- Gardeners
- Dog-walker
- Parking
- Newspaper
- Pool service
- Gym membership and locker
- Safe-deposit box
Moving Tips: Two weeks before the move
At this time, you should take advantage of the small things you love about your old neighborhood, like your favorite café or restaurant. Here we have a list of tasks that you should consider completing around this time:
- It seems important to plan for your family and pets while you will be busy preparing for the moving day.
- Hire a babysitter to take care of your kids while you are packing your house for the move.
- You should make some arrangements for your pets as well so that they don’t run away while you are busy with other things.
- If you have plants, make sure to either arrange for moving them or gift them to someone whom you trust.
Moving Tips: One week before the move
This is the time when you start counting the days until your departure. Here’s a precise list of things that you should be doing around this time:
- Check details with the moving company
- Call the moving company and confirm your moving date and time with them.
- Check with them how much you need to pay and keep the cash ready with you if required.
Pack all household essentials
Here is a list of some household goods that you must have on reaching your new house:
- Towels and linens
- Paper goods
- Microwave
- Garbage bag
- Paper plates
- Tool kit
- Extension cord
- Vacuum cleaner
- Cleaning supplies like a broom, mop, dustpan, and pail.
- Step ladder
- Light bulb
Tip: We recommend you label this household essentials box as "load last" so that you know where to find them after arriving at your new destination.
Moving Tips: Two days before the move
By this time, the most difficult part of your move would have been over and now you just need to wait for the movers to knock at your door.
Here are a few lists of minute tasks that you must keep in mind:
- Defrost your refrigerator and make sure it is dry.
- Donate any boxed or canned food you have as they might expire before you reach your new house.
- Make sure you change your grocery delivery or Amazon’s delivery address. This will make it easier for you to order groceries as soon as you reach your new address.
- Gather and secure your valuables until you reach your new destination.
- Keep some cash ready to tip the movers, babysitters, or pet sitters.
What to expect on a moving day?
A moving day would be long and hectic for you. Here are a few tips that you must follow on this day:
- Check each room, attic, and closet for any forgotten items before the movers leave your house.
- Make sure to switch off the lights, shut the windows and lock the doors when you finally exit your old house.
This is all that you should know if you want to make a safe cross-country move. In case of further queries, you can contact us at Movers.com and get access to our professional and efficient services. However, if you are making a DIY move, consider checking the other requirements like hiring a rental truck or moving labor just to load your items into the moving truck.