Guide to planning your long distance moving process

Every relocation can be a very daunting and challenging endeavor. But when it comes to long distance relocations, almost every single one falls into this category. However, if you plan for it correctly you can have a much easier time with it. Planning your long distance moving process is something that takes both time and knowledge of moving, something that people who are relocating for the first time might not have in abundance. While we can’t provide you with more time, what we can do is share with you the knowledge necessary for you to plan your relocation to the tiniest detail. And if you don’t have the time or energy to handle that, what we can offer is a list of the best long distance movers.

Planning your long distance moving process 101

Long distance relocations all but require you to start early. There will be a lot to do, so “buckle up”. Here’s a quick overview of what you will need to do:

• Do not delay or procrastinate
• Make a schedule and stick with it
• Hire a reliable and reputable moving company
• Do some cost-calculation
• Manage your paperwork and utilities ahead of time
• Declutter
• Obtain moving supplies
• Start packing very early
• Label everything

You may also want to make the whole process easier by enlisting additional aid. Even if you hire professional movers, there will still be tasks that you need to do on your own. And if you have some help from relatives or close friends, the whole process can be much smoother and a lot more fun. Even if you do have extra hands on deck, you will still want to go through the steps in order. But the most important thing you need to keep in mind is:

Do not delay or procrastinate

Almost every person says to themselves “I wish I started my planning earlier” after the relocation is over. Learn from this mistake and try not to repeat it. When you start planning your move, you will most likely have plenty of time to spare. The moving day will be far in the future, so you might want to take it easy. This is, obviously, the wrong approach to take.

What you want to do is keep your relocation always in your mind. Plan and organize a few things every day, without any delays or procrastination, and everything will be much easier. The most important thing is to start. Your brain might serve you with the images of all the work you need to do, which might stop you from starting out. What you need to do is to decisively start straight away. Force yourself to start planning and you will soon realize that it is much easier and more manageable than you thought.

Make a schedule and stick with it

Once you do start planning, you are going to need a moving checklist. You can create one on your own, or you can find a template online and use it as your starting point. Making a moving checklist is really easy, though, all you need to do is write down all the things that need to be done. It needs not to be complete or perfect on the first day, either. You can come back to the checklist and update it as you think of new tasks or complete the old ones.

Once your checklist is in place, however, the most important thing is to schedule your efforts. All of us have busy lives, and we need to balance them with the necessities of the relocation. If you only have a few hours on the weekend that you can devote to relocation tasks, it is imperative that you use them well. Missing your schedule leads to delays and can make the whole relocation much more complicated. That being said, if you start early enough you will usually have some leeway and might afford to take it easy from time to time. What you need to do, however, is pay special attention to time-sensitive tasks. Bold them in your checklist, and make them more prominent. That way, they might stick inside your mind a bit more easily.

Hire a reliable and reputable moving company

Long distance moving all but requires assistance from professional movers. To ensure that you have a positive moving experience, you will want to carefully select the moving company that will be doing the relocation. This is yet another task that can take up numerous hours to complete, as you will need to read customer reviews, check and verify credentials, talk to movers, etc. But this is an essential part of long distance moving, provided that you want to get a good deal for your relocation. There are so many moving companies around and all of them offer something unique. What you need to do is figure out which moving company is best for your unique situation.

You might want to have some questions written down before you start contacting movers, though. For example, you will want to know whether your movers do free shrinkwrapping, do they offer assembly/disassembly services, that sort of thing. Planning your long distance moving process correctly means that you need to ask as many questions as possible, and get the answers before you proceed. Of course, you will also want to ask your movers about their pricing schemes. It will help greatly in the next step, which is:

Cost calculation

Long distance relocations are inevitably more costly than local moves. There are a lot of expenses that your relocation will incur, such as moving supplies, moving services, travel arrangements, etc. What you want to do is put all of these costs on paper and budget accordingly. Don’t forget to consider any additional expenses that might “pop up”, such as a stay in a hotel and storage solution if your new home is not ready for some reason. You may also want to consider spending a bit extra on moving insurance, just to be safe.

You can’t really predict all the costs, most of the time, but what you can do is set aside an “emergency fund”. After calculating all the known costs, have some money left over in case of emergencies. This will allow you to be able to react to anything that might happen during the relocation period.

Manage your paperwork and utilities ahead of time

Long distance moves usually involve moving from one state to another. For this reason, you will want to have all the necessary documentation neatly sorted before the moving day arrives. Depending on the situation, you may need to sort out your customs declarations, driver’s license, visa, and similar. If your documents are current, you will not have much work to do. But if they are outdated and need a replacement, you will want to sort that out before you relocate. It is much easier that way.

Planning your long distance moving process also includes making sure that your new utilities are properly set up before you arrive. In some cases, you will be able to transfer your current utilities. But in others, you will need to apply for new utilities. This is a process that, again, takes time and you want to make sure that it is completed in due time. Coming to a home that has no internet, gas, or heating, is not a pleasant situation to be in, after all.

Declutter

A long distance relocation is an ideal time to finally declutter your home. Almost every person collects too many items throughout their life, items that simply become clutter after some time. Go through your possessions, see if there are any items that fit this description, and dispose of them before you move. Items in good condition can be sold or donated, while items that are not can simply be thrown away.

By going through the decluttering process, you will considerably lower your moving costs, as well. First, you will not need to obtain as many packing materials, and the weight of your shipment will be lower. Since most moving companies charge by weight for long distance relocations, this will lower the overall moving cost.

Obtain moving supplies

After you figure out which items are making the trip with you, you will have a much better idea of how many moving supplies you might need. Unless you are hiring packing services from a moving company, you are going to need packing supplies to properly pack your belongings. It is also a good idea to procure some of these supplies when you start planning your long distance moving process, as that will enable you to:

Start packing very early

Basically, whenever you have some extra time you might want to pack an item or three. Start with your belongings that you know will not be used before the moving day arrives and work your way from there. By packing early, you are allowing yourself to have extra time when you might need it the most.

Label everything

Lastly, we can’t stress this enough: Label every box! Many people forgo this very important part of the moving process and find themselves having a hard time when the time to unpack comes. By labeling each box clearly, you will also make it easier for your movers to handle your belongings.

Planning your long distance moving process is not the easiest thing in the world but it is not that hard, either. All you need to do is follow the steps outlined in this guide. And if you need to know more about moving in general, or top moving companies near you, browse and explore Consumer Opinion Guide, as our website contains all the information you might require.