Have you found better career opportunities in a new city or state? Are you about to start a more independent life? Whether it’s for personal, social, or economic reasons, you may be moving cross-country soon. While you may have moved locally before, moving across the country is a completely different story.
Things can get overwhelming and daunting, from packing all your things to transitioning to your new home. In this article, we will share relevant tips on how to prepare for a long-distance move, why you need a professional moving service, and what they can do to help you move. Read on to help make your cross-country move smooth and stress-free.
Top Cross-Country Moving Tips
Cross-country moving is a huge step that takes a lot of preparation, consideration, and decision-making. That’s why we’re sharing some helpful tips to keep your moving journey exciting and memorable.
Make a Moving Plan
The moment you know you’re moving, you should start making a plan. Remember that you’re moving everything hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Thus, you need to be strategic and organized. Figure out how much you need to do every day or every week to complete all the packing and the information that needs to be sorted out.
To make sure you’re not missing anything, create a moving checklist. This includes the things you need to do several weeks before the long-distance move, one week before the move, one day before the move, and on the moving day. Examples include exploring your new neighborhood, gathering packing supplies, changing your address on your ID, hiring professional cross-country movers, and more. You can also just customize your moving checklist depending on your needs and situation.
Figure Out Your Budget
Long-distance relocation is a major change that involves bigger responsibilities and expenses. However, if you’re looking for the cheapest way to move cross-country, then you need to figure out your budget first. Compared to a typical move, cross-country moves include significantly higher costs, with an average cost of $4,890.
How much does it cost to travel to the city or state you’re moving into? Consider the price of tickets if you’re taking a plane. If you’re traveling by car, how much do you need to spend on gas? Factor in your budget for food, too. If you need to book a hotel, make early reservations.
You also have to decide whether you’ll ship your things separately or hire a cross-country moving company. During your move, you may have to take some time off of work. Thus, consider the number of days you may not be earning. This will help you see that it’s better to pay more for a quicker move as you can go back to work sooner. It’s also wise to have a moving fund and add 10% for possible unexpected moving fees.
Find the Right Cross-Country Movers
The last thing that you want to experience while starting a new life in another state is a moving company to ruin your things during the transition. Thus, make sure to find the right cross-country moving company. Perform enough research. Read reviews online. Ask families and friends for recommendations. Get separate quotes, so you can compare the prices and inclusions. Moreover, note that not all moving companies do long-distance. Make sure they offer the moving services you’re looking for.
Update the Right Documentation
One of the most crucial tasks when cross-country moving is updating your records. For example, an agent can explain to you the coverage of your home and auto insurance and address any of your concerns. Then, you have to update licenses, like your driver’s license, to make sure your new address is reflected.
Work on car registrations, voter registration, and more at your new address. Then, make sure to gather necessary records for your new household, including medical, veterinary, and school records. Keep all the important documents, from passports, medical records, insurance forms, to birth certificates, in a safe and easy-to-access folder.
Be Organized
One of the keys to a successful cross-country move is being organized, especially while you’re packing. Label everything, specifically boxes that contain fragile items. This way, the cross-country movers will be aware of the level of care needed while moving these belongings.
Take extra care of your things when packing too like adding extra bubble wrap since the move is further than normal. Then, make sure everything is packed tight. Bulky items, like winter jackets, sweaters, pants, and shoes, can take up a lot of space, so you have to pack them well.
Roll your clothes to save space and keep them wrinkle-free. If you tuck them into your boxes, you’ll be amazed by the number of items that you can fit in. You can even maximize the gaps between the rolled clothes too by inserting small items, such as socks, into the larger items.
Moreover, make sure you’ll be using all items that you’re taking to your new home and they will fit. For instance, before deciding to move your king-sized beds and bookshelves across the country, see if there’s enough space for them in your new residence.
Let go of unnecessary items. You wouldn’t want to pay to move them and only end up not using them. Rather, sell them, so you can have extra cash that will come in handy while you move cross-country. You can also donate old clothes and other usable items to charities or give them to your friends.
You can even save time for when you move in by organizing a box of items separately that you’ll use immediately after you arrive at your new house. Examples of these are plates, pans, pots, glasses, everyday clothes, and more depending on your needs and preferences.
Move During Off-Season
Moving cross-country is already significantly more expensive than moving locally. If you move during summer, you can expect a higher cost. This is perhaps the most expensive time to hire movers. Thus, if possible, schedule your move during the off-season.
You can even save money because of off-season promotions with great deals for moving supplies, like boxes and bubble wrap. Reduced traffic also means you can expect faster delivery of your belongings to your new home. Then, there’s more flexibility in scheduling. Moving during the off-season makes the entire process smoother and easier.
Plan for Your Pets
Are you moving cross-country with your furry friends? If so, you need to plan several weeks before the move especially if you need to look for pet-friendly hotels. Before you leave, it’s best to take your pets to the vet for a full checkup. Talk to them too about your worries for your pet, like motion sickness and anxiety.
If you’re traveling by plane, you will need to reserve space for your pet. Note that airlines have varying rules and regulations, so read and review them beforehand. Regardless of how your pet will travel, prepare their food and medication.
Since you will need to find a new veterinarian near your new home, make sure to collect all medical records from your present veterinarian. Once you have done your research and found a new vet, you’ll need to take your pet there after the move.
Make Time To Say Goodbyes
Cross-country moving means leaving behind some family members, friends, and colleagues. Allot some time to say goodbye to them either separately or as a group.
You might also want to host a going away party with the people you’re closest to. Whether you’ll hold an informal or formal event, dedicate some time to thank them and connect with them before starting a new life in another state.
Cancel Utilities or Local Subscription Services
When you’re about to move across the country, you’ll want to save as much as you can. Thus, avoid unnecessary additional expenses, like forgetting to cancel your subscriptions and utilities.
And don’t forget to do the same for other subscriptions such as fitness studios or gyms. If you have an account with a local credit union, you might want to close it and open a new one with a branch that’s close to your new house.
Set an Unpacking Plan
While you’ve arrived at your new home, the moving process is not over yet. You need to unpack your essentials bag. Then, prepare the bed for the night, and set up a functional kitchen. You don’t have to unpack all items right away, but having a working kitchen will make you feel at home.
Afterward, you can work on the living room to have enough space to relax. However, you need not unpack everything in just a single day or a week. Do this at your own pace. If you want to set a deadline to unpack all boxes, scheduling a housewarming party can be a good source of motivation.
Enjoy Your New Home and Neighborhood
Once you’ve ticked off all items on your moving list, what’s left for you is to enjoy your new space and neighborhood. Greet your neighbors, walk or drive around the community, or visit local coffee shops and restaurants to get a feel for the new area. You’re starting a new life in this neighborhood, so you should feel comfortable and welcome here.
Why You Need a Cross-Country Moving Company
Given that cross-country moving can get expensive, you might think of doing the move all by yourself. However, you might just end up spending more while getting stressed out. That is why you need professional help. Here are some reasons that you should hire a professional moving company.
Peace of Mind
Compared to a local move, long-distance moving can be extremely difficult and overwhelming. With a professional cross-country moving company like WeMoveU, you’ll have the peace of mind that your items are safe and protected and your moving experience will be stress-free. From the packing process to loading, moving, and unloading, we handle your items with the utmost care.
Accountability
If you move your own belongings and find them broken upon arrival, no one’s responsible for it but yourself. Meanwhile, a moving company is accountable if any of your items are damaged during the move. At WeMoveU, we make sure that all of your belongings arrive safely. Thus, you won’t have to worry about any added costs and unnecessary stress.
Fast
Doing the move on your own can take several days or weeks to finish. It can feel like forever, given all the packing, cleaning, and organizing. Meanwhile, trusted cross-country movers like WeMoveU are experts in moving quickly and efficiently.
You can also expect the date and time that you’ll receive all your belongings at your new house. With our quick and simplified moving process, you can save time and start your life in Los Angeles or other cities right away.
Reliable
Cross-country moves with the help of family and friends are risky. If something is damaged or lost from your valuable items, you might end up straining your relationships with them. Meanwhile, experienced cross-country movers are reliable. Every packer and mover at WeMoveU has received rigorous training to apply the most effective moving techniques while keeping your belongings and ourselves safe. We are fully licensed and insured, too, so you won’t have to worry about your precious belongings on your next move with us.
Efficient
DIY cross-country moving can lead to what is called packers block. This is when you become too overwhelmed with all the things that you need to pack. With professional cross-country movers, you can expect efficient processes. Packing and loading sequences are followed, like loading delicate objects on the shelves of the truck and pushing heavy objects to the truck’s front.
Once the weight of the truck is balanced with the bulky items, cross-country movers will begin placing items that you won’t usually use or need upon arrival at your new home. At WeMoveU, we work diligently and efficiently to give you a seamless moving experience. We know how much you value your time. That is why we apply methodical, systematic, and professional packing and moving techniques, helping you save time, money, and other resources during the move.
Safe
One of the major benefits of hiring a professional moving company is safety. At WeMoveU, our experienced movers will load and unload boxes properly. We can even help you pack your items, including fragile ones, safely. We use the right and top-notch materials throughout the move, so every item arrives safely at your destination. Moreover, there’s no risk of getting hurt while trying to move or lift your belongings because we’ll do the job for you.
Customized Services
Everyone has different moving needs, so find a professional moving company that offers moving services suitable for your needs and preferences. WeMoveU provides a one-stop solution to your moving concerns. This includes residential and commercial moving, local moving, long-distance moving, packing services, loading services, delivery services, and unpacking services.
We also offer white glove services for more delicate and pricey items. Regardless of the kind of move you need, we offer the same quality service that you deserve.
Cost-Effective
The common reason for making a DIY move is to save money. However, this isn’t usually what happens. You might spend a lot on packing or moving supplies and equipment. These include bubble wrap, tape, boxes, and a moving container or truck. You might have to spend days on the move, which means taking time off of work and not earning money. Meanwhile, working with cross-country movers lets you save money, given the fast, safe, and efficient move. WeMoveU offers great prices too without any hidden fees while providing the best services.
No Heavy Lifting
Cross-country moves involve heavy lifting. If you do it alone, you might end up having back strain, a twisted ankle, and other injuries. Professional cross-country movers have the proper training, experience, and equipment necessary for a safe move. We’ll take care of the heavy lifting for you. Thus, you can avoid any risk of injury and you can focus on other important aspects of your move.
Work With Professional Long-Distance Movers
Moving across the country is indeed exciting and challenging. By following our cross-country moving tips above, you can help make your relocation a success. Working with a moving company cross-country is also crucial in ensuring a smooth and hassle-free moving experience. You’re bound to gain several benefits, such as peace of mind, accountability, efficiency, and safety. Ready to start a new life in your new home? Contact us today to get a no-obligation quote.
