House moving is one of the most stressful things for families and individuals. To top that off, long distance moving is way harder and it requires a lot of planning. The process of packing, transporting, and arranging everything again just haunts our minds, considering the fact that a lot of things can go south as we carry out this task. However, there are a number of things that we can do and implement so we can make the process of long distance moving an easy and stress-free one.
If you are moving to a neighboring state or a state that is really far, you are going to need some fantastic long distance moving tips.
15 Simple Tips For Long Distance Moving
- Plan Ahead
As soon as you know that you are going to move to a new state or country, you want to start planning. One of the best ways to prepare for a long distance move is to know what you are going to bring with you and what you will be leaving behind. Try to make a checklist and see what you need and what you need to live behind.
Remember, you want to label things under these categories:
- Bring
- Donate
- Sell
- Throw Away
If you have things that you can donate to the less fortunate, you want to give them away before your move. You can also carry out a garage sale and make some money out of this move.
2. Research Moving Companies
Moving to a different state or country is not an easy task to do, especially if you are going to do it all by yourself. In order to carry this extremely difficult task, you want to look at Calgary professional movers in your city.
They can help you in the following things:
- Pack your things
- Transport your things
- Offer moving insurance
- Re-arrange your belongings
- Transport your expensive belongings safely
Remember, long distance moves cost a lot, so try to get quotes from multiple moving company in Calgary in your city or state.
3. Get In-Home Moving Estimates
After researching long distance movers in your city or state, the first thing that you would want to do is call those companies and let them come to your house so they can make rough moving estimates. This is extremely important because an average long distance move can cost you anywhere from $2,000 to even $8000 or even more, depending on where you are headed. Try getting moving estimates 1 month or 3 weeks before your actual move.
4. Buy Liquor Boxes From Liquor Store
Instead of buying new boxes for your clothes and other belongings, you want to buy liquor boxes from your local liquor store. Why these boxes? Liquor boxes are cheap and extremely durable. They are capable of holding over 10 kilograms in per box. They are that durable, and the best thing about them is that you can buy used boxes for less than half of their real price from your local liquor store. Remember, you want to make smart choices and save money.
5. Label Your Boxes
You want to label each box before you start packing. When labeling, you want to write the name of the person that owns the box, the things that are inside the box (clothes, books, etc.), and if they are fragile or not. Labeling will help you save time once you are unpacking and in transporting.
6. Start Packing
You want to start packing around 2 to 3 weeks before your actual move. Packing ahead of your move will give you a lot of time to sort out things before your long distance move. Try packing your fragile belongings first, these include glasses, kitchen utensils, pictures, frames, paintings, and mirrors, after that pack your clothes and leave clothes for 4 to 5 days outside so you don’t have to unpack those boxes again.
7. Make An Inventory
Making an inventory is extremely important so you can have track of what you are bringing with you into your new house and what you are leaving, selling, or donating before of your big house move. An inventory will also help you keep organized during the span of planning, packing, transporting, and unboxing all your boxes.
8. Update Address In Important Documents
Another thing that you want to do before your big move is to update all your addresses in your important documents. These documents include:
- Driver’s License
- Gun License
- Government ID’s
- Passport
- School Forms
- Work
- Insurance
- Bank Information
- Billings For Credit/Debit Cards
Basically, every place that you have placed your address in, you need to update so you can get all your bills on the right address even after you have moved.
9. Purchase Moving Insurance
If you are moving all by yourself or with the help of your friends and family, you want to purchase moving insurance in case something goes south as you transport those expensive belongings of yours. Moving insurance offers protection for your belongings that get damaged during a move.
In case you hired residential movers Calgary, you want to ask them to offer you a moving insurance just for safety and peace of mind.
10. Donate The Things You Do Not Need
Another thing that you want to do before your big move is donate the things that you do not need to the people that are less fortunate. Try donating your clothes, toys, extra belongings, or even furniture to non-profit organizations, donation boxes, to your neighbors, families that are having a hard time, or at shelter homes for elderlies and kids. Small things mean a lot for those that are having a hard time.
11. Call Your Friends Or Family
Instead of doing everything alone, you want to call your family so they can help you in doing some chores before of your move. Tell your family or friends to drop things at the local shelter, buy boxes for you, help you transport or pack your belongings, or even carry out the garage sale that we told you to do so you can make some money before your big house move. There are a lot of things your friends or family members can help you in, the choice is yours. Just make sure you ask them politely.
12. Avoid Packing Things That Are Not Meant For Transportation
You want to avoid packing things that are not meant for long distance transportation. These things include:
- Frozen Food
- Water
- Liquids In Aquariums
- Glass
- Food In Your Refrigerator
Basically, anything that can rot or can break during a long trip, you do not want to pack those things. This is important so you can avoid a huge mess.
13. Prepare Your Pets
If you have pets with you, you want to start preparing them. Depending on the type of pet you have, you want to make special preparations for them. Before your big move, bring them to your vet and ask them about all the things that might happen when you are bringing your pets with you during your long distance move. Take care of your pets during the trip, especially if you are moving this summer. You do not want to leave them in the heat, considering the fact that animals can suffer heat strokes too.
14. Keep Your Jewelry And Other Valuables With You All The Time
One mistake that people do when they are packing their belongings is that they pack their jewelry and other valuable belongings inside boxes and place them in their trucks. This is not a good thing to do, especially if those things are worth a lot. Instead of packing them in boxes, you want to place them in a bag and bring them with you all the time. Place that bag inside your car at a safe place and make sure you can see it all the time.
Things to put in that special bag:
- Cash
- Jewelry
- Collectable Items That Are Expensive
- Documents
- Credit Cards
- Debit Cards
15. Relax
Before you carry out the long-distance move, try to relax. We know you are stressed right now, so you want to learn how to relax too. Some people develop anxiety before the house move, especially if they are moving for the first time. This happens because they are scared about the fact that something might go wrong. This is extremely normal, and it is okay to be scared.
A day before your big move, relax, spend some time with your friends or family, and try to get as much sleep as you can because you will be going on a very long trip. Try to sleep for 8 to 10 hours so you won’t get tired during your trip.
Follow the 15 tips that we mentioned above, and we can assure that you will have the best moving experience.
