Doing a cross country move is never easy. Not only do you have to pack your entire household and take everything to an entirely different state, but you also need to coordinate all the moving day essentials. Once you’ve reached your destination, you’ll still have a number of things you’ll need to tick off your to-do list.
These include settling into your new home and changing your address. That’s why planning a long-distance move may take a lot of effort but is certainly doable. Here’s what you can do to lessen the burden:
Make all the necessary travel arrangements early
Don’t wait until there’s only a week away from your moving day before booking all your travel arrangements. When doing a cross country move, schedule and book all travel details you need at least a month or two before the big day.
To ensure a smooth and successful move, complete all the airplane tickets and hotel reservations you need.
Delegate all the tasks
Doing a cross country move when you’re alone may be easier because that means you have fewer items to worry about. But, when you’re moving with a family, it can be a bit more challenging. But, look at the bright side: moving with your family means you have several extra sets of hands that can help you sort and pack things up.
Ask your partner and your children to help out with the packing. This is also a great opportunity to teach your children how to properly pack a moving box and sort out which of their belongings they should take to your new address.
School-age kids are perfectly capable of packing up their own rooms. The first items that need to be packed should be the non-essentials – items that won’t be necessary for the weeks leading up to your moving day. All the essentials should go last.
Keep all the load as light as possible
If you’re thinking about hiring local moving companies here in South Florida, keep in mind that the total cost of your out-of-state move will largely be based on the weight of all your items. Simply put, the more belongings you move, the more the moving services are going to cost.
So, try to save as much money where you can without compromising what’s important. One way to lighten the load is to donate all gently-used belongings you have to places such as Goodwill and Salvation Army. There are also online marketplaces where you can post used items up for sale.
Document the condition of all your belongings
As you’re packing up all your things, try to take photos or videos of all your important belongings so you can document their condition prior to the move. By doing this, you’ll have proof of mishandling in case any of your items get damaged during transit in the hands of the movers you hired.
When you have enough evidence, you’ll be able to file a claim and seek compensation for your damaged items.
Finally, as you unpack all your items, make sure to examine every piece, especially the larger or more valuable ones, for any damage.
