Moving across the country can be a stressful time. It’s not only about packing up your entire house, but it’s also about changing all of your business information and finding a new home in a faraway place. We’ve got a few ways you can save your sanity during a cross country move.
Minimize Your Load
If you take the entire house and all of its belongings, you might need a few moving trucks. Donate and sell as much as you possibly can before making the move. If you don’t need it or haven’t used it in a long time, get rid of it. Most faraway moves cost thousands of dollars. The more weight you move, the more it costs. You can host a garage sale, donate to charity, and give away items to friends. Remember, you’re starting new, so you don’t need all of the extra baggage.
Organize As You Go
If you throw everything into random boxes, you will hate yourself later. Try to organize as you pack. Label boxes with what it is inside. Pack each room in each box. Don’t throw silverware in with sheets. It’ll just confuse you later. When you’re unloading junk drawers and desk drawers, label the contents. You can even number items, so they match an inventory list.
Ask For Help
Don’t try to do all of the packing yourself. Enlist the entire family to pack and label boxes. Teach everyone the right ways to pack a box. Younger children will get excited to pack their things in a box. Make sure to keep some of their toys out for the remainder of your in-home, of course. You can pack the essentials last. Make it a game or a race to see who can pack the boxes the fastest. Of course, you could also hire a moving company such as Scobey Moving to take care of everything.
Find Free Boxes
You don’t want to go insane searching for moving boxes so you can find free boxes at many different types of stores. Social media groups may also list free boxes, so keep your eye on these groups. You’ll need all different sizes. You can buy boxes, but they add up quickly. Shipping boxes at your favorite retailers are usually just thrown away after they put up inventory. They probably wouldn’t mind giving them to you instead of throwing them away.
Bring In The Professionals
Packing and moving might drive you insane. Packing the entire house could take months. Hire professionals to help you with these tasks so you can spend time saying goodbye and worrying about the little details. Professionals know how to best pack and move your house. Even if you just hire them for the actual moving day, it’ll help lighten your load figuratively and literally. They can even clean your home and help you organize. If you don’t think you have it in your budget, make sure to get a few moving quotes so you can find someone that does fit your budget.
Licensed And Insured Moving Company
If you do hire a moving company, you need to ensure they are licensed and insured. If you’re hiring someone randomly that seems too good to be true, they probably are. If anything goes wrong, you want it covered. You can look up their U.S. DOT number in the FMCSA’s database to see if they are licensed. The last thing you want during a big move is a scam on your hands.
Moving Insurance
When you know your moving company is insured, you need to look at the coverage options. Sometimes the basic plan covers the minimum. If they break some big things, you could be out of a lot of money. You just never know what can go wrong. Consider paying for the full value protection plan, which will hold them accountable for more things.
Carry The Important Stuff With You
It’s best not to pack your most valuable items. Even if you think you’re careful and the mover thinks they’re careful, things get lost or damaged in a move. Pack your family heirlooms, important documents, and jewelry with you. Your birth certificate, marriage license, and other important paperwork should go in a secure bag in your car. This way, you know where they are at all times.
Pack An Essentials Box
Sanity includes having all of your essentials exactly where you know they are. When you get to your new place, you’re going to need a few things. Things like this include toilet paper, paperwork, sheets, chargers, trash bags, and a tool kit. You know what you can’t live without for a few days. You can bring a few extra suitcases full of clothing so know where those essentials are as well. It’s like packing a box of things you would need on vacation. Don’t forget any basic medications in case someone gets sick or needs a band-aid.
Stick To The Schedule
You have a plan of when to move and what all you need to get done, now it’s time to stay on schedule. School enrollment is time-sensitive. Utility installation needs to happen at certain dates and times. You don’t want to rush these last minute. Write everything down. Make reminders on your smartphone. You can even write everything in a master calendar. However, you stick to a schedule best, do it. You don’t want things popping up last minute, leaving you wondering if there will be electricity once you get to your new home.
Change Your Address
According to completeremovals.com.au, it’s not hard to change your address. The problem is changing all of your business accounts to your new address. Some people forget to do this and then wonder about their mail. First, forward all of your mail to your new address. Go to USPS.com and choose the date to begin forwarding your mail, it’s as easy as this. You then need to change your bank account as well as any other business accounts. You can usually do this quickly online or by calling their customer service.
