Taking The "Long" Out Of Long Distance Moving

It may not be possible to cut down the distance you will be moving to, but you can certainly limit the amount of time, frustration and stress that a cross-country relocation can cause. You should have already visited where you'll be moving to as that knowledge could be your most valuable clue to guide your decisions on what to take and how to organize your move. Information such as the space you will have available, the predominant weather patterns as well as the housing complex or community by-laws have to be taken into consideration as you pack. 

Be decisive

There are many decisions to be made before you move. These include what to take with you, the best mode of transportation for you and your family; whether to ship things yourself or do it professionally and even how many pets you can or will take with you (there may be laws in your new city concerning this). It may be impractical to try to take everything you own, so go through you house or apartment, at least 2 months before moving day, and label everything you plan to take, trash, sell or donate to charity. 

Take into consideration the size of your furniture, the special considerations that may be required for packing and moving as well as those that may need to be insured before moving. Other factors to consider are the practicalities of getting new ones over the cost of hauling what you already own. While your belongings may be sentimentally attached, if you would have to replace them within the next 2 years, it might be more cost effective to simply leave it behind. 

Get professional advice

A creditable moving company can make your packing, moving and unpacking much easier. They can advise you on the size of the moving equipment that will be needed, which should be able to hold about 10 - 15 percent more than what you will be taking. They can also help to take the guess work out of estimating the cost of shipping certain large items, such as a chest freezer, as opposed to getting a new one, once you have relocated. 

When hiring a moving company, get at least 5 different on-site estimates (phone estimates are unreliable) and ensure that they have provided you with a United States Department of Transportation number (USDOT). This is to prevent you from getting scammed. Since rates tend to be higher in the summer months of July and August as well as on weekends, calculate the cost of moving on a weekday (losing work time) over the higher rates being charged by the moving company like Executive Moving Systems.