Moving Long-Distance? Here’s How to Plan

There is very little in life that’s more stressful than moving and when you’re moving long-distance, it can become overwhelming to the point that you don’t even know where to start. If this is your first long-distance move, it’s wise to seek out long distance moving services that have experience with moving people all over the country. But, whether you get help with your move or not, you’ll still need to plan. Here’s how.

Understand Your Destination

Before you even pack a single thing, take the time to fully research your destination to make sure you don’t haul a bunch of things across the country that you’re not ever going to use once you’re there. For example, if you’re moving from Colorado to Florida, you probably don’t need to pack your skis. This is just a basic example of the type of consideration you need to make when you’re moving long distance. Other factors to think about include how much space you’re moving to; what types of ordinances does your new city have regarding pets, outside storage, extra vehicles, and more; what the weather is like; and more. 

Create a System for Packing

If you have enough time before your move, the best system for packing is to start with the rooms you seldom use and pack each room one at a time. Sort through your belongings and categorize them into things you want to keep, things you want to sell, things you want to donate, and things you want to toss. 

Put the things you want to keep into boxes and once those boxes are full, tape them shut and move them to a location that’s out of the way. Donate the things designated for charity right away so they don’t linger in your home. The same is true for the things you want to toss. Put them in the trash immediately so that they don’t get in your way as you pack up the other items.

The things you want to sell might present more of a challenge. Do you have time for a sale before you move? If so, put all the things you want to sell in one place. If you don’t have time for a sale before you move, either pack them up like you’re doing with the things you’re keeping, or reconsider having a sale at all, especially if you don’t want to move those items. Consider donating them instead.

Get Help

Even if you don’t employ professional long distance moving services, you’re probably still going to need help with your long-distance move. Ask your friends and family members to assist you as you pack or with errands you need to run but don’t have time for. Even taking a small task off your plate will go a long way in making your move more manageable. If you can’t find people to help you, then it might be time to pay for some assistance, especially if you’re running short on time before you have to be out of your current house.

Conclusion

A long-distance move is very different from a move across the city. While you can get away without a plan when moving a short distance, you’ll never be able to pull off a long-distance move without one. In fact, the sooner you start planning, the better off you’ll be.