You’ve had the opportunity to move away from it. Whatever the reason may be that you’re passing through any amazing city, making a long-distance move can be both exciting and stressful at the same time.
Benjamin Franklin once noted the importance of planning. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” and we don’t want that to happen to you during your move—we want you to thrive!
To ease your mind and lower your blood pressure, making a plan for your move is the way to go! With the following tips, you’ll be able to have a seamless move with as little stress as possible.
Plan Ahead as Much as Possible
Stated by a long distance moving company, after you get the general details in place for your move—like where you’ll be living and when you’re moving—the next things to get in place are a lot of administrative tasks.
You’ll want to get your mail forwarded from old address to your new address, let your employer know your change of address, get your electricity (and soon after your internet), along with your renter’s insurance if you’re moving into an apartment.
After you let the appropriate people know about your move, the next step in the planning process is to schedule out the rest of your move. A helpful way to do this is to start from your move-in date and work backward to see what needs to be done by what date.
Here’s a general timeline on what to do leading up to your long-distance move:
- 8 weeks:schedule estimates with movers or book your moving vehicles, create a budget for your move, request time off for moving day
- 6 weeks: plan out time with friends and family, start collecting (or buying) boxes, research packing tips, take photos of your electronics and how they are plugged in (for an easy plug-in in your new place), fix minor home repairs
- 4 weeks:purchase moving insurance (if necessary), start to declutter and donate or plan a garage sale, find all your important documents like passports and birth certificates, start packing
- 2 weeks: fill your prescriptions, forward your mail and update your address where appropriate, make a moving day playlist
- 1 week: donate canned food, stop ordering items online (or make sure they are going to the new address), prepare for a final walkthrough if leaving an apartment, clean both your old and new home, pack an essentials bag so you’ll have easy access to it at your new place
- Moving day + first 1-2 days: set an early alarm to get ready for the day, pack your car with smaller items or fragile boxes to move yourself, go grocery shopping, start unpacking
Declutter
Before you get into the nitty-gritty parts of packing, you’ll want to declutter. Decluttering before you move actually has a ton of benefits. If you go with movers, it will lower your cost. If you decide to do the majority of the move yourself, you’ll have less heavy boxes to carry to and from your car.
Plus, you’ll get that newfound freedom feeling of starting extra fresh in your new home!
Pack
One of the most important and daunting steps in moving long-distance is packing. If you split up this process into small chunks over a few weeks, it will feel a lot less taxing on your mental state and way more manageable.
First, start packing rooms that aren’t popularly used, like spare bedrooms or offices. Next, you’ll want to pack the smaller items and appliances that you’ll be fine not using for a week or so. During the week before your move, pack up everything you can besides necessities such as toiletries, select clothing, and pet food or supplies.
Schedule Movers & Vehicles
Deciding if you’ll hire movers or go the DIY route is another decision that will make your move go as smoothly as possible. The earlier you decide on this, the more you can plan.
When choosing to go with movers, you’ll want to schedule a date and time with them ASAP. The summer months get booked the quickest and typically cost more so make sure to book quickly if you are moving within this time. If you have a flexible timeframe and schedule, try moving during the winter and during a weekday.
Following these helpful tips for a long-distance move when leaving or coming, this will alleviate the amount of stress in your life and lead to a smooth move. Making a thorough plan and executing it on time will make all the difference. Happy moving!
