Moving is not a piece of cake, especially when moving a long distance. Long distance move from one state to another requires proper planning, and you need to consider every possible setback you might face along the journey so that you can plan accordingly. Long-distance moves are physically tiring already when you consider the long traveling hours. For example, if you are planning to move to Seattle from Houston, it will take you to travel for 2 days, 3 hours, and 43 minutes to reach your destination by road.
Additionally, physical stress adds to the mental fatigue you will experience as you constantly worry about your belongings reaching there in the right condition, among other things. But don’t worry; we are here to tell you five ways to make your long-distance move stress-free.
- Hire The Best Moving Company:
As you are moving long-distance from one state to another, it’s obvious that it won’t be an easy feat if you do it alone. So, the best decision you can make is to hire a professional moving agency. If you are moving from Houston to Seattle, search for companies that operate in both cities or at least have experience carrying out moves between the states of Washington and Texas.
There are different types of moving companies. Specialized movers provide expert services for moving unique things like arts and antiques. Self-service movers take care of the transportation part of the move. And the full-service providers take care of the move in all aspects. A company like Coleman American is a good example, as they provide services like packing your stuff and moving it safely across states to ship cars and vehicles. They also provide services such as online tracking, etc. Thus, your long-distance move will be completely stress-free when you leave everything in the hands of experts.
- Pack Lightly:
Even though you are relocating and no doubt you have to move all of your belongings too, there are still many things you can leave behind. When you have lived in a certain place for a long time, it’s natural to develop an emotional attachment to a lot of material things. You might want to bring everything to your new place to cherish the memories of your past home forever, but you need to keep emotions aside when packing.
If you pack everything you have, not only will it add to your cost, but it will also make the whole process stressful. Moving companies will charge you more when you are moving many things. Similarly, you will continuously worry about the many things you have packed. So it is better to leave the things you will no longer need and pack wisely. Packing more things means spending too much time packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking your stuff. There might be many things that will not be useable in your new place and thus will only take up extra space.
- Plan about the Utilities In Advance:
When it comes to utilities and other services, you need to plan for here and there. This means you must discontinue the services you are availing at your current place and make arrangements in advance to set up those services for the place you are moving to. Since you have been living in a place for a long time, you must have accounts with local businesses and banks, be availing several utility services, etc. So contact all your service providers to terminate your accounts when you are about to leave. Since moving is already costly, and if you don’t cancel services, you will get charged even when you have left and are not using the services anymore.
Similarly, when you reach your new place in the other state, you will want a running home with all the facilities like water, electricity connection, internet, proper sewage system, etc. Thus, scheduling all the utilities before you arrive is best. That way, when you arrive after such a long-distance move, you won’t be stressed about the absence of basic utilities in your house. Also, get proper permits in place before you move in.
- Carefully Choose Your Moving Date:
It’s very important to do proper research when you are finalizing the date of your long-distance move. The best advice is to choose an off-season date. Usually, most moves take place during the holidays, and in such a hectic time, many things can add to your stress. Of course, due to so many movers, there will be traffic issues on the road. Similarly, when there are a lot of movers, it means more people looking for and hiring moving companies. This means higher rates demanded by companies, and the biggest issue can be their availability.
Mostly, the starting week and the last week of the month are the busiest times for moving. So your best bet would be mid-month or mid-week dates for moving. Another thing you should consider regarding moving dates is the literal season, meaning the weather. Make sure to check for the weather forecast a week before your moving date to ensure there won’t be a harsh weather situation like heavy rainfall or snow, etc., while you are on the road. Such harsh weather conditions can get you stuck on the road and cause a lot of stress.
- Pack An Essentials Bag:
When planning a long-distance move, don’t forget to pack and keep an essentials bag with you. This bag must be with you during your entire journey. You will still need to take your prescribed medications, if any, during your move. You might want to throw in an extra layer of clothing. You might need to change into more comfortable shoes, etc.
Also, when you reach your new home, it is a great possibility that your stuff might arrive the next day or that you don’t remember exactly in which suitcase your specific clothes are. So instead of unpacking all the bags right after you arrive after a long journey, it will be much easier if you can just grab things from the essentials bag. Keep basic toiletries, bedding, extra clothes, etc., in your essentials bag so you won’t get stressed about finding what you need when you are on the road and reach your destination.
Conclusion:
You might be moving across the country for a new job opportunity, have bought a new house, or just want to relocate for the sake of change. Whatever the reason, the stress of long-distance moving will surely overcloud your excitement of a new beginning. In this article, we put forward five ways you can make your long-distance move stress-free.
