Checklist for A Long Distance Move

If you leave anything important behind, it would be a hassle to arrange for somebody to pick it up and mail it to your new residence. It is always beneficial to do things the right way from the start, and here are all the things you should be ticking off your moving list, to avoid dealing with stress.

If you have not moved houses since a long time, chances are that you have collected many things. Many of these might be furniture or clothes you have not worn since long. When you move long distances, it is expensive than just shifting down the street with the help of some friends.

Depending on how much you want to carry, you might need to add more numbers to shipping costs. These can be astronomical if you need to take a lot of things overseas. The best thing is to use this chance to downsize and prioritize the things you need versus things you have not used since long.

This will save a lot of money and time because instead of packing everything, you can have a yard sale or give away the things you are not planning to take with you. Letting go of things is challenging, which is why Marie Kondo is so famous.

You should try her method of asking whether an item makes you happy or not. Try imagining your new life after the move and think about which items you will not use after the move. This should be a base to discard things to avoid carrying and paying for too much.

When you move long distance, you have no choice but to limit number of trips you make and take everything at once. You cannot drive or fly back all the way from California to Boston if you have not packed everything. Even if you did that, it would be ridiculously expensive and not worth.

Stock up on a lot of boxes, packing tape, labels, bubble wrap, and anything else you need. It is always better to have extra materials that you can store for another day, rather than rushing to a store at the last minute if you run out of boxes.

Many home improvement stores keep large numbers of these items that you can buy in bulk. This will help a lot when you are on a roll while packing and do not want to stop because there is no more shipping tape left.

Have a look around, especially kitchens and bathrooms, and make a list of all perishable items. These can be groceries, frozen foods, household cleaning products, bug sprays, and paints. Depending on how far you are moving, it would not be possible to take these because they could rot or get damaged.

Mark all expiry dates on a calendar before your move and encourage family members to consume everything. This is an excellent opportunity to cook frozen steaks, chicken nuggets, or generously eat a loaf of bread. By keeping track, you will know how much to consume and avoid buying more milk.

Before agreeing to move into a new home, you should check if all your furniture can fit inside. You do not want to be in a situation where the couch cannot move through the front door to your new living room.

Take measurements of doorways, halls, and bedrooms, to ensure any large pieces of furniture can fit in. This way, you will not be in a stressful situation where the antique grand piano you spent money on relocating across countries suddenly does not fit and you cannot saw it in half either.

Packing up an entire house is not easy. Many things can get lost or misplaced if you do not label boxes correctly. You might end up panicking if you left too much to pack at the last minute when movers are on the way. It is essential to maintain a packing schedule.

You should divide tasks instead of doing too much at once. Then, it will be easier to keep track of which boxes you are putting things in. Do bedrooms first, and then the living room. Leave bathrooms and kitchens for the very end as you still need to cook food and take showers until moving day.

If you are unable to pack everything on time, ask friends and family members to help. Having people around to support with the packing will help you focus and prevent you from distractions and binge-watching Netflix for several hours.

Always double-check with your moving company to keep track of dates and timelines. You do not want to be in a situation where you schedule the wrong appointment, and the movers have already arrived while you are still packing or are busy at the office.

Finalize all relocation costs so that there are no ugly surprises later. You should also add a tip for the movers, especially if they are helping you unload a lot of heavy items during lousy weather.

When you move long distance, you need to set up lights, heat, water, phone lines, and WiFi. You should make these arrangements before moving so that the companies can disconnect your utilities promptly and connect them to your new residence. Otherwise, it will be rough few days without any lights, phones, or hot water in the bathroom.

Let everybody back home know where you are moving to and leave an address for them to stay in touch. Your address will need to be changed for your bank, insurance company, phone company, and many others.

Make a list of all companies you do business with and contact them in advance to change your address. Some places might need you to visit with an identification document to verify any changes, so it is always better to do this before moving since you cannot come back again later.